Ben sprang off the dining room chair and charged toward Freddy. He barreled into him and pinned him against the wall behind the hostess stand, the stinking sludge on his hands soiling the beige cashmere of the deceitful man’s coat.
“Let Jake go, you bastard, let him go,” he shouted in his great grandfather’s face.
Freddy’s lips parted, and his eyebrows knitted together, as if truly affronted. “Benjamin, my dear son, please. Do you really think I want to hurt Jake? I’m not a violent man.”
“Yeah, right. Tell that to the men who disappeared under the Claxwell watch.” The words seethed out of Ben’s mouth. “And let’s not forget about our swell ghost relative, Edward. Sounds like hurting Jake is exactly what he’d like to do.”
From across the room Laurette called out, “Avec calme.”
Ben tried to rein in his temper. He loosened his grip on Freddy and tried pleading instead. “Jake has diabetes. You have to release him. Mandy has probably already called the police.”
As soon as he spoke the words, Ben realized he hadn’t yet talked to Mandy. He pulled his phone from his pocket, having no idea what he’d say to the young mother but knowing he owed her something. When he tried to call her, his mobile flashed no signal.
“Mandy won’t be a problem,” Freddy said.
Ben flicked his attention back to his great grandfather. “Where is she? Did you hurt her? What have you done to her? I’ll—”
Freddy chuckled his charming laugh. “I’ve done nothing to Mandy, and I assure you, Jake won’t be harmed either. As long as…”
“As long as I do your bidding.”
Freddy removed his sludge-stained coat and laid it over the hostess stand. Smoothing his sweater he said, “It’s both of our biddings, I wish you believed me. I’ll explain everything in due time.” His expression seemed almost yearning. “I have so much I wish to share with you. So many wonderful things, things you can’t even imagine. I want nothing but the best for you, truly.”
“Then tell me what in the hell is going on.” Ben stared into the man’s eyes, the same amber brown as his own.
“Why don’t you and Laurette go clean up,” Freddy said, indicating with a tilt of his well-coifed head the dried muck covering Ben. “El and I will put together a nice lunch for you both. You must be hungry. And then we’ll have a little chat.”
“We’ll get our own food,” Ben said bitingly. “Laurette’s had enough of El’s tea.”
Freddy didn’t take the bait. “Whatever you like. Your wish is my command.” The arresting man smiled, displaying those brilliant teeth, and once again Ben found it hard to believe he was one hundred and twelve years old.
Glancing back at Laurette, he remembered her injured ankle. She should be icing it. The two of them would be no good for anything, let alone helping Jake, if they didn’t tend to themselves first.
After getting another reassurance from his great grandfather that Jake wouldn’t be harmed (for whatever that was worth), Ben guided Laurette back to their room, grateful she could now bear some weight with support. Once she was comfortable in the wingback chair, he returned to the kitchen for a bag of ice as well as a couple waters, a loaf of bread, peanut butter, and bananas.
Then he locked guest room five and pushed a chair against the door.
While Laurette was showering, Ben tried to call Mandy and then Willy to make sure everyone was okay, but he still couldn’t get a signal on his phone. He stepped out on the balcony and tried there, blowing snow wetting his cheeks. Still nothing.
He checked the room’s landline, a relic of a phone that in the age of mobiles probably never saw use, but heard nothing but a faint static. No dial tone.
Freddy. Of course.
Devoted great grandfather must have shut off the landline and set up a cellular signal jammer to make sure his prized heir didn’t call around for reinforcements. Summoning demons was probably best done without a crowd.
Ben cursed and returned to the room, stomping the snow from his shoes onto the mat near the balcony door. At least Jake’s cries were no more, and although Freddy’s word might be as flimsy as a paper knife, Ben had to hope the man possessed enough decency not to harm an innocent boy.
Yeah, ’cause murdering your own son and grandson is so decent.
When Laurette finished showering, both of them now free of the putrid sludge that had coated them, he helped her settle back into the wingback chair and examined her ankle. Although the joint was swollen and bruised where the hammer had struck her, she was able to bear weight on it and had no bony tenderness. That indicated soft tissue injury and not a fracture.
“Thank God you had jeans and thick socks on,” he said, rubbing the tender area on his ear where the wrench had grazed him. “I’d tell Freddy and El your ankle’s broken and that you need to go to the emergency room, but they’d never let you leave.”
“Au contraire. I imagine I can leave any time I like. They probably don’t want me here at all. It’s you they want and need.”
“You really think they’d let you go? What if you went to the cops? Freddy shut off the phones so he must be worried about that.”
