The Haunted Inn (Haunted House Ghost Story): The Hauntings of Kingston Read online

  The hypocrisy of the situation annoyed Brad, seeing the smile flash on Tim’s face. Tim’s Dad was okay to see it but Sophie wasn’t?

  “Wednesday. Gwen is lending me the key so she doesn’t have to come. He’s staying overnight at a B&B. Mom wanted to come but there’re a few guests in the hotel, so she can’t.” Tim’s fingers thrummed on the table top and he looked across at Brad. “What about your Dad? Aren’t you going to ask him to have a look at it?”

  “Ask my Dad? I’m not sure where he is right now. Last I heard he was in Spain.” His finger circled the rim of the glass again. He grimaced, thinking about his father. Since the divorce, he hardly ever saw his parents, both of them busy with their new freedom, dating and going on cruises. The only one who would take an interest was Jody, his younger sister, but she was at school in another city. The breaches in his own family life hit hard sometimes. He hadn’t even told any of them yet about this venture.

  Which made him appreciate what he had with Tim and Sophie even more.

  Tim was the brother he’d never had, even if they’d only know each other for five years. After a rocky beginning, forced to share a room in first year university, tolerance had blossomed into a lasting friendship.

  Brad looked down into his glass of wine, picturing Sophie. He’d liked her right from the start. From the captivating green eyes, the crazy second hand chic of her clothing to her appreciation of the absurd in life. Sure, she had her quirks, who didn’t? But the times he’d spent with her, walking along the waterfront, dancing and just quietly holding each other watching an old corny movie...well, she was special.

  Tim stood up and finished the last of his wine. “Y’know Brad, you’re welcome to come with us. I mean, when Dad and I go out to the house.”

  Tim’s Dad was nice and all that but something this big was a moment to be shared only by family—the first major investment a son made, that a father could proudly acknowledge.

  He wasn’t jealous of Tim...not really. He just wished that things had turned out differently with his own Mom and Dad. Maybe then, he’d have family to fall back on like Tim had.

  “Thanks, but I’ll take a pass.”

  “At least have dinner with us after. Dad would be disappointed if he didn’t see you at all when he’s in town.” Tim set the glass on the counter and turned to face him. “What do you say?”

  “Absolutely. I’d like that. What are you doing tonight?” Enough of the conversation about Tim’s Dad.

  Tim grinned and his eyebrows bobbed up and down. “You need to ask? I got a date. Remember that waitress last week?” He fished in his pocket and drew the piece of paper out, scanning it with his eyes.

  Brad shook his head and sighed. “Carly?” Shit. Tim didn’t even remember her name? He had to look at the paper? “Just remember you have work tomorrow. And so do I!” Brad wandered over to the living room and flopped down on the sofa.

  “Don’t worry. It’s a first date. We’re going to that Haunted movie. What do you think of that?”

  “Oh! The one we walked out on after buying the tickets? That one?”

  “We walked out of Star Wars, buddy,” Tim bantered back. “And into bigger and better things,” he said, gesturing at the documents on the table.

  Brad put his hands behind his head and stretched out his legs. “Still want to see it.” He pointed a finger at Tim. “And you’re buying the next time, pal.”

  Tim fished his cell phone from his pocket and keyed in her number. “Yeah, whatever.” Before pressing ‘call’, he said, “I wonder if I’ll be able to write off this date? Seeing the movie could be construed as research, you know.”

  “Great. Becoming a multi-tasker now? Research and romance?” Brad grinned and settled higher, propping his back against the arm rest.

  Tim grinned. “I’m just going to focus on the romance now,” he said and pressed ‘call’.

  Brad shook his head and pulled his own phone out of his pocket. He’d send some texts to his family and let them know about his venture and get it over with. With Tim out of the house, he’d call Sophie, maybe see if she wanted to go out for coffee or an ice cream. With any luck she’d just invite him over for the night.

  Chapter 8

  Tim

  Tim grinned watching his father wander through the rooms in the main floor of the house. He could tell from the look on the old man’s face that he approved. Even so, it was good to hear it as well.

