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With the way the spiritual energy was already crawling over him, Grant didn’t think it was going to take long.
“Guys! Over here!” Janice Russell was waving for them to join her over at the front desk.
“Time to party.” Cary squeezed Finn’s and Grant’s shoulders before letting go so he could lead the way over to Janice.
Janice cut her eyes at Grant. “Not you.”
Grant held his hands up in surrender as he backed away.
Janice was their new producer and director, a crisp and assertive woman who ran a very tight ship and totally hated Grant.
The first thing she’d tried to do when she came on board a few weeks ago was get him fired. She didn’t see what possible benefit there was to keeping him. Two historians on the team didn’t make any sense, especially one as highly paid as Grant was, and she thought cutting his salary would improve the show’s budget and impress the higher-ups. Cary and the entire team had threatened to walk, and the same higher-ups Janice had been trying to kiss up to were furious she had almost cost them one of their most popular shows.
Naturally, she blamed Grant.
“This is Myrna Delgado-Charles,” Janice said, nodding to an elderly Hispanic woman who was standing behind the mammoth wooden front desk. “She is the current owner and the great-granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs. Charles who first opened the hotel in 1889. Ma’am, this is Finn Carlson and Bill Carriage, the hosts ofThe Paranormal Probe.”
“Hello. Welcome to the Allan!” Myrna was small and plump, and her salt-and-pepper hair was arranged in a tidy bun on top of her head. “It’s so lovely to meet you!” She grinned at Finn. “Wow, you are so much more handsome in person than on television!”
Finn smiled politely. “Thank you, ma’am. That’s very kind of you.”
“Thank you so much for having us,” Cary said. “This place is gorgeous.”
“Yes, well, thank you.” Myrna continued to stare at Finn. “We’ve worked very hard getting ready for you all. I do hope you enjoy your stay. If you need anything,anythingat all, please don’t hesitate to ask me. I would be happy to handle your needs personally.”
Finn flinched. “I, uh, appreciate that very generous offer. Thank you.”
“Thank you, ma’am.” Janice forced a smile before turning to address Finn and Cary. “Once the camera crews are ready, we’ll get you meeting with Myrna again, go through the introductions, and we’ll get started on the tour. Crew A will be with us, and Crew B will be with the rest of the team getting B-roll of the hotel exterior, the lobby here, and maybe some shots of them carrying their stuff inside…”
Grant drifted away from the conversation, and he walked toward one of the lavish sitting rooms flanking the lobby. He was confident he could eat off the floor in here. He ran his fingers over the chairs and wall as if checking for dust, though he knew he wasn’t going to find any.
He wasn’t actually trying to see if the place was tidy or not. Aware that others might be watching him, he had learned to do this so no one would question what he was up to. At worst, they might think he was a clean freak or a snob.
No one would ever suspect he was checking for spiritual energy.
Grant didn’t know if other mediums did things this way as he’d never had the chance to meet one. He’d come across plenty of people who claimed to have spiritual powers, but it was obvious pretty quickly they were fakes when they couldn’t see or hear what Grant could. He assumed there had to be others out there like him, but so far, he hadn’t found any yet.
Touching things was a good way for Grant to get readings. Depending on what he was touching, he might feel an echo from an object’s previous owner, perhaps a whisper of a nearby presence, or a fluctuation in the very energy of the building. It was basically sticking his toes in to check the temperature of paranormal bath water.
Not that Grant really needed to check anything—he already knew this place was haunted. He was curious, however, what they might have to look forward to, and this was a good way to get a potential preview. He didn’t sense much until he got to a large wooden mantel overlooking a grand stone fireplace.
Oh, there was definitely something here.
The energy was buzzing, light and tingling like the rush of adrenaline after riding a roller coaster. He felt it on his tongue, behind his eyes, and in the tips of his fingers. Within the buzzing, he could sense a few distinct presences, and he was surprised by how clearly he could see them. One felt quite old, maybe a woman, and Grant could make out the silhouette of a big floppy hat. Another appeared as a woman in a long, flowing high-neck white dress, and the last one…
Huh.
Looked like a guy wearing a hoodie.
“Hey, Grant!” Finn called.
“Yeah?” Grant let go of the mantel, and the images faded.
“We’re ready,” Finn said. “Come on! It’s time for the tour.”
Grant had been so zoned out that he hadn’t noticed the camera crew getting into position. He headed over and then took his usual spot next to Mack, a husky camera operator who had been with them since season two.
They had apparently already filmed the new introductions with Myrna as she was now standing on the other side of the desk.
