Powers Paranormal:: Blood Lust

By Arthur Wiederhold

When a series of gruesome murders begin plaguing the city, the police turn to a local paranormal investigation team to help solve the case. It soon becomes apparent that the killer is stalking prostitutes and may even be a vampire. To complicate things further, the lead investigators wife and her best friend decide to try their hand at the worlds oldest profession, thus setting themselves up as the vampires potential targets.

A gore and sex-soaked adult horror fantasy that is unlike any other. A must read for fans of the paranormal and erotic fiction.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Trafford Publishing
• Release date: Jun 2, 2016
• ISBN: 9781490774206

Arthur Wiederhold

The author of more than thirty novels, the Brooklyn-born Art Wiederhold has worked at several professions, including as a pro baseball player, soldier, sailor, international reporter, war correspondent, and paranormal investigator. He currently lives in St. Louis with his wife, son, two insane cats, and several documented ghosts.

Book preview

The Crippled Creek Hotel Investigation

April 14

One p.m.

T he hotel was almost legendary. It was built on the west side of a town named Ironton around 1840. It was the first brick building in this part of the state and it stood three stories tall and included stables out back, a well and cistern system and various other amenities that made it really stand out.

In those days, Ironton was a boom town. The mills worked almost around the clock making cloth and grinding wheat and corn that came in from the surrounding farms. In 1858, the railroad arrived and the town’s population nearly doubled to 4,800.

Ironton was a series of wide, dirt streets, dingy wooden and stone buildings, a mercantile and about 40 saloons and bordellos clustered around a large church.

The hotel boasted several famous guests in its heyday, like Bill Cody, George Custer, Ulysses Grant, Stonewall Jackson and Jesse James. It was the scene of drinking, wild shows, gambling and several bloody murders.

The hotel fell on hard times when the mills closed after WWII. The original family sold it to a group of bankers who attempted to renovate it. It was during the renovations that the first rumors of the haunting began.

They started with the sightings of a woman in a Victorian dress on the grand staircase. Then came sightings of men dressed in Western gear hanging around the bar. There were screams in the middle of the night that came from a room on the third floor and mysterious red stains that appeared on the walls that kept returning no matter how many times they were painted.

Some workers quit because of this.

Those that stayed were beset by ever-increasing sightings and sounds until the renovations were completed.

The revamped hotel re-opened in 1950 as part of downtown revitalization effort. All went well for the first several months. Then the incident occurred.

A young woman was sleeping in her second floor room when she was awakened by her bed moving as if someone was climbing in next to her. She attempted to sit up but discovered she was unable to move. She couldn’t even talk.

A few minutes later, every guest in the hotel was awakened by the most horrific scream they’d ever heard. Almost everyone rushed out into the halls to see where it came from. The manager and night clerks summoned the police.

When they entered the young woman’s room, she was curled up against the headboard shivering uncontrollably. She was so terrified that she couldn’t speak for several days. The police gave her time to calm down before questioning her and she told him that someone, a tall, broad shouldered man with a handlebar mustache, had broken into her room and raped her.

The doctors found bruises on her neck and shoulders that looked like fingerprints and she had apparently suffered both physical and mental trauma. The police checked her room and found no sign of forced entry. But they did find two muddy footprints on the carpet that resembled those made by cowboy boots.

The poor woman was shown photos of known offenders, but none of them fit her description. The police said they’d keep looking and contact her if they found him. As she was checking out of the hotel, she happened to glance up at an old tintype hanging in a frame behind the front desk. She stared at it for some time.

That’s him! That’s the man who raped me! I’m positive! she said.

The clerk looked at her like she was nuts.

That’s impossible, Miss, he said. It couldn’t have been him.

It’s him I tell you! she insisted.

No, Miss. It can’t be him. You see that was taken in 1864. He’s been dead more than sixty years.

The following year, on the same date (March 14), another young woman was raped in the same room. She, too, identified the man in the tintype as her attacker.

Three more such incidents occurred over the next three years and the hotel got a reputation for being dangerously haunted by some woman hating dead cowboy. Then came more sightings of the woman on the stairs.

The hotel’s business steadily declined until it closed in 1979.

It stayed vacant until the new owners purchased it a year ago. They decided to restore it as a hotel with a bar-restaurant and include a museum depicting the town’s history. They began renovations six months later.

That’s when all Hell broke loose.

At their wits end, the owners contacted Powers Paranormal after they saw the TV show.

They pulled up to the entrance of the grand old structure. The owners, Arlen Sloan and George Gray, greeted them when they got out of the van. Art shook their hands and introduced the team.

Let’s have a tour and you can tell us where the hot spots are, Art said. Norm, bring the camera. I want this on video.

I’m way ahead of ya, Norm said as he panned the outside with the camera. This reminds me of something you’d see in an old western.

It sure does, Art said as they went inside.

The interior looked like it was transplanted from the Bird Cage in Tombstone. Art smiled.

We decided to restore this area to the way it looked when the saloon first opened, Gray explained. The guests love it—when we have guests, that is. We’ve been rather slow these days thanks to our spirited permanent residents.

The cowboy? Art asked.

Him and a few others, Gray said. He’s the worst. He’s the one who scares guests away.

Tell me everything, Art said.

"Before we began the renovations, we had several guest stay in Room 213. The men who stayed here didn’t experience anything unusual, but the women did. There’s something in there that likes to terrorize women. They’ve complained of being felt up in the shower, being watched and one left screaming in the middle of the night. She said that some man was on top of her. She said he pinned her to the bed and tried to take her clothes off.

She was the last one to stay there. The funny thing is, she asked for the room. She wanted to see for her herself if it was really haunted," Sloan said.

I guess she got her money’s worth, Art said as he took several photos of the interior.

Anything else? Norm asked.

According to the legends, there were two murders here. One happened in 1856 and another in 1885. Both were young women who worked here. And from what I read, they weren’t maids, Sloan said.

This was a saloon and whorehouse, Art said. Did they ever catch the killers?

Not that I’m aware of, Sloan replied.

