The figure opened the front door to the Sandy Cove Motel and quickly went inside. It put the plastic jerry can down on the floor and took out a cellphone. Quickly the figure went to the flashlight app, clicked on it and shone the light around.
The figure's face lit up, momentarily, in the light, to show a young man.
He picked up the plastic jerry can and walked to a spot near the front desk, where several propane tanks were sitting. He had put the tanks inside before leaving for the night, about six hours earlier.
He leaned the cellphone against a circular saw, atop the front desk. Quickly, he picked up a plastic garbage can filled with scrap and dumped it over the four full propane tanks. He gathered up as much loose wood and any other flammables, as he could find and dumped that atop and around the tanks, as well.
Moments later, he picked up the plastic jerry can and walked to the spot where the tanks were. He poured gasoline over the tanks and all the debris piled around them and then quickly walked, backwards, to the front door of the Motel, pouring gasoline on the floor, until the can was empty.
"Fuck," he swore quietly, as he realized he had left his cellphone on the front desk.
He hurried back, tossing the plastic can on the rubble pile. He grabbed his cell phone and hurried back to the front door.
He opened the contacts on his cell phone and quickly sent the message:
'Its done'
He got a quick reply.
'Good. Get out.'
He reached into his pocket and took out a disposable lighter.
"Fuck," he swore again, realizing he had no safe way of lighting the gasoline.
He shone the flashlight around again and saw some blueprints on a table, to his left.
He hurried to the table and grabbed a blueprint, quickly twisting it into a funnel, so he could light it.
He turned again, but stopped in his tracks.
Carl Pike woke up suddenly. He wiped his eyes, to see his late Uncle's spirit, near his bed.
"Uncle Vic?"
"Dere bes someting goin' on down in yer new motel."
"What?"
"Best bes gettin' down dere, before its bes too late."
"Fuck," Carl swore as he got out of bed.
"Linny?"
Lindsay never moved.
"Linny?" Carl shouted.
Lindsay sat up quickly.
"What da fuck?"
"Uncle Vic were jest 'ere. Someting goin' on down at da Motel."
He quickly put on his pullover and headed out the door.
"Get on da TT and get people's dere."
The young man shook slightly.
"What the fuck?"
"What's youse bes up to, young fella?"
The young man wiped his eyes.
"Fuck. That was some strong weed."
"What bes youse up to?"
The man's spirit started walking toward the young man.
"Youse bes up to no gud?"
The young man gained his composure.
"This is just a dream."
"Is youse asleep?"
Another spirit appeared behind the first one and then another off to his right.
The three spirits started walking toward the young man.
"What are youse doing?" They all asked in unison, their voices echoing eerily in the empty building.
"Stand back," the young man yelled, holding up the twisted blueprint.
"I will light this and we all go up."
He lifted the lighter and flicked it.
The front spirit laughed.
"And jest what does youse tink dat will do to us?
Wese be already dead."
The young man started moving toward the front door again.
"Get back."
Several more spirits appeared in the lobby.
"What are you doing?" They all yelled in unison.
The young man closed his eyes tight.
"This is not happening. This is a dream."
He quickly opened his eyes and came face to face with the spirit of an old woman.
"Boo," the spirit yelled.
The young man screamed, as he looked around, at a lobby filled with spirits.
He dropped the blueprint, lighter and cellphone and ran for the front door. He pushed the door open and ran into the darkness, still screaming.
Suddenly lights blinded him and he felt hands grabbing him.
He screamed again, as he saw what he was sure was another spirit, holding him. His eyes rolled up in their sockets and he fell limp.
Carl Pike lowered the young man to the ground.
"Someone watch him."
Carl ran inside the Motel and to the front desk, where the main light switches were. He could smell the gasoline, as soon as he walked inside.
He saw his brother walk in the front.
"Makes sure no one bes smokin'. Dere bes gas on da floor."
He saw the propane tanks.
"Let's bes gettin' dem outside and bes careful, nots to spark. Git all da windows and doors open and get some absorbent here to sop dis shit up."
Ryan instructed others, who had joined him, of what to do, as he and Carl grabbed a tank each and quickly brought them outside.
Officer Bradley walked up to the front door.
"What is happening Carl?"
Carl pointed to the front of his truck.
"Dat young fella over dere were tryin' to set the Motel on fire. Dere bes gas all over in dere."
"Who is he?"
"Don't knows. One of da new workers. Ise wants you and Dave to bes sure dat none of dere peoples gits near 'ere, until wes gits this place cleaned up."
