Page 44 of Be Our Ghost (The Duchess Hotel #2)

Thirty-Three

Three months later

After Knox learned that Canada’s Most Haunted would be airing the Duchess Hotel’s episode in late January, he met with the Damsels to organize a viewing party.

Initially, he’d suggested they hold it at the Gilded Lily, but the lounge wasn’t outfitted with a TV.

He’d always preferred it that way, especially during hockey season, when fans could get rabid.

As a compromise, Selena suggested the breakfast room, which housed two TVs.

She arranged the room’s seating to accommodate most of the hotel’s staff, along with a few special guests like Logan, Celia, Glen, and Gertrude, along with two of her great-grandchildren.

When the big night arrived, the attitude was festive, the crowd eager to see how the Duchess had fared during the filming. Charlie sat next to Knox at the front of the room. “I’m so excited. But also really nervous. What if I look like a total idiot? Everyone’s going to see me talking to a ghost.”

“You were the star of the show. Without you, the episode would have been a bust.” According to Logan, once Charlie left, the team’s equipment hadn’t registered anything else unusual. The three ghost hunters had spent the last two hours waiting for the lockdown to end.

“I know, but I kind of lost control. I just wanted to help Maeve find some peace. I’m glad we found a way to remember her and to commemorate her service to the hotel.”

At first, Preston had dismissed the idea as unnecessary, but Knox and Charlie had worn him down until he allowed them to order a granite memorial stone.

At the top was an engraving displaying Maeve’s name, along with her date of birth and passing.

They’d placed it in the hotel’s back garden a few weeks ago.

Was Maeve aware it existed? Had it made a difference? Knox wasn’t sure. But when he’d accompanied Charlie up to the storage room last month—to fetch the antique phonograph—she’d been unaffected.

Since Logan was attending the watch party on behalf of the show, he offered to say a few words before the episode aired.

He stood at the front of the room and addressed the group.

“Hi, everyone. I’m Logan Cantrell, one of the producers of Canada’s Most Haunted .

I want to thank all of you for letting us film our show at the Duchess Hotel. ”

The room resounded in whoops and cheers. Charlie’s was among the loudest.

Logan grinned. “I appreciate the enthusiasm. When our ghost hunters go into lockdown to film an episode, we never know precisely what will happen. Certainly, the Duchess was a prime candidate for investigation, given the shocking events of 1924 and the anecdotal evidence surrounding the unusual occurrences in the third-floor storage room. Even so, we didn’t know if any spirits would manifest. I’d like to give a shout-out to Charlie Fraser, who was brave enough to reach out to the hotel’s ghost.”

“Her name is Maeve,” Charlie called out.

Logan nodded her way. “Right. Sorry about that. Because Charlie had the courage to address Maeve directly, she put herself at risk, as you’ll see in this episode.

I do believe Charlie’s offer to ease Maeve’s pain helped diffuse what could have been a dangerous situation.

In any case, I hope you enjoy the show. And I apologize for taking so long to get it on the air.

We were hoping to release it before Christmas, but we got backlogged. ”

Rosie spoke up. “Don’t worry about it. January’s better anyway since we were slammed in December. Weren’t we, folks?” Around her, other staff members voiced their agreement.

Her candor made Knox chuckle. Even if Preston didn’t appreciate it, the guy needed to be reminded that he occasionally pushed them too hard.

Charlie whispered in Knox’s ear. “I’m glad she said it. As much as I love Christmas, this year’s events were a lot.”

That was an understatement. Though Knox hadn’t donned a Santa hat, he’d suited up in his shiny red vest to help pitch in for the holidays.

He’d been pleasantly surprised when Preston had allowed both him and Charlie to take a few days off, starting on December twenty-fourth so they could spend Christmas Day with Knox’s family.

The McIntyre clan had adored Charlie (how could they not?), and she’d fit right in, entirely at ease amid the boisterous chaos.

In return, Knox had joined her and the Frasers at a New Year’s Eve party at the yacht club.

Despite secretly dreading the event, he’d enjoyed it thoroughly.

Hard to complain about a party featuring lavish hors d’oeuvres, expensive champagne, and an open bar.

It also didn’t hurt that Randolph was nowhere to be seen since he was still recovering from a broken ankle he’d gotten while skiing at Whistler.

