The following morning seemed to leave both me and the proprietor on edge.
Jimmy wasn't showing it, but I could tell from his still expression that he had gone up to Mrs. Cesari's room to bring her breakfast and must've seen the state of the place. When I appeared in the main lobby of the hotel, he was putting the phone down onto the receiver.
"Do you know anything about Mrs. Cesari?" he had asked, voice thick and face pale.
"She ran past me in the hallway," I answered - telling another white lie.
"Tell me the truth, Kylie," Jimmy came toward me, his hands grasping my upper shoulders tightly, "What happened last night?"
'We can't lie anymore,' my mind whispered, 'We have to tell him the truth about what we saw last night, everything we've heard.'
My voice hitched with admission, unable to hold back. I admitted to the lies, claiming that it was late and unsure what to make of the situation - which was true by all accounts. I gave him the keys to the stairwell that I had found and explained that I had used them to get to the third floor undetected, that I had been looking for the spirit of his deceased uncle while avoiding that other side of him.
Then, I told Jimmy about what I had found in Mrs. Cesari's room and what had happened to the woman in question. I explained how the two of us had heard him coming toward us and how I traded clothing with her in order to lure him away from her room so that she could escape. I apologized again for the hit on the head, claiming that I was only protecting myself, and how his uncle appeared and helped me get him into his own room.
When I finished, Jimmy pulled away.
"So, what are you exactly? A medium?" he sounded angry, and I couldn't blame him.
"I'm not sure, exactly," I answered, "I've been told that I can see things other people can't. I don't know what the word is, but I know that my heart - as good and open as it is - also causes me to experience emotions that have been long gone, especially in places that may have once been a home to someone."
Jimmy turned his head away, shame seemed to cover his features. Flashes of anger, fear, regret took their turns - changing him from the inside out before he looked back at me.
"Were you hurt when... Hugo came after you?" he said the name like it was a brand of whiskey that had gone stale over time, or like it was a monster that had intentionally ruined his life - which it no doubt had.
"No, I got to him first before he got to me," I answered.
Then, Jimmy had me in his arms, surprising both of us. The warmth that came from him was comforting and friendly - the side of him that had more connections to humans than that demon that no doubt lived under his skin.
"Going forward, I want you to tell me everything," Jimmy said, his voice hard with disappointment, "Hugo is not always the most forthcoming about these things. He'll lie to me, and if there's no one else around, I can only trust him. Please tell me everything and anything you see that may jeopardize your and anyone's stay during your time here."
It scared me that I would have to leave Sea View eventually. When I had first come here, I had wanted to get out so fast that I hadn't given much thought to what the spirits of the hotel were trying to warn me about. But, since being here, I had seen a side of Jimmy that had only his family - and maybe Dr. Bose and Amy - had been privy to.
Was I going crazy?
'Maybe,' my mind thought, 'but the thing is that maybe this is a good kind of crazy.'
But it also worried me about what would happen after. Hugo may still be here if I couldn't figure things out before then. And what if he got to me before I got to Rose? Would I be trapped as a spirit within the halls of the Sea View Hotel like the rest of them? What then?
I didn't have time to answer Jimmy's request. A coughing noise caused both of us to break the embrace and face the new intruders.
"Inspector David Morris," the first man said, holding out his badge, "this is my partner, Inspector Albert Booker. We received a call concerning the incidents about what happened here last night."
***
Talking to the detectives was like being in another world.
Jimmy had talked to both in his office before they pulled me into the arcade to talk to me. I told them that I heard noises upstairs and had gone to check to see what was going on. Someone had tied up Mrs. Cesari - I didn't say who, even though I had known the truth now - and that I had helped her escape by luring the supposed attacker away and had ended up hitting Mr. Hall on the head when I thought he was the perpetrator chasing after me.
Apparently, he had told a similar story.
