The Hotel – 50

The first thing I did when I was up and dressed the next morning was call Marsh, hoping he hadn't left for work already. He was still at home so I suggested we meet for breakfast.

We arrived at the restaurant at almost the same time. After a short wait we were seated, had placed our orders, and were drinking coffee.

"I'm guessing you talked to Caitlin and Ramsey," he said, looking over his cup at me.

"Yep. What I need to know is, are you willing to take over if I do decide to leave?"

He nodded. "I don't want to, but only because I know I won't be able to do half as good a job as you have.  That said, I'll do my damnedest to keep the troupe going. It's what all of us want, with or without you."

"As long as you don't feel as if they're pushing you to take over. If you do, then my decision is made. I'll stay."

"Trust me, I don't." He chuckled. "You should know me well enough by now to know that no one can make me do anything I don't want to. I can be more stubborn than you."

"I'm not stubborn, damn it."

"Uh-huh. If you weren't, the troupe would never have gotten off the ground."

"Dedication, Marsh, not stubbornness."

Laughing, he replied, "You can call it what you want but you can be really stubborn when you put your mind to it, and I intend to live up to your example."

Satisfied he was willing to do this, we spent the rest of the meal going over the basic details of what would be involved for me to turn the reins over to him. He understood that it all hinged Edwin's reaction to what I was planning.

"He's not going to fight it," Marsh stated adamantly. "I've seen the two of you together. The way he looks at you when he doesn't think you know he is? He's as hooked on you as you are on him. The only thing in the way of where the two of you would settle down together was who was willing to move." He grinned. "Now we've solved that problem for you, so go up there, tell him you're staying this time, and make it so."

"Yes, Captain," I replied, rolling my eyes.

After we finished breakfast Marsh took off for work. I had another hour before I had to be at the gallery, so I went home, called Edwin, wanting to know if he could come down after I got off. I even promised to make him dinner. His reply was a very enthusiastic, "I'll see you when you get home."

The Hotel – 49

"Look," Ramsey said, resting his elbows on the table as he stared seriously at me. "You created the troupe and watched it grow into something pretty damned good. Maybe now it's time to let it go. Sort of like a parent letting their kids move out and make it on their own."

"I know you probably hate the idea right this minute," Caitlin added, resting her hand on my arm. "But wouldn't it be worth it? It's not like you have to give up the theater all together. Talk to Edwin. See how he'd feel about setting up a small repertory company at the hotel if you want to keep your hand in."

I looked at them, shaking my head when I realized… "You planned this, didn't you?"

"Us?" they said in unison.

"Nope, not us," Ramsey said. "Well, not just us. Don't get pissed but it's been pretty clear for the last few weeks that you're not happy. Okay, you're not unhappy but there's something missing. You don't seem as enthusiastic as you used to be."

"So we decided to do something about it. We had a meeting last Monday, while you were up at the hotel," Caitlin said, not quite looking at me. "We want to help you."

"By going behind my back?" I asked scathingly. "What great plan did you come up with?"

"Ease up, Austin," Ramsey replied. "We do want to help and, well, this is just an idea. Nothing's written in stone so if you don't like it, fine. That said, what if Marsh took over running things, and we brought in someone to direct? Also, it's not like we really have much in the way of sets, right? We could probably find someone from the theater department at the college who would love to design what little we need in exchange for getting credit for it, or however that would work."

"We'll keep on performing at the shelters and what have you, as well as at the local restaurants. That's already set up, thanks to you." Caitlin said, patting my arm.

I knew what they were suggesting was logical. It didn't mean I had to like the idea that they were willing to see me walk away from everything I'd created, without even consulting me first. All right, they were consulting me, but still…

"Think about it, Austin," Ramsey said. "You don't have to make a decision here and now. But…" he pointed a finger at me. "If you and Edwin want to be together on a more permanent basis, and I think you do, this could be the answer."

I nodded. He had a point. First though, before saying yes or no, I needed to talk with Edwin. I said as much and we left it at that for the moment.

The Hotel - 48

Four months later, I was beginning to wonder if Edwin and I truly could make things work. We wanted to. There was no question about that. We spent as much time as possible together, considering our very different lives. Mondays, because it was one of my days off from the gallery, as well as the one day of freedom for everyone in the troupe, Edwin took me up to the hotel for the day—and night.

The first time he did that was…interesting. Being at my place one second, then in his suite at the hotel the next, left me feeling nauseated, to put it mildly.

"That shade of green does not suit you," Edwin had said, laughing. "You'll get used to it, in time."

"Being sick?" I'd replied dryly, taking a deep breath to calm my stomach.

"No." He hugged me, which had helped. "Teleporting."

He was right, I did get used to it.