But after the bustle of the holidays, Knox was glad to return to his regular routine, albeit one that now included Charlie.

His favorite moments with her were the low-key ones they shared together—reading books by the fire, talking in bed, visiting flea markets, exploring Victoria’s hidden coves.

She’d become an integral part of his life.

As the show’s opening credits unspooled over the screen, Charlie gripped his hand tightly.

The episode started off with a recap of the murder-suicide, complete with a shadowy reenactment of the incident.

After a brief overview of the modern-day Duchess, snippets from the three interviews followed.

When Gertrude’s face appeared, her great-grandchildren whooped loudly, to the delight of everyone in the room.

Back in September, Knox hadn’t wanted anything to do with the show.

But now? He was glad he’d been roped into it.

If not for the opportunity to spend time with Charlie, he might have let her slip through his fingers.

Thanks to her, he’d stopped lurking on the sidelines and taken a leading role in his own life.

If asking her out had been risky, then coming clean about his past had been an even greater challenge. But both risks had paid off.

That wasn’t the only change. For the first time since he’d started working at the Duchess, he felt like he was a part of something.

It was similar to the experiences he’d had back when he was deeply invested in The Hidden Forest .

While he still had a reputation to uphold as the city’s surliest bartender, now his grouchiness was more of an act.

With the backstory and interviews complete, the show moved on to the main event—the much-anticipated lockdown in the storage room.

When Charlie entered the room, Knox tensed up, as if experiencing it all over again.

The producers had manipulated the footage to make it seem like she had stayed longer than ten minutes.

When the books came flying at her head, people gasped.

Thanks to the lighting and camera angles, everything looked more dramatic than when Knox had first viewed it.

Laurel sat on Charlie’s other side, riveted by the ghostly showdown. “Holy shit, Charlie. And to think, I still can’t get you to watch horror movies with me. This show is scarier because it happened in real life.”

Charlie shuddered. “This was a one-time thing. No more ghosts for me.”

“Knox, you have to convince her,” Laurel said. “She’s seriously missing out.”

He chuckled, knowing it was a lost cause.

Fortunately, both women loved fantasy films. Ever since Charlie had moved in with Laurel, retro movie nights at their apartment had become one of his favorite traditions.

Charlie would make a huge batch of popcorn, Laurel would bake cookies, and he’d bring the candy.

Then the three of them would settle in together for a rewatch of a classic flick like The Fellowship of the Ring or Labyrinth .

He was glad the two women were getting along so well and that Charlie didn’t have any regrets about leaving her parents’ place.

Toward the end of the show, Burke played back the recording he’d taken with the EVP during the few minutes when Charlie was recovering from Maeve’s emotional assault. Knox could barely make out what it was saying.

“What did that sound like to you?” he asked Charlie.

“Goo-buh? It sounded like nonsense.”

Burke played it again and announced, “Maeve is saying ‘goodbye.’ Could it be that she’s finally at peace and is bidding us farewell?” The other investigators responded with enthusiasm as he replayed it two more times.

Knox thought “goodbye” seemed like a stretch. But if that was the narrative they wanted to spin, who was he to argue?

As the show came to its conclusion, Burke faced the camera.

“To the best of our knowledge, tonight’s investigation brought us in contact with the spirit of Maeve, an Irish hotel clerk who was murdered in 1924.

Based on what we experienced during our lockdown, it seems as though she might have left this earthly plane and crossed over to the other side.

Does this mean the Duchess Hotel is no longer haunted?

Or will Maeve return—with a vengeance—at some point in the future? Only time will tell.”

Way to dramatize it. Knox stifled a laugh but joined the others in a thunderous round of applause. While the show might have been a bit hokey, it had certainly been entertaining.

Once the TV was shut off, Preston strode to the front of the room and raised his hand to silence the crowd.

“Thank you, everyone. And Logan, thank you so much for featuring our hotel in Canada’s Most Haunted .

We’re proud we were able to participate.

As far as we can tell, Maeve’s ghost seems to have departed.

But if she chooses to return, having a resident ghost associated with our hotel shouldn’t hurt business.

