Chapter Seven
More at Stake
Drawing in a long, slow breath as he headed to the foyer, Felipe tried to beat back the bursts of adrenaline squeezing across the tether like clots. Ever since they finished packing their bags after work, the trip to Aldorhaven had finally become real to Oliver, and with that came an unending stream of anxiety. They had discussed the plan to help him calm down: they would drive to Aldorhaven, go to the Allen Inn, get settled, then speak to Lewis Allen about what was going on before probably visiting the cemetery to investigate the corpses. Talking it out seemed to help Oliver calm down, as did Felipe’s attempts to tire him out, but he still tossed and turned the entire night. By breakfast, the anxiety was back with a vengeance. Traveling was already difficult for Oliver due to the change of routine and uncertainty. Felipe understood that, but he knew it was the weight of the case and potentially meeting his father’s family that spurred his heart to an unhealthy pace.
He was about to pull Oliver aside into the stairwell to calm him down again when Oliver took off into the foyer. “Gwen, what are you doing here, and why do you have a trunk?”
“Because I’m coming with you, and I can’t wear the same outfit all week,” she said primly as she smoothed her traveling coat and skirts. Arching a challenging brow, she rose from where she perched on her trunk and glared up at Oliver. “And before you tell me I’m not coming because I’m not on the case, I have been approved to accompany you in order to do field research for my vampire book.”
“But it could be dangerous. We’re— we’re going to a murder town!”
“I’m well aware, but I seem to recall that I held my own against Jed Monroe far better than you did.”
As Oliver sputtered and tried to argue, Felipe released a resigned sigh and dropped his valise at his feet. They would be at it a while, but at least the anxiety finally let up.
“Aren’t you going to try to stop her, Inspector Galvan?”
Felipe looked over his shoulder to find the head librarian watching him curiously. He hadn’t heard him or felt him coming, but Mr. Turpin moved like a cat. Felipe didn’t know how many times he had appeared over his shoulder in the library and caught him unawares. The old man had never been Felipe’s biggest fan, but the feeling was mutual. He was a know-it-all who seemed to take pleasure in putting Felipe in his place, yet it was clear he liked Oliver. Turpin had done his best to help Oliver find more information on necromancy and put some of his fears to rest after he told him about Felipe’s accidental reanimation. As much as Felipe hated to admit it, he owed Mr. Turpin for not telling anyone their secret.
“I don’t think I could stop Miss Jones even if I wanted to,” Felipe murmured, watching Gwen and Oliver bicker. “Are you here to stop her?”
“No. I’m merely here to throw my weight around in case you or Dr. Barlow try to bar her from her field research expedition.”
“Not to question your judgment—”
“Yet here we are.”
“ But are you sure it’s wise for Miss Jones to come with us? I know Oliver isn’t a seasoned investigator either, but the case might be more dangerous than a vampire panic. Aldorhaven is a murder town, and I don’t want her to get hurt.”
“While I appreciate your genuine concern, Inspector Galvan, I am more than aware of where you are going and what you will face while you’re there,” Turpin said.
When Felipe turned to face him, Mr. Turpin’s form seemed to grow. Felipe tried not to let his alarm show as his danger senses rang like the all-hands bell. The head librarian’s blue eyes bore into him, pinning him in place, and for a moment, he seemed unfathomable. Older than time, no more knowable than the sea or the sky, a being tired of making itself small for his convenience.
Holding Felipe’s gaze in an iron grip, Mr. Turpin continued, “There are greater things at stake than the dead, and Dr. Barlow will need every ally at his disposal to fulfill his role in all of this, as will you. I take no pleasure in putting Miss Jones in harm’s way, but you of all people understand some risks are necessary for the greater good. I trust you can protect both of them, inspector?”
“With my life.”
The words rushed from Felipe’s lips unbidden, and the air around them crackled. With a clap like thunder, Felipe’s ears popped painfully and Mr. Turpin settled back into the balding, unassuming old man Felipe was accustomed to. “Good, then, I suggest you get going, Inspector Galvan. Aldorhaven is not a place I would recommend venturing to at night.”
Felipe’s heart hammered in his head. He was certain if he touched his ear, he would find blood, but when he did, nothing was amiss. He had seen and experienced phenomena and carnage the likes of which most people couldn’t imagine, yet his brain felt as if it had been turned inside out as he watched Mr. Turpin leave. It was as if the man had never been something more.