The problem was it felt like we were in a long-distance relationship and he was doing all the work to make it possible for us to be together. True, he wasn't complaining about it but I began to feel guilty, with no idea how to solve the problem. Or at least no solution which didn't involve one of us giving up what we loved doing.

I was bemoaning the fact one evening after a rehearsal when Caitlin and Ramsey suggested we stop for coffee before heading home.

"It's going to get worse when you have to drive up there in the winter," Ramsey said after hearing me out. Of course he didn't know that was the least of my problems. He, and the rest of the troupe, figured either Edwin or I spent an hour or more on the road getting to his place or mine.

"You're not helping," Caitlin told him, rolling her eyes.

"Just stating facts," he replied, hugging her.

She kissed his cheek then said to me, "One of you needs to make a major life change if you want to be together permanently."

"I know that," I replied in frustration.

"So do it." She smiled sweetly.

"Me?"

"Well, Edwin's not here so I can't tell him to. Besides which, he owns the hotel and it's his home, as well as his business. You on the other hand…" She left it hanging.

She was correct on one point, he did have to stay where he was. Not only because of the hotel but because of his pack and the other shifters who lived in town. It was a safe haven and he would never desert them, even for me. I knew and understood that. Quite honestly I didn't even resent it. It was how it was and I respected his reasons. That was a part of caring for someone.

"I have a job, here," I said, "and you two and the rest of the troupe. I can't just walk away."

"Really?" Ramsey replied. "Do you love the gallery that much?"

I knew he was teasing, sort of. I liked working there but it was hardly my life. The troupe, however… "I can't abandon all of you."

Guardian Angels – Ambivalent - 34

As they talked, Paddy realized Mike and Link had joined them. 

"I owe you my life," Mike said, his voice trembling with emotion. Link nodded in agreement.

"Only doing what I was hired for," Paddy replied with a slight smile. "And once you two realized what was happening you'd have gotten yourselves out of there."

Link shook his head. "Maybe, but McKim would have gotten away."

"He didn't though, so all's well. Oh, by the way, Mike, I thought you'd like to know, your sister had nothing to do with this."

Relief flooded Mike's face. "He told you that?"

"Yeah. I sort of forced that much out of him before I punched out his lights." And that's sort of the truth since I invaded his mind to find out.

"Thank God." Mike turned to Massey, asking, "Can I get back to work now?"

"You'll do nothing of the sort," Link said forcefully before Massey could reply. "I think, under the circumstances, they can do without you for the rest of the day. I'm going to take you home and make sure you finally get some sleep, now that this is over."

"I… Okay. If you're sure." Mike smiled at Link for a moment, getting one in return. Then he turned his attention to Paddy. "But first, can I talk to you alone for a minute?"

"Yes," Paddy replied. They moved away from the others. Then, when he was sure no one would overhear, he said, "Go for it."

Mike frowned, then blurted out, "How did you get into the lounge?"

"Through the door?"

"No. The fire must have already been burning or there wouldn't have been smoke so soon. It was like one minute it was just me and Link in there, and then you were shouting for us to get out."

"No," Paddy said quietly, "I did come though the door." As he said that, he implanted the image of his doing it in Mike's mind. Then he smiled. "You two were so wrapped up in his giving you a backrub I think the ceiling could have fallen in and it would have taken you a moment or three to realize it."

"I… Okay, maybe. It just…" Mike nodded. "Yeah I suppose so. You must have come in seconds before he lit it and…"

"And immediately smelled gasoline, which is what Massey said he used, and then the smoke."

"If you say so."

"I do." Paddy chuckled. "And what I say goes because I'm the old one here."

"Older," Mike replied with a bit of a grin. "But not old." Suddenly he hugged Paddy. "Thank you for…everything."

"Hey, it was what you hired me for. Remember that when Vic sends you the bill."

"You're kidding!"

Paddy laughed. "Yeah, I'm kidding. Now you better get back to Link. He looks distinctly worried, especially since you hugged me."

"Ouch. Okay."

"Are you two going to…well you know?"

"I don't know but maybe. I think I like him. I think he likes me. That's a start, right?"

"Yeah it is." Paddy patted Mike's shoulder. "So go."

"Will I see you again?"

Paddy shrugged. "Who knows? Maybe someday."

"I hope so. I'm going to…"

"If you say 'miss you'," Paddy grumbled.

"Well I will. So there." Mike hugged him again, quickly, then headed back to join Link.

"I'm going to miss you too," Paddy said softly, watching the two young men walk away, Link's arm around Mike's waist. "Much more than I have a right to." Moments later he stepped into a doorway where no one could see him and vanished.

The Hotel – 47

"Would you like to stop by my place for a nightcap?" I asked Edwin. I thought we were alone on the sidewalk. I was wrong. Ramsey and Caitlin were close enough behind us they overheard me.

