Chapter 8 Erik #2
Hendricks swore under his breath. “No. The mobsters caused a traffic accident and got away. I’m sure the car was stolen, so getting the license number isn’t likely to lead anywhere. We’ll probably find the car abandoned and wiped clean.”
“You never know,” Erik said. “Sometimes they get sloppy. You could get a break.”
“Keep your heads down and your hands clean,” Hendricks told them, ignoring Erik’s last comment. “And try not to get killed. My mother would be very upset.” He ended the call before Erik had a chance to reply.
“Considering everything, Hendricks took that pretty well, I think,” Erik said.
Ben chuckled. “About as well as possible. I know the police academy doesn’t prepare you for guys like us, or at least it wasn’t covered in my training. I’m sure he’s also pissed that he thought it was safe to take the plainclothesman off our tail. Don’t be surprised if our shadow returns.”
Once they got settled, Ben put his detective skills to work to see if he could find drone footage or urban-explorer videos of Weston Hall that Erik hadn’t already viewed.
Erik called Alessia. “Are you and Haley together? I have another favor to ask. Would you be up for a quick video call?”
“We’re just stress eating and drinking some emotional support wine,” Alessia said, and Erik heard Haley’s laughter in the background. “Sure. I’ll open up the meeting space.”
Erik and Ben stuck with coffee for now, although Erik planned on adding something stronger once he was sure they were settled for the evening. He opened his laptop and started the video meeting. Alessia and Haley waved.
“What do you need?” Haley asked.
“I think I know where the missing Tiffany dome from the Commodore Wilson might be,” Erik replied. “We’ve done research and checked drone footage, but I’d like to know for sure before we go tramping around a deserted old hotel. I wondered if the ghosts could answer a few questions.”
“Sure, we can try,” Haley said, and Alessia nodded.
Erik gave them a quick recap about the dome and why they zeroed in on Weston Hall as Haley rustled through her bag and set up for a reading.
“Please tell me you aren’t going in by yourself,” Alessia said. “Much as I loathe cobwebs, if you need me, I can be backup.”
“Ditto,” Haley offered as she lit a bundle of sage and a candle and set down a salt circle around the table.
“Thank you,” Ben said. “We contacted the people who can take both the dome and the haunted window out of here and hide them forever. I’m hoping that having a witch, a necromancer, and a vampire with us will be enough.”
Alessia laughed. “Bringing out the big guns? I like that plan.”
Haley finished her preparations and took a few deep breaths to relax while Alessia activated wards for protection. Summoning spirits carried risk, since there was no guarantee who might actually show up.
“Spirits of Weston Hall. I need to ask questions. Please come to me,” Haley said, eyes still closed.
“What do you want to know?” Haley channeled the spirit’s question in a voice not quite her own.
Erik already knew that Cape May homes built when Weston Hall was constructed rarely had basements because of the high water table.
Instead, some had a non-public space beneath the main floor that served for above-ground storage.
That elevated the porch and living areas, further protecting them from flooding, and also created a place for the mechanical systems and items that usually went in a cellar.
But given how large the dome was and how many crates it would take up, he strongly doubted it was stored in the hotel itself, which made Erik zero in on the former conference center’s warehouse as the most likely storage site.
“Can you go into the storage building and tell me what you see? I’m looking for several large wooden crates with shipping labels on them,” Erik told the ghost. “If anything is blocking the entrance, tell me. Afterward, our friends can help you pass over if you want.”
Haley nodded somberly. “It would be good to move on. I will try.”
Haley remained still as Erik guessed the ghost left to check the warehouse. They waited for a few minutes, hoping he would return.
“There are a lot of boxes and crates. But eight are long and very tall. They don’t appear to have been opened,” Haley reported.
Erik knew from his research that the dome at the Commodore Wilson had a 27-foot diameter and eight individual panels, like the slices of a pie.
“That’s it,” Erik said, excited that his hunch had paid off. “Anything dangerous like a collapsed ceiling?”
Ghosts could come and go despite the condition of the warehouse, but Erik and his friends had vulnerable human bodies.
“It does not look like anyone has been inside for a long time. Nothing has collapsed, but I cannot speak to safety,” Haley answered.
“How about a way in and out?” Ben added.