Any other activity besides the cowboy and the woman? Art asked.

Ever since we restored the saloon area, people hear loud talking, cards shuffling and even a piano playing some old-fashioned tunes in the middle of the night—and we don’t even have a piano yet, Sloan said.

I want audio and video hookups in all three rooms, the hallway leading to each room and down in the lobby and bar area, Art instructed. We’ll set up our command center in your office, Mark. That way, we’ll be able to monitor all of the feeds with our computers.

No problem, Art. You guys have the run of the place for as long as you need it. The hotel’s shut down until after we complete more renovations, so there are no other guests here but you, Sloan said.

Perfect. Okay people. Let’s get our baseline readings. I want one set now and another at dusk, Art said.

Dusk? asked Sloan.

Uh-huh. It’s been my experience that dusk is when spirits are most active and more easily seen. I think it has something to do with the changes in light and energy patterns, Art explained.

That’s interesting, Sloan said. That’s the time of day my crew usually reports seeing things.

You have the run of the place. While you’re here, feel free to help yourselves to anything from the bar. There’s a diner down the street that’s open 24 hours and the food’s pretty decent, Gray said. We’ll get out of your way now and let you get to work.

You can stay in any rooms you like, too. It’s on us, Sloan added.

Art watched them leave and turned to the team.

Mary Ann, you’re the bait tonight. I want you to stay in 213 and try to make contact with the Cowboy. Do whatever you can but don’t put yourself in any real danger, Arts aid.

No problem. I’ll see if I can get his attention, she said.

Just don’t let him rape you, Bob warned.

Why not? I might enjoy it. Besides, it’s been a while, she joked.

In that case, make sure you get it on camera. We might have to rate our next show for ‘adults only’ if he does show, Art smiled.

Paranormal porn? Norm asked.

Hey. I kinda like the sound of that. We can put it on late night cable, Art said.

They laughed.

Ten p.m.

The team split up to do initial shoots and get baseline readings of the entire hotel. As Norm walked through the lobby with his camera and MEL meter, he noticed an unusual spike in the readings. He stopped and pointed it in various directions. The readings climbed higher when he aimed it at the staircase.

As he looked around, he noticed a wisp of light smoke or mist beginning to swirl halfway up the stairs. Curious, he continued to watch and the readings climbed higher and higher. He stopped watching the MEL meter and studied the mist, which had now become thicker.

As he watched the swirling mist slowly take on the form of a woman in a long dress, Norm instinctively turned on his camera. The eerie scenario lasted several seconds and the mist broke up and dissipated.

He snapped out of his stunned state and hollered for the others. They rushed in from two different doorways. He told him what he had just witnessed.

I froze for a second. She caught me by surprise. I didn’t even realize that I turned the camera on, he said.

Let’s see if you caught anything, Arts aid.

Norm rewound the camera then hit PLAY. They stared in amazement as a mist appeared on the stairs and slowly took the form of a woman before it broke up.

My God! I actually caught her! Norm exclaimed.

Unbelievable! Bob said.

Mary Ann nodded.

Art slapped him on the back.

You did it. You captured the Holy Grail! Out fucking standing! he said.

Thanks, Norm said modestly.

We proved she exists. Now for the Cowboy, Mary Ann said.

You sound like you’re looking forward to it, Bob said.

I am. Like I said, it’s been a while, she smiled. Who know? I might get lucky.

If you do, we can play Alice Cooper’s ‘I Love the Dead’ as background music when we air it, Norm said.

That would only remind me of my ex-husband, Mary Ann said.

Eleven p.m.

Mary Ann decided to go all out to attract the Cowboy’s attention. She dressed only in her pajama shirt and panties. If the Cowboy really did exist, she figured he’d go after her. Her only question was how she would react personally to this encounter. She’d have to open herself up mentally and physically to make any sort of contact. At the moment, she didn’t sense anyone else in the room.

But it was still quite early.

She walked into the bathroom to brush her teeth. As she stood over the sink, she felt a cold breeze blow into the bathroom. A second later, she felt a man’s hand on her behind.

Contact! she smiled.

Downstairs in the office, the video feed to 213 suddenly went dark. When Bob saw this, he immediately picked up the radio and called the others.

Hey guys. The video to Mary Ann’s room just went out, he said.

I’m on my way, Art said back.

So am I, said Norm.

When they reached the office, Bob was trying to get the video back. He looked at them and shook his head.

Amplify the audio, Art said.

Bob turned it up as far as he could. They sat back and listened.

That sounds like Mary Ann, but I can’t understand what she’s saying, Norm said.

That’s because she’s not talking, Norm. Those are moans, Art said.

They listened as her moaning grew louder and more erratic. This went on for several minutes and ended in a long, loud Oh, yes!

They looked at each other and laughed.

You know what that sounded like, Norm said.

Yeah, Bob smiled.

Well, she did say that it had been a while. Looks like she managed to establish contact, Art smiled.

I’ll say! Bob said.

Listen! Norm said. I think it’s happening again.

They listened in awe as loud moans and gasps came over the audio feed. They heard the bed squeaking harder and harder.

Ride me, Cowboy! Ride me! Mary Ann gasped. Faster!

They laughed as she was obviously enjoying her paranormal experiences. The audio ended with a loud, deep moan.

Now that’s a first, Art said.

What was that you said about paranormal porn? Bob asked.

Too bad the video died. This would have been great, Norm said.

Where the Hell would we air it? The Playboy Channel? Bob asked.

Art laughed.

Midnight.

The team assembled in the office. They all noted that Mary Ann looked flushed but kind of happy.

Did you contact the Cowboy tonight? Art asked.

I sure did, Mary Ann replied with a smile.

Then he’s real? Bob asked.

He sure as Hell is real. In fact, he’s very real, she said. Did you get anything on video?

No. The video feed went out. But we did get some real interesting audio, Norm said. Although I’m not too sure we’ll be able to air it on our show.

So what do you think? asked Art.

She smiled.