She grinned, giving us a knowing look and whispered to Ramsey, "I told you so."

"It's not what you think," I protested.

"Uh-huh." She patted my arm before linking hers with Ramsey's. I heard her giggling and rolled my eyes.

"Cat's out of the bag," Edwin said with some amusement. "To answer your question, I'd love to."

We didn't actually have a nightcap, heading straight to sex instead, tearing off clothes between increasingly heated kisses until we were naked on my bed. As always, the sex was fantastic. On that level we meshed perfectly. It was the rest of things I wasn't so certain about.

"It won't work, you know," I said, when I had the energy to speak.

"Why not?" Edwin seemed genuinely puzzled.

I held up my hand. Folding one finger I replied, "We're too different." I bent the second one. "We live too far apart." Another finger went down. "Neither of us is willing to give up what we love doing."

"There's nothing wrong with being different," he said. "It can make our lives interesting."

"I mean really different."

"I get that. Next problem, as you see it, is easily solved. I can get from there to here this fast." He snapped his fingers. "As I told you, it's part of what I am."

"True, I suppose. But it'll take me at least an hour to drive to the hotel."

"You call; I'll come and get you." He smiled, leaning in to give me a kiss. "As for giving up what we love doing? Why should we?"

"What if we decided…" I paused, not wanting to push things. We weren't even close to what I was going to suggest.

Despite my hesitation, Edwin understood immediately—or perhaps because of it. "If the time comes when we want to live together, we'll figure out a way to make it work."

"How, Edwin?" I sat up, cross-legged, looking at this man who had become too important to me. I didn't want to give him up, even though I knew I should.

"I don't know," he replied honestly. "Until then, if 'then' comes, let's take it one day at a time, as clichéd as that sounds. We might find out all there is between us is damned good sex. I don't believe it for a second, but…" He held out his arms and I went into them.

"I know it's more than that," I said. "Seeing you again, after so long, made me realize how much I've missed you even though I tried my damnedest not to."

Kissing my temple, he said, "I felt the same, and tried to forget all about you until I decided it wasn't working."

"For either of us. I suppose that says something—that we couldn't."

"You know it does. Are you willing to give us a try?" He smiled, tracing a finger over my lips. "I promise when I come down here it will be because I want to do more than sleep with you. You can show me your city, for starters."

"You're telling me you've never been here before?" I asked in disbelief.

"Only on business, like when I hired your troupe to come to the hotel to put on the show." He shook his head. "That didn’t end quite the way I expected, in several ways."

"No kidding," I agreed. "All right, you're on. If you stay the night, I'll give you the cook's-tour in the morning."

He hesitated momentarily before nodding. "I think the hotel can survive without me until tomorrow night." He chuckled. "If not, we're in big trouble because it's going to have to on a fairly regular basis from now on."

I liked what he was implying, a lot, and told him so. That led to some kissing, and as we were still quite naked, another round of sex. Then we fell asleep in each other's arms.

The Hotel – 46

We got to the shelter about ten minutes before the performance was due to begin. I suggested Edwin find a seat before I headed back stage. As I left him, I saw him stop to talk to a woman and her two children. Whatever he said made the kids look at him in awe and their mother smile.

The show was accepted well by the small audience. It was good to see the women who were there to escape their abusers relax enough to enjoy the comedy and even laugh at times.

I said as much to the troupe after they took their final bows.

"It's why we do this," Phil replied. "Why you brought us all together to begin with."

"And why we'll stick with it even if we have to be pushed on stage in our wheel chairs," Noah added.

"Or walkers," Ramsey said. "Except for Caitlin. She's going to grow old gracefully." He winked at her and she blushed.

"A budding romance?" Edwin whispered as he joined us.

I barely managed to reply, "I think so," before he was mobbed by the troupe. Everyone wanted to know why he was here and how all the people at the hotel were doing.

"I'll tell you after you're out of costume, if you feel like stopping for a drink. I'm sure there's a bar somewhere that won't mind a few crazy people coming in," he replied.

"Us, crazy?" Noah said in mock horror.

"Well, I suppose we can exclude Marsh from that description," Edwin told him. Then he offered to help me and Marsh pack up the lights and their stands, and the set pieces we'd brought for the show. The actors all disappeared into the two rooms they'd been using to dress. They would put their costumes into the wardrobe boxes and then we'd take everything back to the small place I rented that we used for storage and rehearsals.

An hour later, we walked into a local bar we frequented on occasion. It was busy, but we managed to find a table large enough to hold us all if we didn't mind rubbing elbows—literally—or standing until another table became available. When the waitress came over Edwin told us to order whatever we wanted and he'd pay for it. I'd already introduced him to the two temporary cast members, who now listened with interest as the interrogation began again about the hotel and everyone there.

