Page 43 of Be Our Ghost (The Duchess Hotel #2)

Thirty-Two

Charlie stood outside the door to the storage room.

It was one thing to go in there with Knox or to show the crew around.

But to deliberately provoke a ghost? What if she got possessed?

What if Maeve’s spirit attached itself to her after she left?

Based on what she’d read about spectral encounters, the possibility existed.

“You okay?” Logan asked. “Knox would murder me if anything happened to you.”

“It’s all right. I’ll give it my best shot, but I can’t promise I’ll get results.”

“Hey, it’s better than three more hours of nothing.” Logan rapped on the door four times, and it swung open. Burke ushered her in and closed the door swiftly behind her. As it clicked shut, Charlie’s spine stiffened. That click sounded more ominous than ever before.

“This isn’t our usual protocol,” Burke said to her. “Once we go into lockdown, we don’t like to compromise our findings by introducing new elements or people. You left your phone behind, right? And your two-way radio?”

“Affirmative. I even took off my watch.” She was still wearing her work clothes—a button-down shirt, a navy skirt, and matching heels—though she’d ditched her blazer in the hotel room. Good call since the storage area was as stifling as ever. “What do you want me to do?”

“Introduce yourself.” He directed her to one of the cameras. “Tell our viewers why you’re here.”

“Okay.” She took a second to conjure up the sunny persona she used at work, then waved at the camera.

“Hi, everyone. I’m Charlie Fraser, the front office manager of the Duchess Hotel.

Over the past two months, I’ve visited this room twice.

Both times, I’ve gotten locked in. I tried using the key, but it didn’t work.

” She let out a nervous giggle. “When I got trapped in here, my partner, Knox McIntyre, was with me. He couldn’t open the door either. ”

“What else happened the last time you were here?” Burke asked.

“I smelled the faint scent of roses, which seems to be a pattern since the other women who were locked in here experienced the same thing. But the most notable effects were the extreme mood swings I went through. Sad one minute and angry the next. It was hard to control. I think the ghost—Maeve—was manipulating my emotions. She’s one of the people who was murdered in this room, and I believe her spirit still haunts it. ”

Burke gestured to the familiar settee. “Is this where you were sitting the last time? Why don’t you take a seat?” He gave her a handheld device. “This is a temperature sensor with a built-in thermometer. If there are any spikes, they’ll show up here.”

She eased into the settee and tried to relax.

Maybe tonight, Maeve would stay dormant, since there was so much testosterone in the room.

She might also choose to hide from the investigators out of pure spite.

But within a minute, the scent of roses returned, stronger than ever.

A gloomy fog settled over Charlie. Like her own personal raincloud.

Bleak thoughts crowded into her head, pushing everything else out.

Knox threw you under the bus, didn’t he? For the good of the show. He’s just using you.

She knew it wasn’t true. Or was it?

He’d only acted protective for a few minutes before letting her leave with Logan.

As a wave of sorrow seeped into her consciousness, an anguished moan escaped her lips. Accompanying it was an arctic chill that felt like walking into a freezer. She trembled all over, and the monitor beeped in her hands.

Burke leaned over her. “The temp’s going down. Good job. Try talking to the ghost.”

“Maeve,” she called out. “I know you’re sad. You wanted to be with Howard, didn’t you? Did he promise to marry you? To take care of you?”

Goose bumps prickled her arms as she recalled her mother’s words.

How she always wanted to ensure Charlie had someone to take care of her.

Was that what Maeve had wanted? It couldn’t have been easy, coming on her own from Ireland to Canada.

Had she been lonely? Seeking out love from whomever offered it, even if he was already taken?

Had Maeve truly loved Howard, or had he just offered her security?

“Maeve, why are you still with us? What’s stopping you from crossing over? And what’s making you so angry?” Charlie tried to imagine what might be troubling her. “Are you mad because Howard and Frances ended up together in death, and you were forgotten?”

A book sailed through the air, barely missing her head.

Trembling, she stared at it in disbelief.

Her stomach clenched tightly, bringing with it a pang of agony.

She gripped the arm of the settee, willing herself not to bolt from the room in a panic.

Another book flew past her, smacking into the side of an old dresser.

Either Maeve had bad aim, or she wasn’t actually intending to hit Charlie.

Behind her, the team members were whispering epithets, like “Holy shit” and “Bro, did you see that?”

Be brave. You can handle this.

She got to her feet. “Maeve? I don’t blame you for being upset. It’s not fair that you were left behind. Is that what’s making you angry?”

A third book came at her, and she ducked just in time. Was one of the crew doing it to play up the scare factor? In the darkened room, she couldn’t make them out very well. Not that it mattered. Right now, she needed to stay focused on Maeve.

“Even if everyone else has forgotten you, I’m going to keep you in my memory,” she said.

“You’re part of a sisterhood, like all the women who’ve worked here over the years.

I’ll make sure you’re not erased from history.