I think Room 213 is a great place to stay if you’re looking to get laid and don’t mind doing it with a dead guy, she replied.

They all laughed.

That’s it for tonight. Everyone get some sleep. Make sure all of the equipment is up and running and we’ll meet down here again in the morning, Art said.

When Art returned to his room and clicked on the TV, he happened to catch the report about the strange and gruesome murder in Lafayette Square Park. As he watched, every nerve in his body tingled and he broke out in a cold sweat. The police were completely stumped and the chief said that nothing like this had ever happened before.

He picked up the phone and dialed Mary Ann’s room number. She picked it up.

Are you watching the news? he asked.

I sure am. Are we thinking the same thing? she said.

You know it. Let’s wrap this case up and get back home. I have a feeling that I’m about to get a call, he said. Meet me in the lobby in ten minutes. I’ll call Bob and Norm.

Mary Ann McMasters was a willowy platinum blonde with steely blue eyes. She was Art’s lead investigator and had the ability to communicate with and even channel spirits. This was an ability she was born with and it took her years to learn how to shut spirits out unless she wanted to make contact with them. Even then, this was often a struggle. The dead were everywhere. Millions and millions of them. And they all had a story to tell or a message to send. People like Mary Ann were always besieged by them. Some were even driven to madness or suicide, the latter of which ironically added their own voices to the cacophony.

Norm Howe was Art’s shaman, spiritual guide and tech guy. He made sure they had all of the latest equipment and kept the equipment in top working order. Norm was short, broad-chested and bearded like a Tolkien Dwarf. And he had a sarcastic sense of humor which the others played off of.

Bob Miller was also an investigator. He developed an interest in the paranormal from working with Art at the post office. Bob was also the team skeptic. He had to see or experience something before he’d believe it. Bob was Art’s age and usually sported a neatly trimmed beard. This was only his second investigation with the team and he was really getting into it.

April 15

Eight a.m.

The team assembled in the hotel lobby.

Okay guys. We have two more nights in this place to wrap things up. Tonight, nobody sleeps. We pull out all the stops and see if we can get to the bottom of this, Art said. I want everyone to carry cameras with night vision, digital voice recorders, EMF detectors and radios. We’ll each take a floor and try to find out what’s haunting this place. Norm—you set up the tripods and motion detectors?

Sure did. I got two infra reds and one motion detector on each floor. What about spirit boxes? Norm asked.

Set one up in the basement and one in 213 and let them run. Maybe we’ll get something, Art said.

Gotcha. Wanna help me with that, Bob? Norm said.

Lead the way, Bob replied.

This place is huge, Art. We’ll need to add to the team if we’re going to do more of these, Mary Ann said.

This is the biggest place we’ve ever investigated. You know me. I’m always looking for good people to add to the team. We could use a second tech guy and one more investigator, Art agreed. I’d like to add a second woman to the team. Spirits seem more open to communicating with women.

What about that friend of yours at work? She seems interested, Mary Ann suggested.

I don’t know. Veronica’s kind of flaky—maybe too flaky even for us, Art said. Besides, if she met up with anything paranormal, she’d probably shit all over herself.

I guess it takes a woman with balls to do this, Mary Ann said.

If you’ve got ‘em, I don’t want to know about ‘em, Art joked.

As they worked, he thought about Veronica and chuckled at Mary Ann’s suggestion.

Veronica worked in maintenance with Art. She was in her mid-40s, with very dark brown hair, wore eyeglasses that did nothing for her and dressed like most of her male counterparts. She was slender, had nice eyes and a crazy sense of humor. She was also a Filipina, like Art’s wife. In fact, he had introduced the two to each other and they seemed to hit it off. Art and Veronica had become friends. They usually ate lunch together and they talked a lot.

Art had befriended her as soon as she got the job. He was the first person to greet her when she clocked in that morning and he had volunteered to train her. The training took four days and she and Art were constant companions the entire time. He even sat with her at lunch and breaks and walked her out to her car at the end of the shift. She expected him to ignore her after the training ended, but that wasn’t the case.

This surprised her as hardly anyone, especially men, ever bothered to speak with her. But Art was friendly, funny and sometimes charming and he always said what was on his mind.

She liked him right away. She also sensed that he liked her. So the two became friends and they made each other laugh a lot. Because of this, she became friends with the women on the job, who often teased her about her sexual preferences. She always fired back good-naturedly and slowly but surely, her personality began to blossom.

But there was another element in her friendship with Art. She felt attracted to him. In fact, she hated it when he wasn’t at work. She wanted to tell him this, but she wasn’t sure he felt attracted to her. He said he liked her even after she told him about her sexual preferences but outside of complimenting her now and then, he never took it further. She figured that was because he was married and had no real romantic interest in her.

But why would he? No other men had ever bothered with her, so why should Art? Yet he always sat with her at breaks and lunch and they always talked to each other during the day and he’d even introduced her to Cyndi.

She didn’t know about his paranormal investigations until she accidentally came upon his TV show one night while channel surfing. She was about to switch channels when he came on screen to explain where they were and why they’d been called in. That hooked her and she stayed hooked. Naturally, she started asking him questions when he returned to work and he told her how he got into the field and why.

So everything on your show is real? she asked.

It’s 100% real. There are no faked shots or re-enactments. We set nothing up in advance. The viewers see what we see. They hear what we hear. We don’t use background music because it’s distracting and we’re out there to help people with problems they can’t solve themselves. Mostly, we succeed. Sometimes, we don’t. Then we have to either call for some serious help or advise our clients of how to deal with it, he explained.

I never had an interest in that sort of thing until I watched your show. You really hooked me, she said. Can you teach me how to work some of the equipment sometime?

Sure. I can bring you to one of our team meetings and let Norm and Bob teach you the basics. Why? Are you thinking of joining us one night? he asked.

I’m not sure. I’d probably wet myself if I actually saw anything. But I am curious about the equipment you guys use. Where’d you get it? she asked.