For the most part Kirby listened but didn't join in. I had the feeling I knew why. Seeing Edwin again reminded him of Jenn. She had pled guilty to Tessa's murder under the advice of her lawyer, since she had already admitted she'd killed her. The lawyer unsuccessfully tried to plead it down to involuntary manslaughter, and settled for second degree murder. Jenn had been sentenced to eight to twenty-four years in prison. Kirby had tried several times to visit her there but she'd refused to see him. He had taken that hard at first, but had finally acceded to her wishes and moved on.

After finishing their first drinks, most of the troupe decided to call it a night. Only Phil and Noah remained behind when the rest of us left.

It's release day for 'Dead and Hating It'!

Dead and Hating It

Book 3 of Ghostly Investigations

https://www.jms-books.com/romance-c-29_105/dead-and-hating-it-p-2637.html

 

GENRE: Gay Paranormal Mystery Romance
LENGTH: 26,411 words
RATING:

Sequel to Searching for My Killer

Kurt Foster is a ghost, killed by the man he loved, unable to move on until he can prove he was murdered. But how can he do that?

Detective Mike Harris and Sage Crewe, Mike's lover and a medium who talks to ghosts, both knew Kurt. When his death is deemed a suicide, they don't believe it. With the help of ghosts Brody and Jon, they go to Kurt's apartment, looking for anything to prove he might have been murdered. Kurt is there and he tells them what happened.

Will Mike and Sage, with the help of Brody, Jon, and a third ghost named Tonio, be able to come up with the evidence to back Kurt's claim? While they try, will Tonio finally accept it's time for him to move on, or will helping Kurt make him realize there's more to life -- and death -- than losing the man he once loved?

EXCERPT:

"How do we get into his place," Sage asked as he and Mike drove to Kurt's apartment building Tuesday morning.

Mike grinned. "We could call Brody and have him go in and unlock the door."

Sage took him seriously, saying, "Do it. It'll save you hassling with the manager. Even though you are a cop he might be reluctant to let you in without a warrant."

"True." Mike took out his phone and texted Brody -- the only way they could communicate one-on-one since Mike couldn't hear him talking if he called. They had used that method while searching for Tonio's killer, and Mike decided Brody should hang onto the phone once the case was closed. He was even willing to pay for a cheap phone plan for it because as he'd said at the time, "Sure as hell you can't get one in your name."

'We need your help, if you're willing,' Mike texted.

Brody responded seconds later. 'Where?'

Mike sent the address and a couple of minutes later Sage let him know Brody and Jon had arrived. Then he explained to Brody what they needed.

Brody nodded, went through the door into the lobby, and opened it to let Mike and Sage in. Then the quartet went up to the fourth floor, where he did the same with Kurt's apartment.

"Is he here?" Mike asked.

"Nope," Sage, Brody, and Jon said in unison, although Mike only heard Sage who added, "Not in the living room, anyway."

"Damn. Okay, let's see if we can find any information on this George guy. I'll take the bedroom, the rest of you search the other rooms."

It was a good ten minutes later, and Mike was beginning to wonder if George actually existed or if Kurt had said so because he wanted Mike to think he had someone in his life who cared. He closed the bottom drawer of the dresser and stood, arms akimbo, shaking his head. "This is an exercise in futility," he muttered.

"Maybe," Sage replied from the doorway, "but you might want to ask him." He was looking at the bed.

"He's here?" Mike said, at the same time that Kurt said, "You can see me?"

"I can," Sage replied to Kurt's question. "I'm presuming you're Kurt."

"Yes," Kurt replied, staring at him. "But how? I mean…"

Sage smiled. "I'm a medium. I can see and talk to ghosts."

"He's telling the truth," Brody said, coming into the room with Jon right behind him. "Interesting outfit you're wearing, or not wearing, Kurt."

Kurt quickly put his hands over his groin, even as his eyes widened in shock. "You ... You're a ghost, too, and so is he." He looked at Jon.

Brody laughed. "What was your first clue? The fact you can see through us? Well, the parts that aren't clothed now," he said before he went fully solid, as did Jon, adding, "I figured you'd be more likely to believe us if you could."

When Mike asked, Sage explained what was happening. Kurt looked at him then said, "He must be alive, but not like you, sir, if you have to tell him what we're saying."

"He is. And Kurt, I'm not 'sir', I'm Sage. He's Mike, that's Brody, and he's Jon." He pointed to each one as he introduced them.

"Why are you here?" Kurt asked.

"Mike's a police detective, although you already knew that, because of the photo essay you did. He didn't believe the story that your death was an accident."

"And for sure I didn’t think you killed yourself," Mike added, knowing why Sage was telling him that.