  “So? What do you think?”

  His father stopped and turned his gaze from the plaster ceiling to Tim’s face. His eyes crinkled in the corners and the lines bordering his mouth deepened. “It’s a sound building. I think you did all right, kid.”

  It was the best kind of praise that John Holland ever gave to any of his kids. Even when Tim’s brother, Robert had won the downhill slalom ski competition in the junior class division, the best he’d got was ‘ya did okay, kid.’ Maybe it was his British background that made him a master of understatement.

  His chest expanded, feeling a lightness that was at odds with the heavy atmosphere of the house. It was a moment between a father and son, some kind of rite of passage that he’d passed with flying colours. Tim rocked back and forth from heel to toe, his hands deep in his pocket, affecting an air of nonchalance that he sure didn’t feel.

  “Yeah, and the price...we got it for fifty one thousand under list price. I think we did pretty well.”

  John moved over to his son and clapped him on the back. “I have to admit, if anyone actually believes in ghosts and haunted houses, this place sure fits the bill. Too bad your mother couldn’t make it today. She believes in this paranormal stuff. She claims she saw her grandmother the day after the woman died.”

  Tim’s head jerked back. “She never told me that.”

  John laughed. “Well it happened a long time ago, when she was a teenager.” He nodded his head and looked around once more. “I think you’re going to make some money off this project.”

  “I’ve done some digging on the internet. There are some places in the States that specialize in a haunted night experience, but there’s nothing around here. I think we’re getting in on the ground floor with this.” Tim nodded his head to the side, and led the way up the heavy oak staircase.

  “Glad to see you putting that college education to good use.” John cast a smug smile over at his son. “Maybe I’ll look into places in Tremblant. There’s a vacant place that’s been for sale forever that I pass when I go jogging. It’s a huge house, kind of like this one.”

  “Oh yeah? Out the old sawmill road? You still run there, right? I think I remember the place.” Tim’s eyes narrowed. Some friends of his in grade school had asked him to join them there one Halloween night, just run down the driveway and knock on the door. It had seemed kind of pointless to him, especially when there was so much loot and candy to be had in the village.

  “Yeah. I like the forest and the quiet when I run. There’s only a couple houses there and hardly any traffic. Your mother’s not fussy about me running in such a remote spot but, what the hey? You only live once, right? Why not do the things you like?”

  Tim grinned and opened the first door on the second floor. “Exactly. And running a haunted house as opposed to being a corporate shill appeals to me. More money in my pocket for the work I do, right?”

  John stepped into the bathroom and his eyes took everything in. He turned to look at his son and his face was serious. “So, the story...a family was actually murdered here, right?” When Tim nodded, he continued. “Can you believe that? Then that’ll be a selling point in your marketing. Gruesome I know, but it’d be effective.”

  Tim walked down the hall to the first bedroom, the one that looked like a little boy’s room. “For sure. We’re going to get—”

  A deafening ‘BANG!’ from the downstairs made them both freeze. Tim looked over at his Dad to see the man’s eyes as big as his own.

  “What the hell?” His father’s words were whispered before he turn
ed and looked over the railing to the floor below. “Did we leave the door open or something?”

  Tim’s heart was a racehorse in his chest and his knees had turned to jelly. “No. I made sure I closed it.” He joined his father at the railing. “Sometimes Dad, I believe this place could really be haunted.”

  His father snorted but his face was blanched of colour when he turned to face Tim. “Yeah. Right.” He cupped his hands over his mouth and leaned over the railing. “BOOO to you, buddy!” he called. Turning back to Tim he said, “C’mon. Let’s finish up here and then we’ll check downstairs to see what fell over.”

  Tim nodded and took a deep breath to get his heart and body to slow down again. His father was right. The noise had been startling, that was all. In the empty house, any noise would be amplified to the extreme.

  He followed his father back into the child’s bedroom, watched him step over to the window and look out over the expanse of lawn.