Best Buy and Radio Shack has most of what we need. St. Louis Photography gets us all of the special cameras we use, like infra-red and full spectrum. We also use some of the same cameras and motion detectors that hunters and security companies use. We were a bare bones operation until we got picked up by the local TV station. They don’t pay us but they do provide us with any equipment we ask for, Art explained.

Is it expensive? she asked.

Hell yeah. Some of our stuff costs thousands of dollars because it’s so specialized, Art replied. It’s tough and durable, too. It can take punishment to some extent, which is a must in our field. We use some real simple tools, too. We use copper dowsing rods, bags of flour, noise traps—things of that nature. You’d be amazed at what works at certain times. So are we.

Have you ever actually seen a ghost? she asked.

He laughed.

I’ve seen several. That’s what got me interested in this, he said. How about you?

I don’t know, she said after some thought.

If you’re not sure, then you probably have seen them without realizing it, he said. That’s the way it is for most people.

Bob walked up and sat down with them. Veronica greeted him with a smile.

I watched you on the show last night. I didn’t know you were part of Art’s team, she said.

I joined him a few weeks ago—right after I had an experience and right where Art told me I probably would have one, Bob said. And you know how skeptical I usually am.

That night, Veronica accompanied Art to his team meeting. It was in the small storefront they owned and used as their headquarters. While Art went over the details of the hotel investigation, Bob and Norm showed Veronica the wide array of equipment they used and how to operate some of the gadgets.

So what do you think? Art asked after the meeting.

This is really fascinating. If I wasn’t so chicken, I’d join you, Veronica said. Is it dangerous?

It can be at times. It all depends what we have to deal with, he said. Each case is different. Each case has its surprises.

Have you ever been scared? she asked.

A couple of times, he said with a smile. That’s only natural.

At that point, Cyndi popped in. She saw Veronica and smiled. After the team packed the equipment for the trip, they went over to a nearby Appleby’s for dinner. That’s when Cyndi and Veronica took an interest in each other. Art noticed they seemed to hit it off pretty well. He didn’t bother to tell Cyndi about Veronica’s sexual preferences. He figured she’d learn all about that sooner or later anyway.

After dinner, they separated. When Art and Cyndi got home, she asked him more questions about Veronica.

You know she’s kind of pretty, or would be, if she didn’t dress like that, Cyndi said.

She’s dressed like that ever since I’ve known her. It’s practical where we work. Besides, I doubt she’s the type who’d really dress up to go anywhere, he said. What do you think of her?

I like her, but I think she’s a little weird, Cyndi said.

Then you two should get along fine because you’re kinda weird, too, Art teased.

Is she going to join your team? Cyndi asked.

I have no idea. She wanted to learn about the equipment we use, so I invited her to the meeting. I think she’d shit all over herself if she actually saw anything paranormal, Art said. She said so herself.

I invited her to come over on Wednesday so we can hang out and get to know each other better, she said.

That’s fine, Art said. She’s off that day anyway.

Unlike me—I’m off every day! Cyndi said.

Art laughed.

At least you admit it, he said.

April 16

The night passed without incident. Mary Ann walked through the entire hotel several times and attempted to make contact. She did get mental images of wild drinking and card playing, people laughing and even a brawl that happened over a century ago. But nothing came to her about murdered women.

She did, however, get the sense that someone was following her everywhere she went. But when she turned her head, the entity vanished each time. She couldn’t tell if it was a man or a woman.

At four in the afternoon, they wrapped things up and started going over their evidence. They had captured several disembodied voices or EVPs, along with Mary Ann’s audio and Norm’s film of the mist.

Before we take this to Sloan, let’s find a local historian and see if he can tell us more about this Cowboy or the lady on the stairs, Art said.

While Art was away with his team, Cyndi and Veronica got together for an afternoon of movie watching and conversation. Although Veronica was a Filipina, she was born and raised in the States and had, in fact, never been to the Philippines. She didn’t even speak Tagalog because her parents had never spoken it at home.

She also found out that Veronica was single. Although she was the same age as Cyndi, she’d never been married.

Do you have a boyfriend? Cyndi asked.

Boyfriend? Hell, I’ve never even been on a date with a guy, Veronica said.

Why not? Cyndi asked.

Mostly because no man’s ever asked me out, she replied. Men never seemed to have any interest in me. The ones who showed some interest were kind of creepy and I didn’t like the way they looked and acted. In fact, the only male friend I have is Art. He seems to accept me the way I am.

That’s too bad, Cyndi said.

That’s life, Veronica said. Not every woman is as lucky as you are. Some of us are destined to stay single. The only men who even talk to me are Art and Bob. They seem to like me.

Art does like you. He told me so many times, Cyndi said. I like you, too.

Veronica smiled.

I’m glad, she said. I like you a lot, too.

Veronica had brought over two Philippine horror movies, which were kind of creepy-silly and badly made. They sat and commented on the stupid special effects and story lines which involved one or two really cute young women being stalked and terrorized by some stupid-looking monster.

They laughed a lot that day. And they also drank wine while they watched.

Halfway through the second movie, Veronica placed her hand on Cyndi’s thigh. It had been many years since anything like this happened to her and she wasn’t sure what was going on. So, she ignored the hand.

Eventually, Veronica’s hand began moving upward. She seemed to be doing it absent-mindedly as they commented on the movie. The hand crept steadily up Cyndi’s thigh to the edge of her shorts, then back down again.

And up again.

Cyndi realized that Veronica was stroking her thigh. As it felt a bit exciting, she didn’t mind. She just pretended not to notice to see how far Veronica intended to go. She also wondered if she should let her. It had been years since her last encounter with a woman. She wasn’t sure she wanted to travel down that road again.

But all Veronica did was to keep stroking her thigh nice and easy. She never went past the edge of Cyndi’s shorts. Cyndi just relaxed and let her do it. She also realized that Veronica was sending her a message.

Did you ever have a girlfriend? Veronica asked.

Sure. I’ve been friends with lots of girls, Cyndi said.

I don’t mean that, Veronica said.

Oh? Then what do you mean? Cyndi asked.