"You better believe I didn't. I was murdered." Kurt shuddered.

"He says he was murdered, Mike," Sage said.

"Who did it, Kurt?" Mike asked.

"My boyfriend," Kurt replied. He stared down at the floor for a long moment. "I thought he loved me."

Sage gave him a compassionate look, asking, "What's his name?"

"George Neville. He's a salesman." Kurt grimaced. "He sure sold me a bill of goods, damn him!"

Sage relayed what Kurt was saying.

"Okay," Mike said, leaning against the dresser as he took a pad of paper and a pen from his shirt pocket. "What's his address, where does he work, and what happened, exactly."

Kurt gave him the information he asked for, with Sage passing it along. Then he told them about the night he died. "Right before he pushed me under the water, he said, 'I'm sorry I have to do this, but it's time for me to move on and try again.'"

Naturally, Sage repeated everything Kurt was saying, including his next words, "He's not at his apartment. It looks like he's moved out. Well, his personal stuff. Everything else is still there."

"So he's already on the run," Mike replied.

 

The Hotel – 45

Edwin obviously was aware of my scrutiny because he stopped in the middle of a story to ask, "Do I still come up to your high standards?"

I could feel the heat rising in my face and was thankful that the waitress had arrived with our meals. I dug in, trying to ignore his amused smile.

"Well?" he persisted. "Do I?"

"They aren't that high," I muttered.

"That can be taken several ways."

"I meant… Damn it, Edwin!"

He laughed. "I was teasing. How is your dinner?"

"Excellent; and yours?"

"Very good. I like what they've done with the potatoes. I might see if I can get the recipe for Brenda."

"And the hotelier comes out, always thinking how to improve things."

"Of course. Just as you want to improve your troupe. Have you…? Of course you have."

"Found replacements for Jenn and Tessa? Yes. I might add another actor and actress so we can do plays that require larger casts." With that I was off and running, telling him about the shows we'd done and the one coming up. That, of course, reminded me I was due at the shelter soon for tonight's performance. When I mentioned it, he asked if he could come with me.

"I don't see why not," I replied. "I'm sure everyone will be happy to see you again."

"Happier than you are, I hope," he said with a trace of asperity.

"Not true. I'm glad you're here. It just threw me at first."

He nodded, looking at me, then smiled. "I know."

"Do not do that!" I said emphatically, because I was certain he was probing to find out if I was being honest with him.

"I wasn't checking to find out if that was the truth," he replied. "I swear I wasn't. I can see it in your expression. You have a very open face which reveals your emotions."

"Are you serious? No one's every told me that before."

"Perhaps I'm more discerning than most of your friends," he said, laying his hand over mine.

"I suppose, given what you are, you have to be," I replied, feeling a rush of desire at his touch. When I moved my hand he smiled knowingly.

"We should finish eating or we'll be late."

For a second I wondered what he meant, and then I remembered the shelter.

(Due to plans with family, the next installment will be Wednesday, the 23rd)

The Hotel - 44

Edwin leaned in, so I knew what would come next was something he didn't want anyone around us to overhear. "I don't have to drive to get down here, given what I am."

"Oh," I replied weakly when I got what he meant. "Teleportation or whatever you call it."

"Exactly. All you need to do is call and I'll be here within seconds. That is—" he stared at me, his gaze locking with mine, "—if you want me to."

"Whenever one of us is—"

"Don't say it, Austin. There's more to it, to what I feel for you, than you think. Maybe you don't feel the same. If so, I can accept it, but I hope I'm wrong."

I looked down, whispering, "I don't know. I never… I knew, or thought that what happened was the result of two men who were attracted to each other on a very basic level. I tried to keep my emotions out of it because I was well aware it would end when I left." I looked at him again. "Now, after all this time, you're saying it doesn't have to?"

Edwin nodded. "It took me long enough to figure it out. Especially when I didn't hear from you."

"You never called, either," I pointed out, knowing I sounded waspish.

"I didn't, which was wrong of me, but…" He shook his head. "In all honesty, I wasn't certain you'd want to hear from me. We're…different, in ways that you can never tell anyone, even your closest friends or family. That presents a big barrier for you, if you do care at all for me."

I knew I should tell him I didn't, but it would be a lie and he'd know it. I barely smiled at that thought. I could never lie to him. I suppose on one level that's good. Relationships have to be based on honesty if they're going to work. Damn. Relationships? Was I really ready to consider that? Being involved with a man who was so unlike anyone I'd ever met before in ways that could make or break our being together?

"Maybe we should talk about something else for now," Edwin said. "This is too much, too fast."

He was right. "It always has been with you," I replied drolly, which earned me a small smile in response. So I asked him about the hotel and everyone who worked there. As he told me I studied him as I used to, what seemed like a very long time ago although it had only been last October.