Carl put the tank in a snowbank, fifty feet from the Motel and headed back inside. By the time he was inside, most of the debris was already cleaned up and taken outside and a couple men were spreading absorbent on the floor.
Clayton Rideout walked to Carl.
"Wese gonna 'ave to replace da floor."
"Fuck."
"Cud 'ave been worse, Carl, ifin da spirits 'ad not been 'ere."
Carl nodded.
"'ave someone burn all dat shit, down by da water and 'ave those tanks cleaned up."
Clayton slapped him on the back and went outside.
John Dove walked to Carl.
"Wese best git dis floor pulled up, too, Carl."
"See ifin youse can git a few of da guys to tear it up and burn it. Ise jest glad it jest bes plywood."
"Still gonna sit us back a couple days, Carl. Wese gots to be sure dere bes no gas in 'ere."
"I knows."
Carl let out a long sigh and took a coffee from Lindsay, who had just walked inside, with coffees.
"Tanks, hun."
"Who bes da young fella out dere?"
"One of da new crew."
Carl sipped his coffee.
"Now Ise wonders whose else is gonna try someting."
Officer Temple walked to Carl.
"The kid's name is Noel Fitzpatric. We're gonna take him to the Pub and question him."
"Best git hold of dat Harris guy and is wife too. Ise tinks wese bes best talkin' to dem."
Officer Temple nodded.
"We will question all the new crew. We do have the kid's cellphone and he did send a text to someone."
"Youse knows who?"
The Officer shook his head.
"Not yet, but I will turn the phone over to Lance and Chelsea and see what they can pull off it."
He started to the front door, but stopped and turned.
"You want this called in?"
Carl shook his head.
"Not yet. Lets keeps dis in da Bay, until wese knows whats goin' on.
And 'ave Freddy and a couple more block da road out of da Bay, jest in case."
Lindsay took a deep breath.
"Yuse tink Perry and 'is wife knowed about dis?"
Carl watched, as a couple men started removing the screws from the plywood, on the floor.
"Ise don't know. Ise wants to believe dey didn't, but whats do we knows 'bout dem and Tanya not be 'ere to vouch fer dem."
"Youse wants me to call Quinton?"
Carl shook his head.
"No. Leave dem bes, unless we needs dem."
Carl took his cellphone from his pocket.
"It bes Brian. Det 'ave da kid at da Pub."
"Wese best be goin' den."
Carl called out to Clayton.
"You all gud 'ere?"
"Yea. Wese will 'ave dis up in no time. Go does what youse 'as to do."
Officer Temple met Carl and Lindsay at the door.
"The kid is all fucked up. He smoked a pile of dope before doing this and now he is just babbling on about seeing a pile of ghosts."
"So. What youse tink?"
"We're not gonna get any sense out of him until morning. I say we put him in the Motel and put someone there with him.
Brian is gone to get the Harris' and bring them here.
Lindsay shook her head.
"No. Keep him here. I'll get some coffee on and wese gets some in him and sees if wese can get any sense," Lindsay said, as she headed for the Pub kitchen.
Moments later, Officer Bradley walked into the Pub with Perry and Cathy Harris.
"Well someone please tell me what is going on," Perry said, as soon as he saw Carl.
"Someone tried to burn down the new Motel tonight," Carl informed him.
"What has that got to do with me?"
"It were one of your people," Carl informed him, as he sat at a table.
"What? That's impossible."
Carl pointed to the young man sitting alone, at a table, being watched by Officer Temple.
"We caught 'e. 'e poured gas over propane tanks and was gettin' ready to light it, when our security caught 'im."
"This place is filled with ghosts," the young man yelled, when he saw Perry and Cathy. "Get the fuck out, now. Before its too late."
"Quiet," Officer Temple ordered him.
"That's Noel Fitzpatric," Cathy informed Carl.
"Wes caught 'e red handed," Lindsay said, as she brought coffee to the table.
"Now we 'as to ask da hard questions."
She poured coffee for the Perry and Cathy and sat down.
"You don't think we had anything to do with this, do you?" Perry wondered.
"It bes one of your crew, Perry."
Perry shook his head.
"Why would I jeopardize a job I just got?"
"Money?" Carl suggested.
"Mr. Pike. There is not enough money in the world to make me put my reputation on the line."
Cathy spoke up.
"I know you people don't know us, but all you have to do is talk to those we have worked for. We have an impeccable reputation."
"Well, this could bes a pretty big black mark on youse, unless we gits it all straightened out," Lindsay reminded her.