Jimmy had told the detectives that he had awoken to a scream and had grabbed one of the cricket bats he kept in his drawers for protection - "Can't be too careful when you run a nearly empty hotel," he said - and had rushed up to the third floor from the second floor. He thought he saw the perpetrator - which had been me, but it was hard to tell in the darkness of the third floor - and gave chase before I smacked him on the head. When he came to, Mrs. Cesari was gone and I was helping him by applying the ice pack to his head.
"That was quite a blow," Detective Booker said, putting his notepad away, "I'm surprised that a man like Mr. Hall is still standing."
"Trust me, I felt bad for hitting him," I nodded.
"Well, that's all we have for now I guess," Inspector Morris smiled, "but we will be in touch. I'd recommend not leaving town for a few days, we may need to get in contact with you."
"Alright," I nodded.
'Wonderful! Now we'll need to call the university and tell them that we may need a few additional days in an unknown town because we're suspects in an ongoing case!' my mind was furious.
"Where's the sense of adventure?" I grumbled under my breath.
"What was that, Miss Martin?" Inspector Morris looked at me with concern.
"My apologies, sir," I answered, "Just going through a laundry list of things that I'll need to do. I'll have to alert my university that I'll be away from classes for a few days until this gets straightened out is all."
"Poor girl," Booker seemed to sympathize, "I take it you're in town for the art and music festival?"
"I was passing through when my car broke down," I answered, "I was on my way to visit my parents and had to take up living arrangements here until my car can be repaired."
"When is it supposed to be fixed?"
"Maybe another or two more days," I answered, "By then, I'd have to make my way back to Liverpool."
Morris pulled his notebook out and jotted down a few things, "We'll get in contact with the school for you, Miss Martin. For now, just rest. If you remember anything, give us a call."
"Will do, and thank you."
Jimmy was waiting outside the door when the officers released me from the room. They asked us both a few more questions before giving us both the warning to not leave town. I watched as Jimmy led the two detectives to the front door and slumped into one of the main lobby's chairs when the proprietor returned inside.
Silence was between the two of us before I said, "I think, after all that, tea is in order."
Jimmy couldn't agree more.
***
Once the hot beverage was prepared, Jimmy brought it into the main lobby. Like on already a few occasions, he filled my cup and handed it to me before pouring one for himself.
Throwing caution to the wind, I scooped some sugar into my tea and helped myself to one of buttery biscuits that were fresh from the oven. It was just what I needed, especially since I only got about three or four hours of sleep the previous night.
Jimmy looked no worse for wear, he looked more ruffled now that the police had gone and his mood had sunk to the bottom of the ocean.
"You know," I said casually, "I never agreed to what you asked from me earlier."
"Hm?" Jimmy looked a little lost.
"To tell you everything, anything, that may jeopardize another person's stay while I'm here?" I asked, "I figured I'd say I'm on your side. I want to help, and I will to the best of my ability."
"It's probably better to forget I even said it," Jimmy slumped, "After everything so far, I'm surprised you're still here. Don't you know what I did to my uncle when he got on my nerves?"
"You set plenty of little traps," I answered, taking another sip, "and I'm fully aware that Hugo - not you - was the one behind it. I also know that he also tricked Amy Bell into drinking alcohol and pushing her down the stairs, not to mention he pushed Dr. Bose over the edge that he killed himself in the basement."
Jimmy's jaw had dropped, but I continued, "And I'm also aware about the unknown substance that Hugo slipped into my champagne glass my first night here and how he was responsible for Mrs. Cesari's little mishap the previous night.
"But here's the thing, Jimmy Hall," I set my now empty cup on the tray and looked at him hard, "I'm not one to run from trouble. Running won't do you or anyone else here any good. The spirits of this place have asked for my help and I will do everything in my power possible to help them - and you. We'll find a way."
"Hugo may think to use me to attack you again," Jimmy countered, "what then?"
I smiled, "I think I handled myself pretty well last night, wouldn't you say?"
Jimmy reached up and touched the bandage he had placed over the bruise on his forehead, chuckling, "I suppose... but promise me you'll be careful. Hugo is far more aggressive than he lets on. I don't want to see you - one of the few people outside of my immediate family that has shown me kindness - hurt or killed."