I mean like in a romantic way. You know, a girlfriend, Veronica replied.

Cyndi hesitated and wondered if she should answer. Instead, she decided to play a game.

No. Have you? she asked as she turned the tables.

I asked you first, Veronica said with a smile as she quickly caught on to what Cyndi was trying to do. So have you?

I’m not sure, Cyndi hedged.

Yes you are. You either have or you haven’t, Veronica said. Have you ever kissed a girl?

Yes, Cyndi admitted. I’ve kissed a couple of girls. That was back in high school. Have you kissed a girl?

Sure. I’ve kissed several girls, Veronica replied. Right now, I’d really like to kiss you.

Cyndi smiled at her.

You can if you want, she said softly.

They leaned close. As soon as their lips touched, they both felt a sudden surge of excitement race through them. Veronica drew back and looked into Cyndi’s eyes. Cyndi smiled. They leaned close and kissed again. This time, their tongues merged and the kiss lingered longer. Cyndi felt her heart beat faster and faster.

So did Veronica.

She sucked Cyndi’s tongue more passionately. To her delight, Cyndi responded in kind. Their kiss was passionate.

Exciting beyond anything Veronica or Cyndi had expected.

Veronica’s hand moved under Cyndi’s shorts to her panties. Cyndi’s thighs parted to welcome it and she quivered as Veronica gently raked her fingertips over her cunt. Cyndi pulled back to catch her breath. She smiled at Veronica.

My God! That was some kiss! she said breathlessly.

I’ve never felt anything like that before either, Veronica admitted. Want to do it again?

Cyndi nodded.

The third kiss was even more fiery. More passionate.

And the sensations of Veronica’s fingers dancing over her cunt were driving Cyndi crazy. Her legs were wide apart now and her cunt was on fire. And oh-so moist. Veronica felt the heat and dampness and massaged Cyndi’s clit. Seconds later, Cyndi fell back against the armrest of the sofa and cried out as she came. It took her several minutes to catch her breath. As she lay there, Veronica continued to stroke her clit which made Cyndi quiver and moan.

That’s when the doorbell rang. Cyndi quickly gathered herself together and ran to answer it. It was the UPS driver. He had a package for Art. Cyndi signed for it and carried it inside. It was from the photography store.

More equipment for Art’s team? Veronica asked as she looked at the label.

I think so. He ordered a special camera from them last week. He said they’d have to get it from a company in Germany. It’s supposed to be very expensive, too, Cyndi said.

She smiled at Veronica.

Is that what you meant by girlfriend? she asked.

Yes, Veronica answered. Have you ever had a girlfriend like that?

Maybe, Cyndi said coyly.

Would you be interested in having another girlfriend? Veronica asked.

Maybe, Cyndi said. Let me think about it for a few days.

Veronica smiled.

Take all the time you need, Cyndi. I’m in no hurry, she said softly as they kissed again.

Before anything else could happen, Veronica’s cell phone beeped. She sighed and answered it.

Damn! she said. Okay. I’ll be there in ten minutes.

She turned it off and looked at Cyndi.

I forgot I had a dental appointment today. If I don’t go now, she won’t be able to see me for another month, she explained.

That’s okay, Cyndi smiled as she walked her to her car. We’ll get together again soon.

Veronica smiled as she got into the car.

I’ll call you later, she said as she drove off.

April 16

Ten a.m.

Art looked at Sloan.

"We caught a lot of interesting evidence here, Mark. There’s more than enough audio and visual evidence to back up the claim that this hotel is haunted. In fact, it’s very haunted," he said.

He played Norm’s video.

Sloan was astonished.

That’s exactly what my crew told me they see. She’s for real! he said.

Oh yes. She’s real alright. If you like that, you’ll love this, Art said as he played the audio from Mary Ann’s room.

I sure loved it, she smiled.

I can’t believe what I’m hearing! It sounds like you’re having sex with someone, Sloan said.

She did. She couldn’t see him but she could feel him physically, Art said.

Sloan looked at Mary Ann.

You weren’t frightened? he asked.

I was at first. Then I became aroused and I just opened myself all the way. It was a really weird experience at first but after a minute or two, I just let my libido take charge and went with it, she said.

This is incredible. I can’t believe it, Sloan said.

The other stuff your guests have reported, you know, the sounds and voices that come from the bar area, are very real. We recorded over two hours of those sounds. This was one active place back in its glory years, Art said.

We did some research to try to find out who the Cowboy was. We came up with a guy named Blackie Cross. He was a gun for hire between 1868 and 1877. He fought with Quantrill’s Raiders during the Civil War. He ended up dying in 213 of an apparent heart attack. He thinks he’s still alive and that any woman who enters that room is one of the girls from the saloon, Mary Ann explained as she showed Sloan the old newspaper article about Cross’s death.

Sloan read it.

Is he gonna give me trouble? he asked.

Oh yes, Art said.

What can I do about it? Sloan asked.

Norm looked at Sloan.

What it comes down to is you have three choices. The first and most important is I suggest you find yourself a priest and ask him to do a minor exorcism on Room 213. That should evict the sex mad cowboy. It won’t be easy finding a priest who’s willing to do this, but I’ll give you a copy of our evidence. That should help your cause, he said.

Sloan nodded.

What’s the second? he asked.

Until you get the exorcism done, lock the room and nail a blessed symbol to the door. Don’t let anyone enter that room for any reason until you know the ghost is gone, Norm replied.

And the third choice? Sloan asked.

Use the haunting as a selling point. There are people out there who would pay a lot of money to stay in the haunted room in the hopes that they’ll experience something paranormal. If you do that, warn women that it’s especially dangerous for them and get anyone who stays there to sign a waiver stating that in the event something does happen to them, they agree not to hold you or the hotel responsible. That way, you’ll avoid lawsuits, Art said.

Sloan nodded.

I kind of like the last idea, he said.

But that should only be a last resort, Mark, Art said. That cowboy is dangerous. Even if you seal off the room, he may decide to move into another one. Eventually, he’ll make your life so miserable that you’ll have to get rid of him.