  “So you and Brad...you’ve kept a reserve of money for renovations and repairs? I’ve always found that whatever you estimate in time or money, double it and you’ll end up closer to the real cost. If you need money, we’ve got plenty to help you out. Consider it an advance on your inheritance.”

  Tim looked down at the floor for a moment. Even though eventually his parents would die, it wasn’t something he liked to think about. His parents were only in their mid fifties, and they were both healthy as horses. They’d be around for many, many years to come with any luck.

  He put his hand on his Dad’s arm. “Hey Dad, don’t say stuff like that, okay? It gives me the creeps.” He looked over at his father’s weathered face, the edge of grey hair at is temple and shook his head. “If we do need money, I’ll consider it a loan and pay you back.”

  John looked at his son and smiled. “How about Brad? His parents see the place yet? What do they think?”

  Tim sighed and stepped out of the room to continue the tour. “No. And they’re not likely to.” He paused and turned to look at his father. “Do me a favour? Please don’t ask about them at dinner tonight. Since his parents split, Brad’s family’s not close with each other at all, and sometimes, I think he envies what I have.”

  John once more clapped his son on the back and nodded. “Absolutely. The poor kid.”

  There were times when Tim envied the money Brad’s family had. But overall, he wouldn’t trade what he had with his own family with what Brad had to deal with.

  When they stepped off the last step and into the foyer, Tim and his father exchanged a look. The door was closed, which could have accounted for the bang but Tim didn’t think that was it. He led the way to the parlour and then to the dining room. Everything was in order. actually the only thing that could have made the loud noise was if a shelf fell, but they were still intact.

  A walk through to the kitchen and greenhouse, also turned up blank.

  Tim turned to his father, “See? Who knows what made that noise?”

  His father shrugged his shoulders and looked up at the ceiling. “I don’t know. But y’know something? Things that go bang in the afternoon are scarier than things that go bump in the night, huh?” He turned and let Tim lead the way out of the house, to check out the waterfront.

  Neither one saw the crack that ran the length of the basement door.

  Chapter 9

  Brad

  The back of Sophie’s pint sized Honda Civic was packed with cleaning supplies while Brad’s knees dented the dashboard of the car. Warm summer air rushed into the open windows, the old car’s only recourse in the battle with the heat of the day.

  With auburn hair swirling over her cheeks, she turned and flashed a smile; her sparkling eyes narrow with laughter. Brad fell into her gaze, resisting the urge to tuck the locks of her hair behind her ears. She was a pretty wood nymph, a playful sprite decked out in a loud paisley skirt and yellow tank top, her nails sporting a hot pink.

  “Actually, I’m dying to see it. I’m still not sure I like the premise of the venture, hoodwinking guests but, Caveat Emptor, I suppose.” She took a long sip of the take-out coffee and turned once more to the road.

  He looked away quickly, his gaze on the fields and trees skimming by. If she knew the truth, that the house really did have a gruesome history, she’d like it even less. But there was no way he’d ever tell her about it.

  He turned to her once more, “It’s nice of you to offer help with the cleaning. God knows, it needs it.”

  “Glad to help.” She glanced over at him. “I’m just sorry I have to bail before dinner. You’re sure Tim will be able to give you a lift back to town? He’s bringing his latest girlfriend, isn’t he?” She did an exaggerated roll of her eyes and heaved a sigh.

  Brad cleared his throat and looked down at his lap for a moment. Sophie was as much a fan of Tim’s freewheeling sex life as he was. “Yes, Carly. She’s nice. I met her a couple times at the apartment. She’s a bit of a gypsy, travelling across the country, only staying in one place long enough to finance the next leg of her journey. Tim might have met his match with this one. She’s as much a free spirit as he is.” He chuckled. “And for a change, I think he really likes her.”

  Sophie grinned and tapped his knee. “What? More than just the sex? I like her already. It’s time someone showed him what’s it’s like to be on the receiving end of that schtick.” She looked serious for a moment, her full lips frowning. “I bet he’s a nice guy underneath all that . If he’d only let himself show it.”