"I promise, if you promise to also be completely truthful about everything that has happened."
Jimmy stood, his eyes bright and energetic, "I can do better. Wait here."
He vanished back into his office, moving a few things around before returning. In his hands was a large box, made of wood with intricate carvings embedded into the sides and covers. The pictures showed people communicating with strange shapes that looked like animals and trees all around them.
"What is this?" I asked.
Jimmy pulled the top of the box off and pulled out a device, handing it off to me.
It was wooden and covered with wiring and cords. Two black knobs sat in the middle of the strange device, a large speaker below them. A scenser was on the top, the metal peg moving slowly. A small gold plaquette was above the knobs with the words "Ghost and Spirit Voice Receiver" imprinted into the metal.
"This belonged to the previous owners before my mum and dad were the owners," Jimmy explained, "My mum told me that the previous owners believed in ghosts and spirits and had created this device to help locate or track them. I, myself, only had used it once."
"Did you hear anything?" I asked.
"Yes, unfortunately," Jimmy answered, "I hear the cries and pain of those who died by my hands. My mum, my uncle, Dr. Bose... even little Amy will be heard on here. But there are other voices I hear too, but I'm not sure who they are - mostly a male's voice and their words are subtle, I can't hear them clearly."
"And you think this will help me locate your mother?" I asked, turning the device over in my hands.
"It's helped Maya when she was here," Jimmy explained, "If mum is still around, this will help locate her quicker - which is what you must do. For both of us, I think time is running out..."
***
I had taken the device to the second floor, as it was the last place I had seen Rose's spirit.
After Jimmy and I had finished a short breakfast, both of us decided to go our separate ways. Jimmy explained that there were times when Hugo would come and talk to him, scratching beneath his skin like cat claws tangled in fabric. If he had discovered that Jimmy had given me the spirit and ghost voice receiver, it would only mean larger problems for the two of us as it did for Maya when she was here.
It may have been the reason why Hugo had gone after her in the first place.
At first, my thoughts began to wonder why Hugo would want to keep the device away from Maya - until it occured to me that perhaps Hugo thought he was helping Jimmy by keeping him in the dark about everything he had done. Which, in turn, was why Jimmy played dumb about knowing about the spirits - he hadn't wanted a repeat in history.
But it still begged the question as to why a demon - an centuries old one at that - would want to protect and hide his host from the truth. Did it have something to do with Jimmy's family line? Maybe it was because it saw Jimmy as the only family it had left, and it had turned it's host against his own family in order to keep Jimmy for itself...
'So many questions, too few answers,' my mind thought, making me agree with it.
The device crackled with static, giving no indication that there was spirit nearby. Harvey had mentioned that Rose would appear in her own time and that I would have to be patient with her. I adjusted the antenna on the device again for the uptienth time, hoping to get something clearer.
No such luck.
'Wow, for a ghost, she sure knows how to hide in plain sight,' my mind grumbled.
"Rose has been very secretive for a long time," I tried to reason, "Maybe she needs time to watch us and realize we're here to help and not cause trouble."
My mind said nothing in return, going as silent as the floor while I continued to pace back and forth in the lobby for a bit while my footsteps echoed on the empty floor and the spirit receiver continued to crackle.
After a few moments, I felt my body still as my mind spoke to me again, 'Hey, hold it.'
"What now?"
'Don't you hear that, Kylie?'
I stopped pacing and listened.
For a time, all I could hear was the wind and the crackling of the device. Then a voice - faint - came from the device.
"...3... 0... 1..." the device spoke softly.
"301?" I asked.
'Maybe it's indicating to Room 301 on the third floor!' my mind squealed, suddenly excited.
I shut off the device and ran into the lift and spam clicked the button for the third floor - hoping that where it was taking me would be a clue to where I could find Rose Hall and, hopefully, the end of the nightmare that Jimmy and I had found ourselves in.