The Hotel – 43

Because it was a Saturday evening, the restaurant was busy. When we got to the hostess stand, Edwin gave her his name. She started to enter it in the computer when she obviously realized I was with him. We knew each other because this was one of the restaurants where the troupe performed occasionally.

"I'll have a table for you in—" she did something on the computer and nodded, "—five minutes."

"Jumping us to the top of the list?" I asked with a bit of amusement.

"Austin, it's you. Of course I am."

That raised Edwin's eyebrows, so I quietly explained why. He shook his head, murmuring, "I didn't know I was keeping company with someone famous."

"Uh-huh. Only in my own mind, and hers," I replied.

As promised, five minutes later she was seating us at a table for two. The waitress came over to take our drink orders and give us menus.

"Your usual," Edwin said with a smile when I asked for a draft beer.

"It's that or coffee, and I've had enough of it today."

He ordered a beer as well, then waited for the waitress to leave before saying quietly, "You may not want to hear this, but I've missed you."

I wanted to tell him I hadn't missed him—which was the truth, sort of. I looked at him and nodded. "I tried to forget you, and succeeded for the most part."

"Why? I mean why did you want to forget me?"

"Because we have no future. You know that. You love your mountains, your hotel, your pack. It's your life and you'll never give it up."

"Whereas you love what you do and the city life. I understand." He pressed his fingers together, looking over them at me. "It doesn't mean we can't see each other now and then."

"Like you'd drive down here every weekend just to spend time in my bed," I replied snarkily, even as my body responded to that idea, as much as I wished it hadn't.

He smiled, started to say something and stopped when the waitress came over with our drinks. She stood there expectantly for a moment before asking if we'd decided what we wanted to eat. I knew, because I'd been there before, and told her. Edwin quickly perused the menu and let her know he wanted the sirloin steak with all the trimmings.

When she left, I took a deep drink of my beer. Edwin chuckled, reaching across the table to swipe his finger over my upper lip. "Foam mustache," he explained.

"It happens every time I take the first sip."

"So I've noticed."

"What were you going to say before she interrupted?"

The Hotel - 42

Kirby did stay with the troupe. I found actresses to replace Jenn and Tessa, one of whom we'd used before when we did a show requiring more than two women. And so our lives moved on. I thought about Edwin more often than I liked for the first couple of months, then he slowly became just a memory of a man I could have loved, if things had been different.

Christmas came and went. We, the troupe, did a modified version of 'The Christmas Carol' for senior centers and shelters in the city as well as at several local restaurants. The last were paying gigs which helped defray our expenses.

We all had 'normal' daytime jobs, of course. I work at a small art gallery, Marsh at an electronics store, and Caitlin spends her days selling women's clothing at a mall. Phil, Noah, and Ramsey are, no big surprise, waiters, as is one of the new actresses. Kirby does telemarketing, which he hates but as he says, it keeps him in food and clothes. The other new actress is a beautician.

April rolled around. We had decided to do an oldie but goodie, 'The Importance of Being Ernest'. Even with Caitlin now acting, as well as doing the costumes, we still had to bring in two outside actors we'd used on occasion. I was debating, as I had several times in the past, enlarging the size of the troupe, but still hadn't made a decision on that.

Late one Saturday afternoon at the end of April, I was getting ready to leave the gallery. It had been a hectic day and the troupe had a performance at a women's shelter that evening. All I wanted to do was head home, eat, and collapse for an hour.

I had just come out from in back, after signing out, when the gallery door opened. I froze in disbelief.

Edwin stood there, looking around. When he saw me his face lit up. "I finally found you," he said, coming over. "You're a hard man to track down, but I remembered you said you worked for an art gallery. I didn't realize how many there are in the city."

"A lot," I mumbled, still in shock. He looked good. In fact, he looked great, at least to me—and probably anyone else who saw him if the expressions on the faces of my two co-workers were any indication. "What are you doing here?"

He chuckled. "As I said, looking for you. I wanted to take you out to dinner." He frowned. "That is if you're free."

"I was about to leave for the day."

"Perfect."

I wasn't so sure about that. His standing there brought back memories I'd pushed to the back of mind—with good reason as I'd never expected to see him again.

Going to the door, he opened it, looking at me hopefully. I shrugged and joined him. Once we were on the sidewalk he asked if there was somewhere nearby with decent food. I told him there was, two blocks away. We walked there in silence because I, at least, had no idea what to say. I knew what I wanted to say, that I wished he was anywhere but here. All right, not quite the truth and if I said it aloud he'd know I was lying, damn it.