“There are large overhead doors on one end in addition to a couple of standard doors. The driveway is covered with debris.” Haley’s voice took on a dreamy quality that wasn’t part of her normal tone. She opened her eyes and gave a full-body shudder as the ghost left her.
“Thank you,” Haley said to the spirit, fully herself again. “Would you like to pass over now?” she asked the ghost.
Ben and Erik couldn’t see what actually happened, but Erik envisioned a doorway of light. In his mind’s eye, he saw the spirit walk through the opening and vanish as the glow dimmed.
“Did you get what you needed?” Alessia asked as Haley drank a glass of water and nibbled a cookie to replenish after channeling the ghost.
“Yes. The good news is that those crates sound exactly like what I’d expect for the dome, and it doesn’t seem like anyone has bothered them in thirty years,” Erik replied.
“And the bad news?” Ben prompted.
“There are a lot of them, and they’re going to be awkward and heavy as well. It’s going to take a full-sized semi-trailer truck. Since no one has tended the property in a long time, the driveway to the storage area has storm debris,” Erik said.
“At least you know for certain that they’re where you thought,” Alessia said.
“Thank you both so much for everything,” Erik replied. “We’ll let you know how it goes.” With that, he ended the video call, promising to get together soon for lunch, without mobsters or the impending end of the world.
“I’m guessing that Rowan and Donnelly could use magic to clear the driveway,” Ben said. “As for the containers, let them know about the dimensions and weight, and they’ll figure it out.”
Erik sent a text to Cassidy, knowing she would let the rest of the team know. He looked up at Ben. “How about you? Find more footage?”
Ben brought his laptop over and sat down next to Erik. He had several windows open and pulled up the first one.
“Here’s a flyover from four months ago,” Ben said. “Other than the storm that just finished, there haven’t been a lot of high winds to bring down branches or trees. You can make out the service drive here.” He pointed with a pencil. “It doesn’t look like there are large pieces blocking it.”
He switched windows on his screen. “Here’s a video from some explorers who got inside the main hotel.” The clip was only about ten minutes long, and the dark surroundings made it difficult to pick up details.
“Ignore the chatter,” Ben instructed. “The important thing is that they didn’t seem to be dodging holes in the floor or fallen ceilings. That bodes well if we need to go inside, though I’m thinking we may just need to enter the storage building.”
A couple more exploration videos revealed a remarkably well-preserved interior, despite mold and cobwebs. Shaky cameras and breathless voice-overs were part of the deal for the amateur explorers or paranormal investigators.
“Any self-respecting ghost would have stayed hidden,” Erik observed.
“Look here.” Ben pointed. “I think this is the stained-glass corridor dome you mentioned.”
The videos were shot at night, so no daylight streamed in through the glass. Instead, someone shone a bright spotlight onto the narrow dome while the camera zoomed in.
“It’s actually in pretty good shape, considering,” Erik remarked. “I hope that the video doesn’t give looters or vandals any ideas.”
“I was thinking the same thing,” Ben agreed. “But the original stained-glass archway backs up your theory on why the old owner wanted to add the dome from the Commodore Wilson.”
“Too bad he couldn’t pull it off,” Erik said. “It would have been spectacular.”
They made sandwiches and ate a quick lunch, then opted for some sleep since it would be a late night. They were both keyed up about the evening’s work, so they were content to kiss and cuddle but not take it further.
Erik slept hard enough that he felt disoriented when he woke a few hours later. They still had time before they were due to meet Sorren and the others, so Erik went to make an early dinner while Ben checked email.
His phone buzzed, and a message from Sorren gave an estimated arrival time, as well as confirmation of the meeting point behind Weston Hall.
A picture of a semi-truck made Erik feel better about the logistics, and he hoped the vehicle came with a forklift and crew.
They’d managed to get the dome into the warehouse, so it had to be possible to move it out.
“I know this qualifies as an adventure,” Ben said as they got dressed for the night’s work. “But I’m officially ready for some time off when no one is trying to kill us.”
“Right there with you,” Erik agreed. “Don’t forget, we still have to get through the autumn festival.”
Ben groaned. “Signing up to volunteer seemed like a good idea at the time.”
Erik chuckled. “Susan really didn’t leave us a lot of choice about playing a role. It was just about which role we wanted to play.”
Susan took her community responsibilities seriously, something that Erik usually found endearing. She was a committed booster for anything that helped showcase Cape May or contributed to a better quality of living.