“And told the police what? That a live boy is trapped in another realm? That a kind and generous couple want to summon a demon? We will look fou, and your great grandparents know it. The shutting off of the phones is probably to keep us isolated. Keep us from calling people like Ana.”
“I have a bone fragment.”
“Freddy and El will claim it’s from a beloved pet long ago—and maybe it is. But if it is from a human, in the time it takes to analyze it, the ceremony would be over, and Freddy will have all he desires.” She shook her head and grabbed the fresh bag of ice he’d fetched for her during her shower. Tugging up the hem of her pants, she pressed the ice against her ankle and said, “So no, the police will leave, and we will be back where we started or worse: Jake will be permanently lost to us as revenge for our betrayal.”
At the thought, the walls closed in on Ben. “I’m going to look for him some more. Search every place in the hotel.”
“You won’t find him. We’ve discussed this already, yes? That poor child’s voice was loud and clear in that awful room, and yet he wasn’t physically there. You can’t reach him. Freddy has made sure of that.” Her eyes moistened, and Ben pressed his forehead against hers as together they absorbed the truth of her words.
Feeling helpless, he shot up from his kneeling position and paced the room. “Why hasn’t Mandy come? She must know her son is missing.” His face heated. “I swear to God if Freddy has hurt them, I’ll kill him myself. Shove him down that sucking hellhole where he belongs.”
A knock on the door startled them both.
“Benjamin,” came Freddy’s amiable voice. “Shall we have our chat now? You demanded answers, and I will provide them.”
Ben glanced at Laurette and then her ankle. Resting it was what she needed, not traipsing around the hotel.
“Go,” she told him. “You can fill me in later.”
“I don’t want to leave you alone.”
“They won’t hurt me. You would turn on them completely, and they know that. Jake is enough insurance for them.”
Ben exhaled a hot ball of frustration. Then he opened the door and followed his great grandfather down the corridor.
Once they were settled in the parlor, Ben on the love seat so he could face the door and Freddy in a velvet armchair, Ben cut off Freddy’s offer of refreshments and said, “Where’s El?”
“She went to get some crutches for your friend.” When Freddy saw Ben’s raised eyebrows, he said, “See? We’re not bad people. When she returns, she’ll tend to some correspondences in the office so she can give us ‘boys’ time to talk.” Freddy’s smile reached his eyes, not even a hint of a jowl sagging his angled jaw.
“Does she know everything you’re about to tell me?”
Freddy seemed surprised by the question. “Of course. As I’ve told you, my El and I are lifelong partners. My love is as great for her now as it was the day I met her. We’ve been married a long time.”
“Yeah, probably eighty years.”
Freddy hesitated, as if unsure he wanted to confirm Ben’s comment. “Eighty-seven years to be exact. How did you know?”
“Oh, you’d be surprised what I’ve learned while you were out courting my father.”
“For example?” Freddy asked slowly, steepling his hands and pressing his fingers against his chin.
“For example: That you are one hundred and twelve years old. That you are, as impossible as it sounds, my great grandfather and not my grandfather. That my mother had a brother named Toby who you killed, and then, when his father—your son—refused to follow your demonic footsteps, you killed him too. How am I doing so far, huh?”
“Quite well, actually. I see your Uncle Toby is still quite the communicator. That and perhaps you and your lady friend are especially receptive.”
Ben was relieved by Freddy’s assumption it was Toby who’d supplied the missing pieces. It was best that Simon, Ana, and the manuscript remained a secret.
A sad smile befell Freddy. “For a small boy, Toby was remarkably powerful. It’s not surprising he’s found a way to use those gifts in the afterlife. Ah well, I expected as much. Edward has few tactics in his toolbox to keep Toby inactive beyond fear and intimidation.”
“That’s a nice way to put what amounts to otherworldly torture. Kind of what you’re doing to Jake right now. Is Edward babysitting him too?” Ben’s sense of powerlessness returned. He had failed Jake, and now he hoped he hadn’t put him or Toby in greater harm by admitting how much he knew.
“Your harsh tone pains me, Benjamin. I have such high hopes for you and me. For all of us—El, Laurette, your family. I am not a violent man.”
“As I said before, I’m sure the men who disappeared from this place would argue differently.”
“Those were vile, despicable men! Men who murdered, stole, beat their wives and children.” Freddy’s anger was abrupt but quickly dissipated. “Besides, after tomorrow night, that unpleasant part will be over. But every good thing requires a bit of sacrifice. Surely you know that. A man who puts himself through medical school and trains to be a surgeon knows all about sacrifice. We are so proud of you, son.”