Guardian Angels – Ambivalent - 33

Once again, Paddy buzzed them through the door. Then he sat down to watch the counter. Two kids came in just as the intercom rang. Whoever was on the other end asked for Mike. Paddy told them where to find him and then returned his attention to the teens, telling them what he'd told the pair earlier—that they'd have to come back after four and get in line for a bed. They argued with him briefly before giving up.

Moments after they left, he became aware that something was very wrong.

Instantly he was in the lounge. "Get the hell out of here," he ordered, pointing to the window.

Link and Mike looked at him in shock. Link pulled his gun, asking, "What's going on?"

"Move it," Paddy told him tersely even as he turned to face the door. Seconds later they all saw smoke curling under it. "And call 911."

Mike was at the window, trying to open it as the fire alarms went off. "It's stuck," he cried out in panic.

"Of course it is," Paddy growled in anger. "Break the damned glass."

Link did, using the butt of his gun. He and Mike crawled out, thus missing seeing Paddy vanish again.

Paddy reappeared in the hallway. Ahead of him, just heading for the side door, was a dark-haired man. The sprinklers and alarms were still going off as Paddy shouted, "Not this time, you bastard." He reached him instantly, grabbing one arm to swing him around. The man struggled to get free but one hard punch to his gut and he doubled over in pain. Paddy hit him again, in the jaw, and the man landed flat on his back on the floor.

* * * *

Ten minutes later, everyone who had been in the building was either out in front or, in the case of most of the teens, gone. Mike and Link, who had both gotten minor cuts from the broken shards of glass in the window, were being bandaged by EMTs.

Detective Massey was reading Owen McKim his rights prior to the man being taken to the police station to be booked on charges of attempted murder.

Paddy leaned against the building wall, watching the proceedings. He smiled ruefully when he saw Link with his arm around Mike as he talked to him. Mike grinned slightly, nodding, his attention totally focused on the young cop.

I think my assignment it finished, so I should leave before anyone tries to stop me.

Paddy pushed off the wall, only to find Detective Massey coming toward him. He stopped in front of Paddy, saying, "I'll need your statement about what happened."

Lying with a straight face, Paddy replied, "I was going to find Mike, to tell him someone was looking for him. In hindsight I suspect it was McKim I talked to on the intercom. Anyway, I got into the lounge and a minute later I started to smell smoke. I told Mike and Link to get out through the window and, being the idiot that I am sometimes, I opened the door. The sprinklers were on, the fire was going out, and I saw McKim trying to escape." He shrugged. "I guess he didn't know about the sprinkler system or he'd have done a better job setting the fire."

Massey nodded. "The firemen think he used gasoline, but not enough of it."

Paddy snorted. "And McKim thought the fire would be put down as accidental?"

            "At the moment, who knows? He's not talking. Perhaps he figured it would be blamed on some teen that was pissed off at the shelter for some reason."

The Hotel - 41

If I were a different man, I might have thrown everything over and remained at the hotel with Edwin. Not that he suggested it, but it would have been interesting to see what might develop between us beyond great sex.

I'm not, though. I have responsibilities—ones I take very seriously—so Sunday morning I told the troupe at breakfast that we'd be leaving around noon to return to the city.

Edwin had already given me a check for our services—as he put it. It was larger than was agreed upon in our contract. "For the second performance," he explained. I wasn't about to argue.

"Despite everything that happened, I'm going to miss this place," Ramsey said as we gathered in the dining room for lunch before leaving.

"I'm not," Kirby said bitterly. He'd taken Jenn's arrest hard. Not, he told me privately, that he was surprised. "I was afraid it was her, but I didn't want to believe it. Not here." He touched his chest over his heart. "I loved, no, I love her. It will take a long time before that fades away."

At Edwin's urging, Kirby had accepted an early morning ride into town to see her. He'd returned looking as if his world had fallen apart, which I suppose it had.

"She…" He stared down at his clenched hands. "She doesn't seem to feel any remorse for what she did. She blames it all on Tessa…and me to some extent. She refuses to believe that Tessa was lying."

"There's nothing you can do about that," I replied. "You can beat yourself up, but it wasn't your fault."

"That's what I keep telling myself but it's not helping."

"Give it time, Kirby."

He nodded, turned, and walked away. I didn't know if he'd remain with the troupe once we got back to the city. I hoped he would.

Lunch was excellent, if somewhat subdued, and I was on my second cup of coffee when Felicia came over to tell me that Edwin wanted to see me in his office.

When I got there, he was seated at his desk. As soon as I closed the door he was on his feet, coming around the desk to pull me into a hard embrace.

"I'm going to miss you," he said.

"Me or the sex?" I asked, trying to make light of the emotions I was feeling at that moment.