What about the female spirit? asked Sloan.

We haven’t been able to find out a thing about her. Most likely, she was one of the prostitutes who worked here during the boom. She seems to be very benign, so I see no need to get rid of her, Art said. She could be a more positive attraction for the hotel.

As for the noises and smells—I’d leave them be. They’re creepy but harmless. Especially the piano playing in the downstairs bar. That’s really creepy considering you don’t have a piano, Mary Ann said.

I like that because it’s very audible. Although, it could be disturbing for your guests in the middle of the night if it gets too loud, Art said. What you have here, Mark, are residual hauntings of cowboys and prostitutes from the days when this was a Wild West saloon. From what we’ve heard, this must have been a real interesting place. Because of these things, I’d say that you have a potential gold mine here. You just have to market it right.

"But that sex-mad cowboy has to go," Mary Ann said.

Do you know a priest who might help? Sloan asked.

Art took a card from his wallet and handed it to him.

Father Jack Stoneham is an independent Catholic priest. He’s done several for us. He’s up in Salem but he’ll fly down here if you ask him. Tell him I said to call him, he said.

Thanks. I’ll call him first thing tomorrow, Sloan said as they shook hands. Thanks again, Art. You guys answered a lot of questions. Now maybe my staff won’t be so scared to come to work.

Thanks for calling us, Mark. If you need us again, you know how to get hold of us, Art said.

Sloan walked them out to the van and watched as they loaded up their equipment. As he watched, he engaged them in idle chatter.

Will this be aired on your show? he asked.

It sure will. This has been a great investigation. We got a lot of great evidence, Norm said.

Thanks again, folks. Come back again after we’re finished renovating. You can spend the weekend here on the house, Sloan offered.

Mark, you’ve got yourself a deal! Mary Ann said as she climbed into the van.

I’ll bring my wife next time. I think she’ll like it here, Art promised as they again shook hands.

Sloan waved as they drove off. When they were out of sight, he turned and looked up at the hotel and wondered if he’d be able to get rid of the cowboy.

Saturday in the Park

April 18

Eight a.m.

H orne walked into the Third District Station early to begin his shift. He stopped by the counter, poured himself a cup of coffee and headed for his desk. Officer Rolanda Lopez spotted him and followed him to his desk. He sat down and looked up at her. He knew the look in her eyes.

What’s up? he asked.

We’ve identified the guy in the park, she said as she handed him the folder.

He opened and read as he sipped the coffee. After a few seconds, he put the mug down and looked at her.

Is this for real? he asked.

It sure as Hell is, Joe. I’ve already sent the lab guys over to his hotel room to see what else they can dig up. Kind of makes it interesting, doesn’t it? she replied.

Too damned interesting, Horne said. What hotel was he staying at?

He had a suite at the Hyatt Regency, Lopez said. Penthouse, too. Apparently, he didn’t lack for funds. That place is $450 a night.

Horne nodded.

I guess I’d better get over there, he said. Just when you think things couldn’t get any weirder, they do!

He drove to the hotel and was met in the lobby by the manager, Alan Martin.

Here’s the register you asked me for, Joe. Some of your people are already upstairs. They arrived about ten minutes ago, Martin said.

Thanks, Al, Horne said as he walked to the front desk.

Horne looked at the register.

Laszlo Herman Grocevic. Country of origin: Bulgaria. Profession: vampire hunter.

He did a double take on the last one. He looked at Martin.

Was he kidding? he asked.

That caught my attention, too, Joe, Martin said. He must have noticed the look on my face because he smiled and nodded. So I asked him how long he expected to be here. He just said ‘as long as it takes’. That’s the last time I spoke with him.

As long as it takes? Horne asked.

That’s what he said, Martin assured him.

So a guy from Bulgaria who lists his profession as a vampire hunter comes here, books a penthouse suite for an unspecified number of nights then ends up dead—and in the worst way I’ve ever seen anyone killed, Joe summarized.

You mean that news story is true? Martin asked.

Yeah. Every bit of it, Horne said. The guy didn’t have a drop of blood in him, either. None.

Sounds like whatever he was hunting found him first, Martin smiled.

That ain’t even funny! Horne said.

So we have a vampire on the loose now? Martin asked.

Horne scowled at him.

I don’t have an answer. Not yet. But I’ll get one, he said. Thanks for the info. Later.

Later, Martin said as Horne left.

He took the elevator to the 14th floor and entered the suite. Several people from forensics were already inside, going over the place with fine toothed combs.

The suite contained two suitcases filled with clothes and one long wooden crate with heavy leather straps. Horne opened the crate and gaped when he saw it contained several wooden stakes, two silver stakes, several vials of clear liquid, a silver crucifix, a gold crucifix, several other holy symbols, a large handgun and four boxes of what appeared to be silver tipped bullets. There was also a heavy, leather bound book. Horne picked it up and leafed through it. It was handwritten and each entry was dated.

A diary? he wondered aloud.

Brower, the forensics team leader looked over his shoulder.

I’d say that’s a safe bet. Looks like it’s written in a foreign language, he said.

You know anybody who can read and translate Bulgarian? Horne asked.

Not off hand but I can ask around, Solaris said.

Do that. Have your men pack all this stuff up and bring it down to the lab. I’ll try to find out if this guy has any next of kin, Horne instructed as he left the suite.

He walked down to the parking garage, got into his car and started it up. As he drove back to the station, he shook his head.

Great. A fucking vampire hunter! What’s next? Fucking werewolves? he said.

Six p.m.

Art and his team dropped their van and gear off at the storefront and went their separate ways. They would get together the next evening to review the films and audio and decide what would go into their next TV show. That was mostly Bob and Norm’s area of expertise. The rest of the team gave them input and editing ideas, but everything had to be in chronological order and untouched. Art insisted on the truth. He didn’t want to be like the other paranormal shows.

When he got home, he spent the better part of the night catching up with Cyndi’s desires (and his). The next morning, he barely dragged himself into work. As soon as he sat down in the break area, Bob handed him the newspaper. The lead story was about the vampire hunter.