Ben resisted looking too long into Freddy’s eyes for fear he’d get sucked into them. Seducing Ben’s emotions was evidently part of his power, but whatever allegiance to the man the inn’s forces might have fostered in Ben had vanished. “Well, unlike you, I haven’t murdered anyone to get where I am. What’s to stop me from going to the police right now?”
Freddy winced. “That would accomplish nothing, and I think you know it, but since you insist on this debasement of our family, let me remind you: there is no proof of anything tangible, and technically El and I are dead on paper. Townspeople believe Frederick Sr. and Christina perished on an overseas trip years ago. We’ll simply slip away, our hearts broken because we failed to convince you of our love, and you’ll be left with egg on your face.” He brushed invisible lint off his sharply creased trousers. “And then, of course, there would be the matter of Jake. With El and me gone, he could not be saved, and, well, rumor has it you used him for occult practices.” His tone carried the whiff of a threat. “Sadly, the police might blame you for his disappearance.”
“So Mandy told you,” Ben said, knowing Freddy’s words were true. “I’m not proud of my actions, that’s for sure, but Jake was fine until you showed up.” When Freddy didn’t respond, Ben shifted gears. “How did you and El take over your son’s and daughter-in-law’s identities? Someone must have noticed. You’ve lived in this town forever.”
“People don’t pay as much attention as you might think. After that sad night, we went away for many years. Clara could handle everything here. We only returned for our yearly observance, which you will experience tomorrow night.”
“Observance. That’s a pretty sweet euphemism for murder.”
Freddy carried on as if Ben hadn’t spoken. “During those years I slipped back into The Abigael Inn unobtrusively. My name was already Frederick, and my wife easily went from Christina to Elizabeth, although we preferred the name El for her. Dyed her hair red when we returned, but soon even that wasn’t necessary. Plus, El is quite talented in the way of little spells. She gets people to…see things in a new way.” Freddy chuckled, as if proud of his wife’s prowess, but his demeanor quickly sobered again. “What you see as murder, we see as doing everything in our power to help our family. At the same time, El and I are freeing other families from the evil scorpions in their lives. I will admit, Edward’s reign was a dark stain on the Claxwell legacy. He didn’t father me until ninety-nine years of age and went too many years unchecked. I became our family’s keeper at the age of twelve, even younger than Jeremiah at thirteen.”
Freddy’s confession carried so much baggage Ben didn’t know what to unpack first. “Who’s lived the longest in my messed-up family tree?”
“That would be Clara, the very woman who willed you this hotel. She was Edward’s daughter and my big sister. She lived to be one hundred and thirty-nine years old.”
“And what, she just happened to die shortly before my skills were needed?”
Freddy stared past Ben, out the bay window. “Clara, too, understood that personal sacrifice is often necessary to achieve our goals.” Then, as if he hadn’t just inferred Clara’s death had been intentional, he donned a peaceful expression and said, “The Berkshires are so lovely after a snowfall, aren’t they?”
Ben wasn’t thinking of the lovely hills or the snow that had since stopped or the sun now poking through the parting clouds. He was thinking about how Clara might have died. El’s special tea maybe? The incinerator?
Jesus.
Before he could ask Freddy to expound on Clara’s death, his great grandfather said, “It’s clear to me you’ve deduced far more than I thought possible, which I suppose makes my job here easier. Now, how about I tell you what you’ll receive for helping me?”
“Can I ask you something?” Ben said.
“By all means.”
“Why go through with this whole charade? Clara sacrificing herself, my inheritance of the hotel, me staying here. Why not just abduct me and force my help?”
Freddy put a manicured hand over his heart, as if physically pained. “Oh my son, you may judge me on many things, but don’t judge my love for you. I’d never wish harm upon you. To me, family is everything.”
“Unless those family members don’t do what you want.”
“Do you think not a day goes by I don’t mourn my son and grandson? My daughter-in-law?” Fire lit up Freddy’s cheeks, and his voice rose. “It stabs my heart—no, it shreds my heart every time I think of it, but Toby was about to end it all.”
“And so what if he did?” The sharp edge in Ben’s voice was dulled by genuine curiosity. “Why murder your son and grandson just so you could live another decade or three by worshipping a demon?”
“Demon? Who said anything about a demon? And not worshipping. Simply sustaining and strengthening an immortal entity until the day of its rebirth. It’s not merely extended life. It’s also a life full of riches, one where everything you touch turns to gold, gold that helps not only you but also your community, including those who are the most disadvantaged. You think we keep it all to ourselves? Over three centuries, the Claxwells have accumulated more wealth than El and I could ever use. We are not selfish people. We have given a fortune away. The town of Shelby was practically built by the Claxwell hand. Our influence is everywhere.”
“Good to have the town and the police on your side when you’re sacrificing people, I suppose.”