“Wait,” Felipe called, finally finding his voice. “What do you mean Oliver’s role in all this? What do you know? ”
Turpin gave Felipe a far more sympathetic frown than he had ever given him before. “You know I can’t tell you that, Galvan. The future is only so clear, even for the best of us, but there is a reason fate intervened that night. That is becoming clearer. Keep them safe.”
Standing rooted in the foyer, Felipe watched Mr. Turpin melt into the shadows of the hall and disappear. Felipe tried in vain to slow his pounding pulse. There are greater things at stake than the dead , Felipe repeated in his head, but what? His mind reeled. He wanted to step away, to go back to the apartment or lab and pretend they had never agreed to take this case, but he knew that would be impossible. A hand closing on his shoulder snapped him back to reality.
“Felipe, please tell Gwen I’m not being overprotective,” Oliver pleaded.
“Did you see Turpin—?” Turpin, what? Turpin disappear into the wall like a ghost?
“No, why?”
Felipe scrubbed a hand over his face. There was no way he had hallucinated that. “He— he gave Gwen permission to go with us, so she’s coming to Aldorhaven.”
“I told you!” Gwen crowed triumphantly behind Oliver as she levitated her trunk toward the door.
Oliver grumbled but followed her outside to the waiting steamers. Trailing a step behind them, Felipe watched a smile break across Oliver’s lips as he loaded their bags in with Gwen’s. When he reached for Oliver’s heart, Felipe felt only trepidation mixed with relief at having his best friend at his side. Felipe clung to that feeling. It was far more comforting than the shadows taking shape in his mind.
***
The drive to Aldorhaven took far longer than Felipe anticipated. While Felipe knew it was located somewhere in the Southwestern portion of New Jersey, he hadn’t realized just how far that was from Manhattan. They had gone from small cities to peaceful towns to bucolic landscapes and back again several times before they hit the Pine Barrens. Farms gave way to a seemingly endless forest bisected by winding carriage paths that led to mill towns or lone houses, then nothing for miles. Unease knotted Felipe’s gut; it would be so easy to get lost.
On the other side of the bench seat, Oliver and Gwen studied a map with a route traced in pencil. Pushing her glasses up her nose, Gwen squinted at the road ahead. “The next left should take us to Aldorhaven.”
Slowing the steamer, Felipe nearly missed the turn hidden among the thick trees. The path had once been well-trodden, but the edges had become overgrown with disuse. Anxiety flickered across the tether from Oliver as his lover stared through the windshield at the narrow space between the trees. He wasn’t certain what Oliver had expected, but somehow, this probably wasn’t it. As they drove into a thicker thatch of pitch pines, the sky dimmed, and the steamer lurched beneath Felipe’s hands. Beside him, Oliver sneezed twice and drew in a wet sniff as he blinked away the tears in his eyes.
“I think we have reached the murder town,” Gwen said as Oliver blew his nose. “The Allen Inn should be half a mile up the road on our right.”
A moment later, the pines and oaks fell away on one side of the road to reveal a house. What looked to have once been a quaint farmhouse had been converted into a small, two story coaching inn with a stable and an overgrown pasture. A faded sign painted with a brown horse and The Allen Inn in blocky letters hung dolefully from the long porch.
Parking the steamer in the yard beside the inn, Felipe turned to Gwen and Oliver. “Remember, don’t say anything about Oliver’s family being from Aldorhaven. We don’t know the people or what’s going on yet. Even if you suspect they are your family, don’t let your guard down around them. ”
“Felipe, isn’t that a little—”
“No, Oliver, it isn’t. Two investigators already went missing. We don’t need to be next. Be polite, but don’t get too comfortable. Any questions before we go in?”
Gwen raised her hand. “Should I levitate my trunk or should one of you carry it for me?”
“I’ll carry it. Felipe can do the talking.”
As Oliver struggled with Gwen’s trunk, Felipe poked his head into the stable. It was empty and looked like it had been for some time. The whole place had an air of weariness, and the wall of trees looming on the other side of the road didn’t help. The forest behind the inn seemed no different from the orange and red leaved trees and eternal pines they had passed through for the past two hours, yet Felipe was certain he felt something watching from the trees across the road. His free hand slid to the knife tucked into his belt. Just because he couldn’t see anything, didn’t mean it wasn’t there. Ushering Oliver and Gwen into the inn ahead of him, Felipe looked into the woods and thought he caught a flash of white, but it was gone as quickly as it appeared.
