The Haunted - Jessica Verday [111]
“Updated rooms?” Ben brightened.
“We’ve just been bought out by Hilton, and our renovated rooms offer an in-room gaming system, complimentary snacks and beverages, free movies—”
“We’ll take them,” Ben said.
The clerk nodded and tapped another key. “And will this charge be staying on the credit card provided?” She looked down her nose at us, like neither of us could possibly have a credit card.
“Yes,” I said firmly. “It’s my dad’s card.”
There was more tapping, and then she produced two room keys. “Down the hall and to your left.”
We followed her directions and came to rooms 304 and 306. Ben slid one of the cards into the reader, and a green light buzzed. The door to room 304 clicked open. “Guess this one’s mine,” he said, and walked in.
I slid my card into the reader for room 306. The door swung inward, revealing a room decorated in Parisian-style black and white stripes with small accents of red everywhere. Large pictures of metal gears and steam factories hung in glossy black frames on the walls.
Caspian followed behind me, and I dumped my luggage to the floor, then flopped down on the bed. He wandered around, checking the room out.
“Did you bring a bathing suit?” he asked suddenly.
I sat up. “No, I didn’t think I’d need one. Why?”
He pointed over to the bathroom, which had a clear glass wall. The toilet seemed to be in a separate section, safely tucked away, but the shower was in full view.
“Because that’s going to be fun.”
The Haunted
Chapter Twenty-three
A PERFECT MATCH
In this enterprise, however, he had more real difficulties than generally fell to the lot of a knight-errant of yore, who seldom had anything but giants, enchanters, fiery dragons, and such like easily conquered adversaries, to contend with…
—“The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”
I decided not to worry about the bathroom just yet—it wasn’t like I could do anything about it anyway—and checked the room out for myself. I flipped through the TV channels, looked at the room-service menu, and tried out the gaming system, but I couldn’t figure it out. It was some complicated thing, with twenty-nine buttons.
An hour later Caspian was sitting in the only chair in the room while I sat on the bed.
“Have you ever stayed at one of those really ratty hotels?” I asked him. “With the seventies-style wallpaper and disco-ball ceilings?”
He nodded. “Once, when I was little, my dad had to go out of town for something, and I went with him. I don’t remember where it was, but I remember the hotel. The room we stayed in had shag carpet and paneling on the walls.”
“I know what you mean. Kristen’s memorial service was held in this god-awful, tacky funeral home that had the same thing.”
“I know,” he said. “I was there.”
“You were? I didn’t see you.”
“I didn’t stay long. I didn’t want to see you upset. I saw you at the cemetery earlier that day too. Sitting in a chair by a grave.”
I remembered. I thought a shadow had been next to me. “I wish I would have known. I could have—” The room phone rang, cutting me off. I picked it up. “Hello?”
“Abbey, its Dad.”
Crap. I was supposed to call them as soon as I got in. “Hey, Dad.”
“How was the trip? Is the hotel okay? Are you alone in your room? The front desk clerk told me you’re in adjoining rooms.”
I closed my eyes briefly and massaged my temples. Is he going to let me get a word in edgewise here? “The trip was fine, Dad. We just got in, and I’m in an adjoining room because they’re doing work on the other rooms. This is all they had available. And yes, Ben is in his own room.” I avoided the are-you-alone question. That one was a lot harder to answer.
“Okay,” he said gruffly. “Well, just remember, I’ll be making random bed checks, so don’t get any ideas.”
I sighed. “I won’t, Dad.”
“Your mother says to have a good time and ask lots of questions.”
“Will do. Bye, Dad.” He said good-bye, and I hung up. Almost immediately, the phone rang again. I shot Caspian an aggravated