Perry sipped his coffee, before speaking.
"I know this looks bad, but Cat and I knew nothing about this.
Noel has not worked with us before, but he is a good kid and a hard worker. We do extensive checks on all our people and he has no black marks."
"Well, youse missed dis one."
At that moment, Chelsea and Officer Bradley walked into the Pub.
"Wese knows who bes behind dis," Chelsea said, excitedly.
"Wese tracked the call to a unregistered cellphone in Corner Brook. Narrowed it down to the Glynmill Inn."
"I checked with the front desk," Officer Bradley told the group.
"They had no checkouts. I have asked for a complete list of all their registered guests. Should have it soon."
Lindsay took a deep breath.
"So there is no way to narrow its down even more?"
Chelsea shook her head.
"Wese did the best wese can, Linny. Wese would 'ave to go there, to narrow it down even more."
Lindsay shook her head.
"Lets wait for the list."
Officer Bradley looked at his cellphone.
"Got it now."
He scrolled down the list.
"I don't see anything."
He passed the cellphone to Lindsay. She scrolled the list.
"Fuck."
"Did I miss something?"
Lindsay stood next to Officer Bradley.
"Look."
He looked at the name.
"Jeff Lawson?"
"Ise would check on this guy."
The Officer shook his head.
"You lost me."
"J. L. Jackson Lamont. Could be a fake name."
"You think Lamont is involved?"
"Call back and give dem a description. Just on the off chance."
Officer Bradley nodded, as he took the cellphone.
"Right away."
Perry spoke up.
"That Lamont guy approached us after we talked to you and Tanya. He tried to talk us out of working for you."
"But how would 'e knows who youse hired?"
"Its a small city, Carl, and even a smaller industry, when it comes to contractors. It wouldn't take much to find out who is working for us. He must have gotten to Noel."
"If I may offer a suggestion," Officer Temple interjected.
"If indeed this Lamont guy got to one of your crew, isn't it conceivable that he got to someone else? A smart crook would not put all his eggs in one basket."
Cathy nodded.
"That is possible. A lot of our crew are people we have worked with for a few years now, but there are a couple new ones."
"May I suggest that we get everyone here and talk to them?"
Carl stood up.
"Good idea, Dave."
He looked at Lindsay.
"Best get Val and Randi in 'ere. Looks like dis could bes a long night."
Lindsay got up from the table and took out her cellphone as she walked toward the kitchen.
"What about Fitzpatric?" Officer Temple asked, looking over at the young man slumped down in his chair.
"Has 'e talked yet?"
Officer Temple shook his head.
"Only going on about all the ghosts he saw."
"Yea," Perry asked.
"What was that all about? Didn't you find that just a little strange?"
Officer Temple shook his head.
"Seems Fitzpatric is high as a kite. Said he did a pile of weed and even a snort or two of coke. Obviously drugs and gas fumes tend to mess up the mind and cause hallucinations."
Perry was shaking his head.
"We get all our people to submit to drug tests. We don't allow drugs of any kind."
"He could have taken the pot and coke after. Its easy enough to get it in the Bay. We don't check people because there is really no problem here."
"Maybe wese should start doin' checks, Dave?" Carl suggested.
Officer Temple nodded.
"Brian and I will do checks on all the newcomers to the Bay."
"Send a TT and lets everyone knows dat youse needs to be doing a check in dere 'ouses."
"What is a TT?" Perry wondered, as he stood up.
"Tuckamore Text," Carl explained.
"Its 'ow wese gits 'old of everyone, at once. Everyone in da Bay is on da text."
"Can Cathy and I be a part of the interviews?"
Carl looked at Officer Temple.
"What do youse tink Dave?"
Officer Temple shook his head.
"No. This has to be strictly structured. You and your wife might be influential. And, technically, until we have all the answers, we have to consider you two as suspects, as well. Nothing personal."
Perry nodded.
"We understand. We will cooperate."
Lindsay joined the group.
"Randi, Val and Landa are on dere way."
"I will grab Brian, so we can talk to Fitzpatric, again, just to see if we can get some sense out of him."
Officer Temple was about to leave, when he turned and walked back to the table.
"I need both of your cellphones."
Perry and his wife looked at each other.
"Is that necessary?"
Officer Temple nodded.
"Just a precaution."
The two handed over their cellphones.
"And I want both of you to remain in your room, at the Motel and you will not be allowed to make any outside calls until this is over."
He put the cellphones in his pocket.
"I will walk you back to the Motel."
Cathy walked to her husband.
"What do we do now?" she whispered.