Page 12 of The Haunting of Lockton

As soon as I unlocked the doors, two customers strolled in. They bought entry into the small museum in the back, and Madison showed them the way, explaining some of the artifacts they could expect to find inside.

A gust of crisp air entered the shop each time the door opened, and I breathed it in. It was my favorite time of year, when fall was in full swing, painting the landscape in a multitude of colors as the once green leaves changed.

“Oh, Paxton?” Valentina called in a singsong voice. She poked her head into the main room from her office. “When you have a moment, would you brew the elixir of life for us?”

Coffee. Both she and Madison said no one made it as good as I did. So many times, I’d wanted to tell them that’s because they hadn’t tried Alan’s. To me, no one made it as good as him.

I exaggerated a sigh. “I suppose I can muster the energy to complete this task.”

“Many thanks,” she said. “I’ve placed an offering in the parlor for you to enjoy at your discretion.”

The parlor—aka the breakroom—was down the hall, first door on the right. As soon as I entered, my gaze landed on the plastic container on the table, and although I was full from thebreakfast croissant, I made my way over to take a peek. Val’s husband was a pastry chef and made the absolute best treats I’d ever eaten. Today’s “offering” was mini pumpkin pies. I grabbed two and stuffed my face as I started a pot of coffee.

Tea was best in the afternoon anyway. Only coffee could get me through the morning.

I returned to the main room. “The elixir of life is brewing as we speak.”

“I call dibs on the first cup.” Madison hopped up from the stool at the counter and rushed down the hall.

Val followed behind her, the ends of her flowy dress swishing in her haste. The little witch hat clipped to her hair bounced with her swift movements.

The bell above the entrance jingled, and I turned to welcome the customer. A welcome that died on my lips as I came face-to-face with the most beautiful man I’d ever seen. Short brown hair and gray eyes that reminded me of rain.

“Morning,” he said with a crooked smile. “I’m Skyler, and this is Julian. We’re paranormal investigators.”

“I’ve…” I cleared the thickness in my throat. “Um,we’vebeen expecting you. My boss said you were stopping by, I mean. You and your brother. Uh. How can I help you?”

Real smooth.If only the earth would open up and swallow me.

“Well, Paxton,” Skyler said after checking out my name tag and softly flicking it. “We were contacted by Valentina Garcia. Your boss, I’m assuming. She told us about Lockton Asylum and some strange things that’ve happened there. We’re here to help.”

I looked between the two of them. “She’s in the back at the moment. I’ll, er, go tell her you’re here.”

“No, it’s fine. We can wait,” Julian said. He wore his hair longer than his brother and dressed in a plain button-up over a white shirt and faded jeans.

“In the meantime, what canyoutell us about it?” Skyler leaned in a little, head cocking.

Hot tingles danced down my arms. “About Lockton?”

“Yep. And can we record you while you talk?”

“Um.” I forgot how to freaking speak. Forming words out loud? Who could even do that? Clearly not me. “Shres?”

Oh my fucking god.I had tried to say “yes” and “sure” at the same time. I could’ve died right there on the spot.

Julian lifted his phone, offering me a polite smile. Skyler, on the other hand, seemed awfully amused. The way he stared at me made the dancing tingles along my arms start doing the waltz all over the rest of my body.

Val came bustling into the room, coffee steaming up from her black cat mug. “Good morrow, boys! I’m Valentina, but please call me Val. Thank you for answering my call and traveling all this way to assist us in unraveling the mysterious happenings around Lockton.”

Skyler blinked at her, a smirk forming. His expression was stuck somewhere between confusion and curiosity. A common reaction for anyone who met Val for the first time. “Our pleasure. Paxton gave us permission to record him, but we’ll ask you too. Is it cool if Julian keeps recording?”

“Of course!” Val looked like she was seconds from exploding. “I wore my best hat for the occasion.”

“She’s a huge fan of your series,” Madison said.

Valentina, in a gives-no-fucks fashion, nodded. “I am. My husband is too. We love cuddling together and watching when there’s a new episode. He even bakes special desserts for it. For your latest episode at the Easton cemetery, he made fudge brownies shaped like tombstones. I ate the whole pan.”

“Thank you so much for the support,” Julian said, a blush creeping to his cheeks. “We appreciate it.”