Why should the Grand Duke be the only one capitalizing on their ghostly lore? ”

Knox secretly wondered if the hoteliers at the Duke were jealous that they’d passed up the opportunity to star in Canada’s Most Haunted .

Preston continued. “Before we break for a little celebration, I want to recognize the two employees who helped make this happen. Knox McIntyre and Charlotte Fraser, stand up please.”

Charlie turned to Knox in astonishment. “No way.”

Knox couldn’t ever recall receiving this kind of acclaim from his boss. But he wasn’t about to pass it up. Taking Charlie’s hand, he stood beside her. Together, they waved at the group, which erupted in another round of applause.

“Thanks for watching,” he said. “We’re glad it worked out so well. Right after this, there’s a private party in the Gilded Lily. Just give me about ten minutes to get things ready.”

Charlie grinned at everyone. “Knox and I had a blast getting involved in Canada’s Most Haunted , but I’m turning in my resignation as one of the hotel’s ghostbusters. If anyone else wants to tackle that storage room, have at it.”

Knox tugged at her hand. “Want to help me set up?”

“Sure.” She waved at the audience again. “See you all in a bit.”

As they left, people started chatting amongst themselves. Did they believe the ghost was real? Or did they consider it an elaborate hoax? Regardless, the episode had served its purpose as a half-hour of spine-chilling entertainment.

Knox walked with Charlie to the Gilded Lily, pushing past the sign that announced the lounge was reserved for a private party.

Once he was behind the bar with her at his side, he took her in his arms. Though they didn’t have long before the others came streaming in, he wanted her to himself for a few minutes. “We did it.”

“You really think I looked okay on TV?” Charlie asked. “I should have touched up my lipstick before I went in there. And one of the camera angles made my butt look kind of big.”

He gripped her ass, relishing the feel of it under his palms. “Your butt looked amazing, as always. You were fierce and wonderful.”

“Ooh, fierce. I like that.”

“The camera loved you. Maybe Hollywood’s calling?”

She laughed. “No thanks. I have no ambition to be on TV again. And after all the dirt you told me about The Hidden Forest , I can’t imagine working in the entertainment industry.

But if you ever want to return to it, I would understand.

Now that everyone knows the real reason you left, you’d probably be welcomed back. ”

“I’m glad the truth’s out there, but I’m happy where I am.

” Last November, he’d taken a big risk in exposing his past online.

Fortunately, it had paid off. Zack, Norah, and two other writers from The Hidden Forest had contributed to the article.

Not only had it generated a ton of buzz, but Knox had also been invited to share his story on a two-hour episode of a podcast devoted to the show.

Two days after his tell-all hit the internet, Lila dropped her own bombshell.

In addition to announcing her impending divorce from Evan, she called him out for damaging Knox’s reputation.

Her news was followed by two other articles blasting Evan for his toxic behavior.

He’d subsequently been fired from The Hidden Forest , and his name hadn’t been attached to anything new.

In the meantime, Lila had ended her commitment to the show and was filming a Victorian-era mystery set in London.

While Knox had no desire to return to his old gig, he’d gotten back into writing again.

After revising his horror screenplay, he’d contacted his former agent, who’d been pleased to hear from him.

With any luck, she might be able to sell his script, but there was no urgency.

What mattered most was that he’d dragged his past into the light and had shaken free of it.

He smoothed his hand along Charlie’s cheek. “Thanks for going on this ghost adventure with me. I still can’t believe Preston gave us so much credit. Maybe he’s changing his tune.”

With a grin, Charlie broke away from him and pointed to the cash register. “That’s debatable. Seeing as how he left you one of his notes.”

Knox peered at it.

Hey, Knox,

Loving those wintry cocktails! They’re snow much fun! But now that February’s almost here, it’s time to pivot. How about some romance-themed drinks? I’m sure if you put your “heart” into it, you’ll come up with something swoony.

Charlie laughed as she read it over his shoulder. “The guy never knows when to quit, does he? You gonna be okay with this? Aren’t you the one who called Valentine’s Day a Hallmark holiday?”

Knox crumpled up the note. “That couldn’t have been me. Clearly, it was some fool who doesn’t have any faith in romance.”

She looked up at him, her eyes sparkling. “And you do?”

“You’d better believe it, sweetheart.”

THE END