“You think what you want, but my El and I love this town. We would do anything for it. But it’s not just wealth we’ve accumulated, for I am not a material man.”
Ben thought of Freddy’s expensive clothes and love of travel and doubted that was true.
“Far more important than wealth is good health. By serving Abigael we—”
“I think we both know it isn’t Abigael you’re serving. You just like to tell yourself that, because serving an angel is a lot more palatable than serving a demon.”
“By serving,” Freddy repeated, ignoring Ben’s comment, “we have been granted the absolute treasure of good health. No physical illness, no disease, no anomalies in our children—among those of us who serve, of course, unlike your mother. Wouldn’t that be a relief to you? Knowing that your dear Maxwell would never fall victim to cancer or trauma or anything else that might steal his sweet life?”
Ben said nothing. It was true he would do most anything for Maxwell, but there were limits, weren’t there?
“And after tomorrow night, with your help?” Freddy closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, a serenity falling over his face. “It won’t just be extended longevity.”
“What do you mean?”
Freddy smiled and seemed to tremble in excitement. “After tomorrow night, when this servitude gets rewarded, when you’ve played your part in the rebirth, you, me, El, our ancestors who’ve already passed on, your family, anyone you wish to bring into your circle, will have everlasting life.”
Ben gawped at the ageless man. “Are you…are you…” He couldn’t spit out the words.
Freddy bound up from his chair and joined Ben on the small sofa. His eyes were sparkling pools of electricity. “Yes, Benjamin, yes. I’m talking about immortality. That’s our reward for being disciples. And not just us. Our forefathers and mothers will rise again too. Clara as well.”
His use of the word disciple echoed Ana’s own description the day before, but Ben was too stunned by Freddy’s confession to marvel over Ana’s divination powers. Immortality? Resurrected corpses? How was he supposed to wrap his head around something like that? It was incomprehensible. Inconceivable.
He tried to imagine the possibility. The prospect of never dying. Of living forever, seeing the world change for centuries—millennia—to come. On a primitive level, the allure was there. Who wouldn’t want to experience eternity? But on a cerebral level? A gut level? It had the taste, touch, and smell of something rotten.
“And we were terrified it might have been for naught,” Freddy was saying, his gaze back on the Berkshires in the distance. “Terrified the death of Toby had ended it when we had no male heir to carry on. We thought Toby was to be the one. Thankfully, we were wrong. Abigael chose Patricia, your mother, to be the vessel of the most powerful disciple. So you see?” Freddy winked. “We men may do the bidding, but it is the women who are most vital.”
Was Ben supposed to be impressed by Freddy’s stupid plug for women’s rights? “But if it was so important to produce an heir,” he asked, “why didn’t every Claxwell couple have several children? What if the only son died young?”
Freddy squeezed Ben’s shoulder. “I’ve already told you, no harm comes to our children.”
“Unless it’s at your hands,” Ben said, thinking of Toby and the real Frederick Junior. Then another awful realization hit him. “Wait, is my mom’s coma because of you?” He felt sick to his core. “Maybe you didn’t cause it, but did you keep her in it so she couldn’t tell me about your—”
Freddy cut him off by prattling on about the Claxwell genealogy, and Ben worried that non-answer was a yes. That might explain his mother’s unusual state. But if Freddy thought Harmony could no longer communicate, albeit cryptically, he was wrong.
“One son who would reproduce,” Freddy was saying, “one daughter who would choose not to in order to help keep the family running. That’s our destiny. Look at Clara—childless and a life of service to others. With Toby gone, Patricia was our only answer. I am not powerful enough to bring about the rebirth myself.”
Ben thought of his mother’s journal, her suspicion someone had tried to force his way with her, and shivered.
Freddy, on the other hand, chuckled. “But I should have known. Abigael had everything planned. You were born, and your estrangement from us was probably meant to be as well. And now here you are, the answer to it all, the world at your feet.”
“But I…you can’t possibly expect me to go along with this.” Ben’s voice was strained with shock and emotion.
“It’s a lot to absorb, I understand.” Freddy squeezed Ben’s shoulder again. “We have tonight to help you take it all in before the big day tomorrow. Until then, I have a little something that might serve as an incentive.”
Freddy stood and moved to the parlor door. “Ah, there you are, El. It’s time.”
Ben stiffened, and a sudden fear gripped him. Time for what? What “incentive” did Freddy have? Willy? Maxwell?
Wheels squeaked along the hardwood floor outside the parlor, and Ben’s terror mounted. Soon El appeared, pushing a wheelchair.
When Ben saw who was in it, he couldn’t have been more surprised if it had been the nightmare demon itself.