” She needed a way to ease Maeve’s grief.

“We could put a stone marker outside, next to the back garden. To honor the service you gave to the hotel. I know that won’t help with the heartache, but every time someone sees it, they’ll think of you. ”

Charlie’s head spun with a sudden rush of dizziness.

She sat back down as the emotions barraging her—sadness, anger, helplessness—made her senses reel.

Images flooded her mind, and she envisioned herself in Maeve’s shoes.

Toiling away as a hotel clerk in the 1920s, with no family around to support her, hoping one day her situation would improve.

Around her, the men were talking—about EVP readings and EMF fluctuations and other jargon. She didn’t care about any of that. She just wanted to be free of the frenzied emotional turmoil battering her brain.

“I’m sorry, Maeve,” she whispered. “I only want you to be at peace.”

Once again, a bone-chilling cold flooded her body, like diving into an icy river.

Then nothing.

No sadness. No pain. No anger.

The fog lifted like a blue sky breaking through the clouds. She released the air from her lungs and opened her eyes. The team members were staring at her in awe.

“Are you all right?” Burke asked. “That was intense.”

“It was. I’m not sure if Maeve is still with us.” Had she left for good? Or had Charlie appeased her enough that she’d relented? For now, Charlie was grateful the darkness had lifted, setting her free. “I think I’m done here.”

As she stood up, her legs wobbled, and she braced herself on the arm of the settee. Burke contacted Logan, and within minutes, four raps came at the door. Logan opened it; behind him was Knox, with a thunderous expression on his face. “Damn it, Charlie, are you okay? You had me scared shitless.”

She launched herself into his arms, taking solace in the warmth of his body. “I’m fine. You saw what happened, right?”

“I wanted to burst in there and tell Maeve to back the hell off. She almost beaned you with those books.”

Charlie didn’t know whether Maeve or one of the crew had thrown the books at her. At this point, she didn’t care. “It’s all good. I’m not sure if she’ll be back, but I’ve done enough.”

“You did plenty,” Logan said. “Unless something else happens, your interaction with Maeve will be the highlight of the episode.”

“Good.” She rested her head against Knox’s broad chest. “Will you take me home? I’ve had enough ghost hunting for one night.”

“You got it, sweetheart.”

* * *

Usually, when Knox slept over, Charlie couldn’t wait to have sex. Tonight, she just wanted him to hold her. Though she’d regained control of her emotions, she was still shaken by what she’d experienced. She rested in his arms, letting the tension ease from her body as he stroked her hair.

“You sure you’re all right?” he asked. “That ghost didn’t mess with your mind, did she?”

“No. I feel like myself again, just exhausted. Maeve was tossing a lot of powerful feelings at me. I hope I was able to help her.” Charlie wanted to believe her words might have eased some of the ghost’s misery but didn’t know for sure.

The only way to find out would be to subject herself to the room again, and she was in no hurry to do that.

“How’d you know what to say?”

“I tried to think of why she’d be so worked up. It’s not just that she was murdered so young, but also that she was forgotten. I couldn’t find anyone connected to her—no family whatsoever. That’s why I felt so sorry for her.”

Knox nuzzled her hair with his lips. “That’s because you’re so compassionate. You care about everyone, even ghosts. But I like the idea of commemorating her by ordering a plaque or a memorial stone with her name on it.”

“Thanks. I figured we could plant it in the hotel’s back garden.” There was no guarantee the gesture would satisfy Maeve, but at least she would have something to mark her death.

“You were so gutsy,” he said. “Don’t ever call yourself a scaredy-cat again.”

She laughed. “I still can’t stomach horror movies, and I’ve only read two Stephen King books.”

“That’s not what true bravery is. It’s standing up for yourself and for the people you care about. Like you did at the gala. You weren’t afraid to call out Lila and Evan for their actions. I’ve never had anyone go to bat for me like that.”

“I’d do it again in a heartbeat. I love you, Knox.” The words spilled out before she could stop them, but she knew in her heart that it wasn’t too soon.

He cupped her chin, tilting her head until she was looking up at him.

His eyes shone with affection. “I love you, too. You made me realize that for all my horror-writing chops, I was the real coward. For too long, it was easier to hide in the shadows than reveal myself. You gave me the courage to speak out. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. Putting yourself out there is a big risk, but the rewards are worth it.”

Back when Preston had assigned her to work on Canada’s Most Haunted , she hadn’t known what it would entail.

She’d only agreed to help so she could get closer to Knox.

She’d never imagined getting locked in a haunted room or confronting a ghost. Or taking the initiative with Knox by asking him over to her place and then inviting him into her bed.

Or standing up to her mother and striking out on her own.

Two months ago, she couldn’t have conceived of doing any of those things.

She was incredibly proud of how far she’d come.

With a yawn, she nestled against Knox. “I’m getting sleepy. Tomorrow, I’ll make it up to you, I promise.”

“No rush,” he murmured. “I’m not going anywhere.”