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Finn looked sheepish, but he was sincere as he said, “Well, yes, but we don’t have to talk about that if you don’t want to. We don’t have to talk about anything.”
“No! Talk about it!” Huck wanted to shake Finn, and he balled his hands into fists. He had never been this close to actually getting some useful information before. “Come on!”
Myrna hesitated, and then she shook her head. “No, it’s all right. You deserve to know the truth. Yes, I was part of the cult. I was young, quite foolish, and I wish I had gotten out sooner. I had a daughter with one of the cultists, and well…”
Huck was right at the foot of the bed, practically about to crawl up on the mattress at Finn and Myrna’s feet, as he waited for her to go on. She had to be talking about Janice, and he was dying to hear more.
Well, dying as much as someone who was already dead could anyway.
Finn was definitely as eager to know judging by his expression, but his voice was calm and soothing as he said, “It’s all right, Myrnie. Take your time.”
“I gave her up for adoption,” Myrna finally went on, tears in her eyes now. “I was so very young, and I was honestly quite messed up from everything I’d been through. I went to therapy, so much therapy, and I slowly got better. I found a nice man, my dearly departed husband, Frank, and well… we had our son together, but I could never find my daughter.
“The records were sealed, then lost, and I had no idea what happened to her…” She took a deep breath. “That is, until a woman reached out to me almost ten years ago. This may be a bit of a surprise, but your producer? Janice?”
“Mm?” Finn’s eyes were wide, but he kept his lips pressed tightly together.
“She is my daughter.” Myrna sniffed sadly. “I couldn’t believe it. After all of this time, I’d finally found her. She knew exactly who I was, I have no idea how, and she showed me the paperwork to prove it. She visited here often for a while, and I was so excited to have my little girl back. She even worked at the local TV station, but…”
Finn brought Myrna’s hand up for a kiss. “But?”
“She wouldn’t stop asking me questions about the cult.” Myrna sighed and wiped at her eyes. “She wanted to know all these strange things,personalthings, and I didn’t want to talk about it. I’d put all of that behind me, and well, it ended up causing a huge fight between us. I don’t know if she wanted to know for some sort of closure or what, but it broke us. She moved away, and I didn’t speak to her again until she called a few months ago wanting to bring your television show here.”
“I’m so sorry.” Finn kissed her hand again. “That had to have been so very hard for you. I… I had no idea.” He cringed, as if he couldn’t stand the sound of his own terrible lie. “Really.”
“Of course not.” Myrna laughed bitterly. She apparently didn’t notice Finn’s poor fib or was choosing to ignore it because she said, “Janice didn’t want anyone to know we were related. She only wanted exclusive access to the hotel. Said it would make up for everything I’d done to her, and I was so desperate for another chance. So, I told her yes, of course, and ha, she’s barely spoken to me since you all arrived. She said she wanted space, and well… there’s nothing else I can give her.”
“I’m sorry.” Finn leaned in now to kiss Myrna’s lips and pet her hair. “Janice has always been a cold person as long as I’ve known her, and I’m sorry that she played on your love for her to serve herself so selfishly. I had wondered how she was able to get us access to investigate here, and now knowing… Honestly, it makes me not want to go on with the show.”
“No, no!” Myrna patted Finn’s hand. “I want you to. Please. This will be so good for your little program, won’t it? And besides, maybe it will help drum up some business for this old place. The Captain’s Quarters needs a new roof for one thing, not to mention all the redecorating I’d like to do.”
“If you’re sure.” Finn was serious now. “I don’t feel good about this. Especially with our current situation, I don’t want to feel like I am taking advantage of you via Janice’s desire to propel herself into upper management.”
“Oh? Think you’re taking advantage of me?” Myrna teased, pulling her hand from Finn’s to reach down and grab his—
Huck jerked away and put his back to the bed. “Shit, shit, shit!”
Finn grunted.
“Does itfeellike you’re taking advantage of me?” Myrna asked innocently.
“It feels like I might be late getting back from lunch,” Finn said.
“That’s exactly what I wanted to hear.”
Huck grimaced as he listened to the wet smacking of their lips—hehopedit was lips—and he darted away to melt back through the door. Once on the other side, he hurried downstairs to find Grant so he could tell him what he’d found out.
Today had been a review day, so Grant would most likely be in the command center going over the most recent evidence with Bachata and Aurora even at this late hour.
Huck hesitated when he saw a few shades hanging around by the kitchen. They were endless shadows, hiding in the darkness of the open doorway. He only counted three of them, and it was easy enough to dart by them. He felt the shiver of their cold touch as one managed to get close enough to grab his shoulder, but he was able to shrug it off.
Ugh. Damn shades.
Huck hurried onward to the command center.
Grant was indeed sitting at the desk next to Aurora when Huck poked his head around the doorway, both of them glued to different screens with headphones on.
“Hey! Psst!” Huck waved at Grant. “Grant!”
