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“Is that a yes?”
“It’s a big yes. Lead the way.”
CHAPTER7
Grant
Grant had no idea what to expect as Huck led him out into the hallway and toward a small staircase. He was excited, heart pounding away, and he couldn’t believe the strength of Huck’s grip on his hand.
He definitely needed to ask if Huck had been practicing because he’d swear that Huck was a living and breathing man if it wasn’t for his being a bit sort of see-through.
Grant needed to tell Huck the new information he and Aurora had discovered about the hotel today too, but right now he was more excited to see what Huck’s surprise field trip was. He didn’t think the news was too urgent anyway.
There had apparently been some pretty horrific cult activity here in the ’70s before the hotel had reopened, and several of the murders were attributed to ritualistic sacrifice. Grant thought it was strange Myrna had neglected to mention any of this on her haunted tour of the hotel, especially since one of the surviving members of the cult had written a book about his experiences here.
Grant had bought an ebook copy of it to read later, and then he and Aurora got back to work researching the other deaths. They didn’t find much else of interest other than the sheer number, though the involvement of the Eastern Stairs continued to be a recurring theme.
After checking in with Finn, Cary, and Bachata to see how the evidence review was going, Aurora gave them a detailed report of what she and Grant had found. Grant had politely excused himself to get something to eat and take a shower.
He’d had a date to get ready for, after all.
A date that was currently leading him up a dark and treacherous staircase into a dark, musty room. He really wished they hadn’t joked about horror movies, his heart thudding for less pleasant reasons now.
“Wait just a second,” Huck said, letting go of Grant’s hand.
“Okay.” Grant fidgeted. “I’ll be right over here. Hoping that no one murders me in the dark.”
“It’s gonna be fine,” Huck soothed. “I maybe just forgot about the lack of lights that comes with a room having a lack of ceiling.”
“Right.”
“Hmm. Do you have your phone on you?”
“Yeah. Want me to turn on the flashlight?”
“Yes, but aim…” Huck pushed Grant around to face the door they’d come through. “Here.”
“Okay.” Grant pulled out his cell phone, activated the flashlight, and directed the beam of light at the door.
“Sorry about this,” Huck said. “I maybe didn’t exactly think this completely through.”
“It’s totally fine.” Grant glanced up at the ceiling, the night sky obscured by a giant blue tarp. He now knew exactly where they were, inside that big turret with the wrecked roof.
“The, uh, lack of roof is why we go ding.”
“Wait, Mrs. Charles did this?”
“Yup.”
“Holy shit.” Grant had never seen a ghost who was capable of causing such a degree of damage, though he’d certainly heard rumors of them being responsible for everything from houses collapsing to earthquakes.
“Right? But that’s not your surprise!”
“No?”
“Nope! Here we go!” Huck put his hands on Grant’s shoulders and then gently turned him back around. “And… surprise!”
Grant blinked a few times, trying to figure out if he was looking at a photograph or a painting, but it…