He smiled. "Both? I've enjoyed your company, in bed and out of it. You're the sort of man I've always wanted as a friend." That sort of took the wind out of my sails. "You're kind, decent, caring," he continued. "Perhaps, some day in the future, you'll come back to visit? Just you."

"Perhaps I will," I replied.

He kissed me, and I returned it, of course, then he said, "Logan's out front with your bus."

I nodded. "You take care of yourself, and your pack."

"Always."

We left it at that and I went to tell everyone it was time to leave. With Logan's help, we got our bags, and the wardrobe and lighting boxes, putting them in the back of the bus. Then we climbed in and began the long drive back to the city. As I watched the hotel disappear from view, I wondered if I'd ever see it, or Edwin, again.

The Hotel – 40

"Okay, enough of my playing the put-upon owner," I said. "When will you know for certain one way or another about the pendant?"

Edwin cocked his head as if listening to something before replying. "Now. Kirby took one look at it and wanted to know why Orville had it. When Orville told him, Kirby broke down. He said he gave it to Jenn two months ago, to celebrate her birthday. He noticed she wasn't wearing it the morning after Tessa disappeared and asked her why. She said she'd put it on again once she knew for certain that Tessa had been lying about having an affair with him and not before."

"That would explain the tension between them." I looked at Edwin. "You can, umm, mind talk I guess you'd call it with Orville?"

"Yes. It's something all shifters can do."

"Another question. Jenn must have lied to him when he interviewed her about when the last time was she saw Tessa. Why didn't he pick up on that?"

"I don't know, Austin, but he didn't. Perhaps because she's an excellent actress? It also could be that the murder was spur of the moment. The fact she'd killed Tessa, who up until a few days ago had been her friend, might have traumatized her enough that she blocked any memory of it."

"The same would hold true for you."

"Knowing whether she was lying to me?" he asked. "Probably, although I haven't talked to her that much and certainly not about the murder, except in very general terms, so she had no reason to lie."

"Okay, that makes sense."

Again, Edwin seemed to be listening to something. This time I knew why and waited for him to tell me.

"Orville has taken Jenn into custody. Apparently she put on quite a scene, which everyone else on the third floor witnessed."

"Oh, great. Not the way to end our stay here. I mean, we will be allowed to leave now, right?"

"I see no reason why not." Edwin pulled away, looking at me in question. "Would you be willing to spend your last night here with me?"

I nodded, leaning in to kiss him. "Right now I can't think of anything else I'd rather do."

The Hotel - 39

Edwin looked at me, head cocked. "If you were to take a guess, who do you think killed her?"

"Honestly? Jenn. She's the only one with a real motive. I can't see Caitlin doing it. There was no reason for her to think I wouldn't just cancel the show with Tessa gone. If Kirby learned about their argument, and I'm sure Jenn would have told him, he might have been pissed at Tessa, but that's hardly a reason to kill her."

"You're eliminating Ramsey?"

"I think so. Even if he had come on to her and she turned him down, killing her would be a bit extreme. No, Jenn would be my choice, out of fear that Tessa and Kirby did have something going on. Jealousy is a great motive."

"I agree, and so does Orville."

"You still have to prove it."

"We might be able to." Edwin took a clear plastic envelope from his pocket, handing it to me. "Have you seen this before?"

It was a small, heart-shaped pendant with a single diamond in the center and a broken chain still attached. Turning the envelope over, I saw the words 'Love, K' engraved on the back. "Where did you find this?" I asked, handing it back.

"Orville sent Henry back to go over the area where he found Tessa inch by inch. The pendant was half-buried in the dirt a few feet from where she was laying. If it was Tessa's then it does us no good, but if it belongs to Jenn…"

"It proves she's the killer. She might have lost it while she was trying to hide the body."

"Exactly," Edwin agreed. He excused himself, leaving the suite. When he returned a few minutes later he retook his seat, asking, "Have you seen either of the women wearing it?"

I frowned, trying to remember, then shook my head. "Honestly, I rarely notice a woman's jewelry unless it's ostentatious. This isn't, and the chain is fairly long so the pendant probably hung between her breasts. Not a place I ever look if I can help it."

Edwin chuckled. "I'm not surprised. Orville is here, as you may have seen, to talk to Kirby. I gave him back the pendant to show Kirby."

"And arrest Jenn if it turns out Kirby gave it to her, not Tessa?"

"He'll take Jenn in for questioning and go from there."

"If she lies to him," I replied, "he'll know it, but he can hardly use that to make his case."

"Very true, but he's excellent at using what he learns to probe deeper."

I sighed. "Not to sound selfish, but I wish it had been one of the men."

Edwin moved across the sofa to put one arm around me. "I'm sure you do and it's not selfish. I doubt there are many plays that only have one female in them. Will you be able to replace her?"

"Yes. It'll take time, but I will."