Art shook his head.

It’s starting to tie together, he said.

You mean you think this guy was really after a vampire? Bob asked.

Or something worse. Whatever he was hunting found him first, Art said. I’d really love to get in on this case.

Me, too. You think they’ll call us? Bob asked.

That’s up to the police, Art said.

Veronica sat down. Art showed her the headline. She whistled.

You think this is for real? she asked.

The victim thought it was, Art said. And you know what happened to him!

Are vampires real? she asked.

There are enough stories about them in every culture on Earth to make me think there’s some truth in them, Art said. I can say for a fact that ghosts and demons are real. Why not vampires? This is a strange and often dark world we live in, Veronica.

It’s time to clock in! she said as she jumped up.

They met again during the morning break. Art noticed that Veronica had a sort of faraway look in her eyes for a few seconds.

You seem to be miles away, he commented.

I’ve been thinking. Can I ask you a question? she asked.

Barry Manilow! Art said.

She laughed.

Thanks to Bob, that was now a standard and immediate answer to every question in the group.

How come you always sit with me? she asked.

I like you, he said.

Really? she asked.

Really. You’re fun to talk to and you’re intelligent. Those are qualities I find very attractive, he replied.

No one’s ever accused me of being intelligent before. You’re the first, she smiled. You think I’m attractive?

Yes, I do, he said.

Thanks. That’s a first from a man, too, she smiled.

How are you and Cyndi getting along? he asked.

Great. I think we’re going to be very good friends, she said.

Good, Art smiled. I knew you’d like each other. I’m glad I was able to introduce the two of you.

So am I, Veronica said. You really find me attractive?

He smiled.

That’s what I said, he replied. Hey, Bob and Norm are putting together the footage for our next two shows tonight. Would you like to come over and watch?

Sure. That would be interesting. What time? she asked.

I’m heading over right after work, he said.

I’ll follow you in my car, she said. Thanks.

Veronica returned to her cleaning route. Mabel, one of the other women who worked there, noticed that she seemed to have trouble concentrating. She walked over and asked what was wrong.

I’m not sure, Veronica replied. Something unusual just happened to me.

And what might that be? Mabel asked.

A man just told me he found me attractive, she said.

So? Mabel asked.

Well, that’s never happened to me before, Veronica said.

Mabel smiled.

Did it make you feel good? she asked.

Veronica nodded.

Do you feel attracted to him? she pressed.

Yes. I do, Veronica admitted. And that’s never happened before either.

Mabel laughed.

What’s so funny? Veronica asked.

I just have a feeling that your life is about to be turned upside-down, she said with a wink. Next thing you know, you’ll be sleeping with him.

Oh, that’ll never happen, Veronica said.

We’ll see, Mabel smiled.

That night, Veronica spent almost four hours at the office watching the team assemble the hours upon hours of raw footage and sound tracts into a one hour show. Along the way, they kept asking her what she thought about various scenes. Veronica admitted she was amazed at how much actual evidence they had amassed at the old hotel. She was especially fascinated with the figure Norm had captured on his camera.

Wow! I’ve never seen a ghost before, she said in awe.

I almost missed it. She caught me by surprise and I nearly forgot to turn the camera on. This is a one in a million shot, too, Norm said.

It’s some of the most amazing footage we ever shot, Art said. Every time I watch it, I get chills running up my back. This is what we call the ‘holy grail’ of paranormal investigations. We actually captured a full-bodied apparition on film as she was materializing.

So the hotel is haunted? Veronica asked.

Hell yeah! Bob said. "Give this a listen.

Veronica listened to the audio of Mary Ann’s encounter. When it was over she looked at her.

Wow. Did you really have sex with a ghost? she asked.

It sure felt like sex, Mary Ann replied.

How was it? Veronica asked.

Spooktacular! Mary Ann replied.

It was an out of body experience, Norm added.

A very spirited fuck, Bob said.

Can you become pregnant from such a thing? Veronica asked.

There isn’t a ghost of a chance of that, Art said. He was using dead ammunition.

They laughed.

Afterward, Art offered to buy Veronica a meal at the local diner. Since she was hungry, she walked over with him. They sat down in a booth and the waitress, a blond haired woman named Peg, walked over and handed them menus.

Whatcha havin’ tonight, Art? she asked.

I’ll have the chicken quesadilla and an iced tea, he said.

And you, hon? she asked Veronica.

I think I’ll try the double cheeseburger and a Coke, she replied.

Are ya only thinkin’ about it or is that an order? Peg smiled.

Veronica laughed.

It’s an order. And I want the works on that burger, she said.

Okay. I’ll tell the cook to toss everything that fell on the floor on top, Peg said as she walked away.

Veronica looked at Art.

I hope she didn’t mean that literally, she said.

You never know with this place, Art joked. So, did you have fun tonight?

Yes. I did. Watching you put together an entire show like that is fascinating. Norm and Bob really know their stuff, she said.

Norm trained Bob. He’s still a work in progress but he learns things quickly, Art said. I’m glad you came over.

Do you put all of your investigations on TV? she asked.

Only the ones where we actually capture evidence of a haunting. Most of the time, we can debunk a lot of the things our clients tell us about. We go out of our way to find logical explanations and causes. If we can’t, that pushes things into the realm of the paranormal. The really hard, sometimes physical stuff is what I refer to as the supernatural. Most hauntings are just residuals. That means the spirits just return at certain times and relive certain events over and over—like a loop tape. They are completely unaware of anyone’s presence and they don’t interact at all with the living. The intelligent hauntings are my favorites because those spirits interact with us, Art explained. In the case of the hotel, we had both.

What are the most dangerous? Veronica asked.

Demonic hauntings. Those are real SOBs. Nine out of ten times, the demons win the battles. They can become violent and ugly. So far, we’ve only ran into three of that type.

How’d they turn out? she asked.

