Page 79 of The Haunted Hotel
Ellis waves, smiling widely. “Hi, Warren.”
Warren stares for several long seconds and blinks. “Wow,” he mutters reverently. “It’s like looking directly into the sun.”
I snort. “Back up. What were you saying?”
“Oh.” Warren shakes his head as if coming out of a stupor. “Um, I witnessed your declaration of love. Seriously, bro, you really need to work on that. I saw the old guy hug you—hey, Morgan’s grandad. I’m his brother, Warren, and I’m way more loveable than he is!”
Grandad chuckles behind me.
“Can I call you Pops?” Warren calls out. “I’ve always wanted to call someone Pops.”
“If you must,” Grandad snorts.
“Just be grateful he’s wearing pants,” I mutter to my brother.
“Anyway, I say the declaration, I give it maybe a 4.6. It needs work. Saw you hug Pops, oh, then the screen went a bit fuzzy. Got some sort of interference, couldn’t really hear anything.”
I lean over and Stanley smiles a little smugly.
“Oh yeah, and then I said I’ll invest in your hotel.” He leans to the side as if he can see around me. “Did you hear that, Pops?” he calls out. “I’ll invest in your hotel, you can name a wing after me or something.”
“I don’t think we could fit your whole personality in one of the wings.” Grandad chuckles.
“Oh that’s weird.” Warren gives a mock shudder. “He sounds just like you.”
“Uh guys?” Rosie says. “A whole coach load of people just turned up.”
We all turn to peer out of the window when the front door bangs open and a stream of pensioners barge in with wheelie suitcases, chattering loudly.
“Oh my goodness!” Ellis exclaims in delight. “Essie! Martha!”
Two tiny identical women who must be in their eighties, at least, rush over to Ellis and start petting him and cooing over him. He hugs each of them in turn, so I guess he knows them. I glance over to my grandfather to find him smoothing down his hair and breathing into his palm to check his breath.
I can see I’m going to have my hands full with him.
“Morgan,” Ellis beckons me over. “This is Essie and Martha Gordon, they’re twins. They came for the murder mystery weekend.”
“Best weekend ever!” The ladies grin. “My goodness, you’re a handsome boy and tall too.”
“May I introduce you to my grandfather.” I grab his arm and tow him over.
“Oh.” Martha and Essie both turn their attention to him. “Good genes. Obviously the looks run in the family.” They scurry over to him, flanking him and wrapping their arms through his. “How about a drink, handsome? Let’s get Dilys to pour us something naughty.”
Even over the din in the lobby I can hear my brothers laugh. “Oh my god,” Warren laughs calling government his shoulder for his assistant. “Celia, get me booked on the next flight to Manchester. I have to see this with my own eyes.”
“Great,” I mutter, that’s just what I need. My brother, let loose with a bunch of badly behaved OAP’s.
“Essie, Martha, not that I’m not thrilled to see you but what are you doing here?” Ellis asks the octogenarian twins.
“Oh we told you we’d be back,” Essie says. “We’re selling the flat and we’d like to rent permanent rooms for me and Martha,plus we told a few friends about the–” she glances around, “ghosts” she mouths.
I look across the lobby myself and see Bertie and the others have disappeared.
“Of course everyone was madly curious, so here we all are!”
Ellis laughs in delight, clutching my arm. “I should go and help Rosie get everyone booked in.”
“Wait, a minute,” I pull Ellis away from everyone else, leaving my grandad being fussed over but the two elderly women.