Stepping into the inn behind Oliver, Felipe feared it was deserted too, but as his eyes roamed over the front room a second time, he noticed a stout, white, middle aged man perched on a stool behind the front desk. He read the paper with a pipe dangling from the corner of his mouth and a monocle clenched in front of his left eye. His face was round and ruddy, making him appear youthful, even though his once dark blonde hair was now streaked with salt and pepper strands. The moment the door closed behind them, he set the paper aside and dropped the reading glass back into his pocket in a smooth, practiced motion.
“Welcome to the Allen Inn. How may I help you folks?” the man asked, his voice harsh from years of tobacco smoke.
“Mr. Allen, I presume? We’re investigators with the New York Paranormal Society. I’m Inspector Galvan,” Felipe began, shaking Mr. Allen’s hand.
As the man’s blue eyes widened, Felipe noticed the skin around the eye that had held the monocle was pink and strained with old scars. Propped behind the counter within reach was a well-used wooden cane along with a large, brindle dog who sat curled by his feet. While Mr. Allen gave the impression of being larger than he appeared, he was an inch or two shorter than Felipe when he stood and probably a decade older.
Gesturing behind him, Felipe continued, “This is Dr. Barlow, our society’s medical examiner, and Miss Jones, one of our librarians. She’s come to aid us in our investigation and record our findings.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet all of you, though I wish it were under better circumstances. I’m Lewis Allen.” The man shook his head and let out a nervous chuckle. “You probably already knew that since I’m the one who wrote to the society in the first place. My apologies if I seem befuddled, but I wasn’t expecting three of you.”
“I thought the society sent a telegram letting you know we would be arriving today,” Oliver said tightly from behind Gwen’s trunk.
“They did, but unfortunately, they didn’t say there were three of you. We only have two rooms available. The others aren’t fit for habitation, and I assumed, like the last bunch, there would only be two of you. One of you might be able to stay in town with Mrs. Fleming or someone could sleep in the parlor.”
“We don’t mind sharing a room,” Felipe replied, nodding to Oliver.
“If you’re sure?” When Oliver murmured in agreement, Mr. Allen let out a relieved puff of breath. “All right, then, here are your room keys. Do you mind finding the rooms yourselves? My leg is acting up today after too many trips up and down the stairs. Your rooms are on the upper floor. The room with the larger bed is the second on the right, and the other room is directly across from it. The outhouse is behind the stable, and there’s a water pump in the kitchen. Dinner is served at six every night, and we can discuss breakfast and give you the tour once you get settled. Just holler if you need anything.”
The stairs squeaked as they filed up the narrow stairs to the second floor. The room Felipe found behind the second door was cozy and clean, even if the furniture was worn. As far as hotel rooms went on cases, it was a decent one. When Felipe set his and Oliver’s valises down, Gwen levitated Oliver’s gladstone over Felipe’s head and onto the dresser.
“Little help here?” Oliver peeped from the hall. Gwen ran to unlock her door, opening it in time for Oliver to stumble in and set the trunk down in front of the single bed with a stifled grunt. Shaking out his arms, Oliver drew in a tremulous breath. “Gwen, what did you pack? Bricks?”
“No, just my clothes, some books, a few stakes of different wood and a mallet, just in case, and… actually, there is one brick, but some believe a well-placed brick can stop a vampire. Don’t look at me like that. I can smell what’s in your gladstone.”
“What’s in the gladstone?” Felipe asked, fearing he already knew the answer.
“Cheese and jerky.”
“ And all the equipment I might need for an impromptu autopsy,” Oliver added.
“I’m sure you both overpacked, but before we get too far, a few more ground rules,” Felipe said quietly. “Don’t unpack everything in case we need to make a hasty exit. Essentials only, everything else as necessary. And do not go off anywhere without telling someone else, even to the outhouse. We can’t afford to lose sight of each other. Got it?”
“Yes,” Oliver and Gwen replied in unison.
“Good, now, let’s get unpacked and cleaned up as quickly as possible. I want to talk to Mr. Allen and get the lay of the land before it gets too dark.”
Leaving Gwen to deal with her belongings, Felipe fell back into the familiar routine of unpacking his valise in a strange place. He hated how after nine months, it felt like he never stopped taking these sorts of cases. He wasn’t sure Gwen and Oliver could fully understand how dangerous cases were that took them far from the protection of the society. If anything went wrong, there would be no one there to save them. Going on a case with Oliver added a layer of fear he hadn’t felt with his previous investigative partners, but Gwen being there made it so much worse. She was Oliver’s oldest friend and had grown to be an integral part of Felipe’s life. He had caught a glimpse of what losing them both could be like back in January, and he couldn’t do it again.
Felipe’s hands stilled on a box of ammunition. If anything happened to either of them, he would never forgive himself.