We were really lucky. We managed to get the right people in to help us exorcise the demons. They were very minor demons. That made it a bit easier. We haven’t run into any major demons yet and I hope we never do, Art said.

They sat and talked for another hour. When Veronica realized that it was almost midnight, she told Art he had to leave as she had work the next morning. She went for her wallet but Art waved his hand.

I’ve already paid, he said. This one’s on me tonight.

Veronica smiled.

Thanks. This almost feels like we’ve been on a date, she said.

We have, he smiled.

If so, that’s another first for me, she said.

He escorted her to her car. She topped and smiled at him. They made eye contact as he smiled back.

I love your smile, he said. It’s a very pretty smile, too.

She became more than a little flustered by his unexpected compliment. She looked at him and sort of blushed as she tried to think of something to say.

Thanks, was all she managed.

She got in and drove away. The evening had put her head in the clouds in ways she’d never expected. In fact, it had been the best evening she’d had in a long, long time.

April 19

Eight a.m.

Horne looked over the morning reports. There were two muggings, a brawl on Main Street between a few drunks and a slew of minor infractions.

The usual stuff.

Lopez walked in and sat across from him.

I’ve been out combing the neighborhood, Joe. I haven’t found anyone who saw anything on the night of the murder. The park was deserted when he got stuck on that limb and nobody around the immediate area saw or heard a damned thing, she said.

So we have a dead end? he asked.

She nodded.

I was afraid of that, he said. Anything on a translator?

Not yet. We don’t have too many Bulgarians in the city. That’s not a language you come across every day, she said. The press is still having a field day with it, too.

Yeah. Tell me about it. You see this morning’s headline? Horne asked.

She nodded.

According to them, we have Count Dracula staking the city now, she said.

Or a reasonable facsimile, he joked. What do you think, Rolanda? You believe a vampire killed Laszlo?

I don’t know what to believe, Joe. He called himself a vampire hunter. Obviously he came here for that purpose, only it didn’t work out like he expected, Lopez said. I’ve never even heard of anyone being killed like him. We have no clues. No suspects. Nothing but a vampire hunting kit and a grotesquely killed foreigner from Bulgaria. This ain’t no ordinary murder case, Joe. It’s a freakin’ nightmare.

If we don’t turn up something soon, the commissioner’s gonna have my head in a basket, Horne said.

I doubt your head will be in that basket alone, Joe, she said.

Yeah. Misery loves company, he smiled.

Nine a.m.

When Veronica got to work that morning, two of the other women noticed she seemed to be up in the clouds. Mabel asked if anything special had happened the night before.

Well, kind of, she said after some thought.

Don’t’ keep us in suspense, girl. Tell us what happened that has you dancing in the air like this, the other woman urged.

I think I had my first real date, she said.

With a man or a woman? the first woman asked.

A man. I had my first real date with a man, she said happily. I didn’t realize it was a date until he told me. I was so surprised and so excited. I felt like a high school girl!

The women laughed.

Was it with the same fella who said you were attractive? Mabel asked.

She nodded.

My Lord! Our Veronica has a boyfriend! the second woman said.

Mabel grinned at her.

You’ll be sleeping with him next. Mark my words, child, she said.

Veronica thought about it and smiled.

That would certainly be another first, she joked.

You sound like you’re looking forward to it, Mabel said as she elbowed her.

Maybe I am—with him, Veronica smiled.

Then they all laughed.

She saw Bob later that morning and sat with him at break. He smiled.

You have fun last night? he asked.

Yes. I’m really fascinated with what you guys do. Until I saw you on TV, I never had any interest in the paranormal. Now, I’m trying to learn everything I can. You guys have been real nice to let me come to your office like that, she said.

That’s alright. We don’t mind at all. Why don’t you join the team? We can use an extra person on the bigger cases, Bob suggested.

I don’t know. It still kind of scares me. I’ll have to think about it some more, she said. Can I ask you something?

Barry Manilow! Bob shouted.

She laughed.

Do you think Art really likes me? she asked.

I’m sure he does. If he didn’t, he’d barely speak to you. Since the two of you are always sitting together at breaks and lunch, I’d say he likes you a lot, Bob replied.

I’m glad, she said. Where is Art today?

He called in. He said he had something to do at the library. I think it has to do with another case, Bob said. He likes to research things before we go to make sure everything is legitimate. He doesn’t like to waste his or our time. One time, a restaurant owner called him in to investigate some weird shit at his place. When he got there and started looking around, he found out he’d rigged it all just to get publicity. Art was pissed, too. He made sure he got the publicity, alright. He showed it on TV. He also showed the part where he chewed out the owner and made sure that viewers knew that all of the claims about the place being haunted were false.

What happened to the restaurant after that? Veronica asked.

It got several bad write-ups in the papers and closed a few months later, Bob said. Art almost celebrated when it did, too. He really hated that guy.

Well, Art did the right thing, Veronica said.

Most people said so, Bob smiled. Art takes this stuff seriously. Dead seriously.

Veronica laughed at the pun.

But yes. I’d say that Art really likes you a lot, Bob reiterated. Why? You two got something going?

No. Of course not! Veronica protested.

Uh-huh, Bob smiled.

April 25

Nine a.m.

Cyndi decided to take her camera down to the annual PrideFest in one of the larger parks. She enjoyed festivals. Art mostly steered clear of them. He wasn’t crazy about crowds anyway.

While Cyndi was busy photographing the various crazy-looking floats and costumed paraders, a middle-aged woman with brown hair struck up a conversation with her. They started talking about the floats and how weird some of the people acted and looked. After talking and laughing for a little while, the woman told her she was cute.

Are you a Lesbian? the woman asked.

No. I just like watching the parade. It’s a lot of fun, Cyndi replied as she looked her over.

That’s too bad, the woman said.

Why? Cyndi asked as they walked together.

I’d really like to get into your panties. I bet you have one of the sweetest tasting pussies around, the woman answered.

Sorry. I’m really not like that, Cyndi teased as she wondered what her cunt looked like.

Want to give it a try? the woman asked.

I don’t know— Cyndi hesitated.