  Brad took a deep breath, deciding to let it go. She wasn’t nearly as hard on Tim as he was on her, making fun of her New Age mysticism. It was one of the reasons that when they spent the night together, it was usually at her apartment.

  The turn to the property was just ahead and he pointed to it. “There. On the left.” His stomach was filled with butterflies and he leaned forward, easing the pressure on his knees. Everything was working out as planned, so far. He really hoped Sophie and Tim would get along today.

  Tim’s Dad had liked the place so much that he wanted to come in on the venture as an investor. He said he might start looking at other places up in the Laurentians that were like their house.

  Their house. He took a deep breath and grinned.

  Even at work, things were looking up. They’d had no problem scheduling their vacation, to work on the place. It was wonderful. Two weeks without going into the penitentiary, scheduling tests, filing and inputting data. Honestly, it was soooo boring.

  Sophie flipped the turn signal on and the car slowed to make the turn. When the blue vista opened up before them, her mouth fell open. “Oh my God. Look at that.” She reached over and lightly punched Brad’s arm. “You’re so lucky! Seriously, I know where I’m gonna spend some time this summer. I’d like to go canoeing on the lake.”

  Once more he was struck with the imposing stone structure of the building, the high windows and warp around veranda. It really was an awesome place. The attached greenhouse and outbuildings and the murmuring brook that fed to the lake. It was like being Lord of the Manor.

  Tim’s SUV was parked out front but there was no sign of him or Carly. They were probably hard at it already. And by hard at it, it had better be cleaning! There was too much to do for screwing around.

  The car stopped next to Tim’s and he turned to smile at Sophie, about to say, ‘we’re here’ but the look on her face stopped him cold.

  Her eyes were so wide, they appeared to be close to popping out onto her cheeks and her hand covered her mouth.

  “You’re blown away aren’t you?” His breath hitched in his chest, peering over at her, hoping against hope that she’d agree. But there was no mistaking the shadow of fear that had settled in her stiff body and gaping eyes. “What’s wrong?”

  “Brad. Tell me, you haven’t bought this place.” Her voice was soft, barely above a whisper. She gripped the steering wheel with ivory knuckles, leaning forward, taking in all of the building, but lingering on the top floor.

&nbs
p; His jaw muscle clenched and he turned to her. “Sophie! What the heck is wrong with you? Of course we bought it! You know that.”

  Suddenly the car felt claustrophobic, his knees hurting where the dashboard dug in. He opened the car door and got out, turning his head to see her join him. But she sat still as a stone, sheltered behind the steering wheel.

  The vein in his temple pulsed and his hands balled into tight fists as he strode around the car and opened her door. “Come on. I know it looks a bit imposing but it’s—”

  “Gruesome.” Her lips snapped shut and she took a long breath through flared nostrils, her fingers still clinging to the steering wheel.

  “Gruesome? Come on! That’s harsh. It needs some TLC, a little elbow grease, but you’ll see. It’s okay.” He reached for her, holding his hand out to help her from the low slung car.

  She turned and stared at him silently for a few moments, seeming to come to some sort of decision. “I’m only doing this for you. If it were up to me, I’d never set foot on this ground.” She undid her seat belt and then swallowed hard, looking up at him.

  “It’s okay, Sophie. You’ll see.” He felt like a kid coaxing a kitten down from a tree. What was wrong with her? Sure, the house was creepy, but really? Not so creepy that you wouldn’t even get out of the car!

  Her hand was damp and tiny in his, and he smiled to reassure her. When her foot touched the ground, she swallowed hard, and seemed to stifle a gag. The smile faded from his face as he peered at her.

  She stood before him and her eyes closed slowly, breathing deeply. Whatever was going on with her, was affecting her in a real physical way. “The air,” she said, “it’s thick... the air’s like pea soup, closing in on me.” Her hand went to her neck and she opened her eyes to look at Brad, wild eyed.

  He stepped closer and put his arm around her waist, giving her some support. “Just breathe, Sophie. Relax and breathe. You’re having some sort of panic attack or something.” But his heart thudded hard in his chest watching her. He’d never forgive himself if this was actually hurting her.