Convocation, page 12
“What was that smoke from?”
“I think it was the demon. That man I think was trying to conjure it there.”
“But the demon was out here, I thought?”
“It was, but it was in the room with us when the smoke started . . .” Jarek paused, realizing that it didn’t make any sense to conjure a demon that was already there.
“Those symbols, the ones painted in blood. Do you think you were right and that they were for the demons here?”
“One was for the demon I just dealt with in Minnesota, so the second symbol must be this demon.”
“But what about the third one?”
Jarek stopped immediately. “What do you mean third one?”
“There was another symbol by me that was filled in too.”
Son of a bitch. How did I miss that? “Do you think you would be able to recognize it again if you looked in the book?”
“Possibly. I could probably do that. This is all very new to me, Jarek.”
“I know, Marcus, I’m sorry. There must be a second demon with a foot in our world already. We’ll figure this out,” Jarek said. Then he dropped to the ground in pain. His leg had given out on him again.
Marcus stopped and helped him stand. “What’s wrong?”
“It’s nothing. Just an old war injury that is acting up for some reason.” Jarek drew a deep breath. “Come on, we need to go find the authorities.” As soon as he said it, he saw the stairs come into view not far ahead. The men reached the wooden steps and began to ascend quickly while looking at their feet so they wouldn’t trip on the old boards. At the top of the stairs, Jarek tried to open the door to the left going back to the hotel. It was jammed. It wouldn’t budge.
“Here,” Marcus said as he pushed into the door off to the right instead. It opened into a vacant space, with another stairwell leading down to the back door. “No wonder that staircase was hidden so well. It must be side by side with this one. From outside you’d never notice.”
The men ran down the stairs, Marcus opening the door to the back alleyway as they rushed out, both gasping for air from running.
“What on earth, my boys?” came an old, tired voice.
“Are you okay?” came another stressed voice.
Jarek saw Agatha and Ulrika sitting on the step of the hotel’s back door. “What are you two doing here?” he asked.
“Agatha called my home to check in on me, and one thing led to another about the missing women and me telling you both where to go. So I gathered up the energy once my mother and father left for their friend’s house.”
“She only got here a bit ago,” Agatha said. “But we decided to talk here so we wouldn’t disturb Mr. Clark. Did you two find anything that could be of some help?”
“We did. I will tell you all about it, but first, it’s essential we notify the authorities,” Jarek said.
Ж
Hours passed as Jarek and the two women stood in the passageway between the buildings. The authorities arrived quickly from Deadwood and Lead. Over a dozen men were seen going down to the tunnel. They all had lanterns and flashlights to help illuminate the dark shaft. Marcus, being the authority from Washington, decided to assist them as well. Jarek shared with the ladies the general story of what had happened down there. He left out the gory details, of course, but he knew they were able to decipher the amount of horror underground.
After a while, Marcus came walking up the stairs with another man. Ulrika informed Jarek that the man was the local sheriff. “It isn’t good down there,” Marcus said as he got closer to them. “There isn’t any sign of the man we saw. He must have snuck away after we left.” Jarek noticed Marcus left out the part about the demon. Probably for the best.
“Are you sure there wasn’t another exit? That doesn’t make any sense,” Jarek said.
“So far nothing, mister,” the sheriff said. “We are going to keep looking, though. I think we will be down there for quite some time.” Everyone stood in silence. “I say, this is a terrible thing. What a way to bring in the new year, eh?”
Jarek pulled out his pocket watch and saw it was in fact after midnight. “Hopefully you will find some clues as to who is responsible.”
“If there is anything you need, please just let me know,” Ulrika said.
“Thank you, Ms. Johnston,” the sheriff said. “As we dig more into this, I am sure we will need to talk to you and Mr. Clark for some possible leads on people you’ve seen in the area. This . . . this is truly tragic. Some very twisted people in the world.”
“That there are,” Marcus agreed. “We should get back to it down there, Sheriff,” he said, nodding down the stairs as the noise of people talking echoed up from below.
“Yes, I thank you all. I mean that,” the sheriff said. “I don’t say it often, but I sincerely thank you for helping to bring us some closure in these parts.” He stretched out his hand toward Jarek.
“It was our pleasure, sir,” Jarek said as he returned the handshake and looked once more around the dark, sad stairwell. He saw a long, thin strand of hair hanging from the ceiling. He let go of the sheriff’s hand and took a deep breath. “I think it’s time for the three of us to leave,” he said as he gestured his head toward the stairwell going down to the alleyway. “These men will be down there for quite some time, and we will just be in their way.”
“I will talk to you tomorrow, Jarek,” Marcus said. He leaned in for a tight handshake, then brought his head near Jarek’s ear. “Don’t say anything to these men about the demons. We will talk later.” Marcus turned and moved quickly down the stairs, catching up to the sheriff.
Jarek and the women walked down the stairs without saying a single word. He let Agatha lean on his arm a bit as they descended. The three of them walked out the back door of the vacant building and directly to the back entrance of the Terry Hotel.
“I don’t want you all to think less of me,” Agatha said as Jarek held the door open for the women as they entered the back hallway. “But I have a bottle of brandy in my cleaning cart. I think we all could use a sipper.”
“That sounds like an excellent idea!” Jarek said with a smile as Ulrika nodded in agreement.
“Oh good!” Agatha said. “I will go and get it and meet you both in the lobby.” She gave them a big smile as she headed toward the back closet. “Mr. Clark is likely in bed already.”
Jarek and Ulrika both chuckled slightly at Agatha’s excitement. “She is such an amazing person with a heart of gold,” Ulrika said. “Come on, let’s go get some glasses ready,” she said as she pushed Jarek ahead of her while still letting out some laughter, clearly feeling a little better.
Jarek shook his head as he moved quickly through the kitchen and restaurant, still processing everything that had happened. He knew he was getting closer to the answer to what was actually going on, but he was afraid of what it all meant. Something truly sinister was at play.
Jarek froze as he turned the corner into the hotel lobby. Ulrika came up behind him and placed a hand on his still ash- and dirt-covered shoulder. He attempted to swallow the lump in his throat that grew as the set of dark eyes stared deep into his. The figure stood still and didn’t utter a word, but the aged dark hair pulled into a tight bun and the long black dress were unmistakable. Ulrika gave his shoulder a squeeze, and he finally was able to speak.
“Rose.”
Chapter 12
Ms. Smith
January 1, 1925, 1:35 a.m.
Near silence continued to resonate throughout the lobby of the hotel. The faint sounds of people from out on the street could be heard. An automobile drove past the front of the hotel, but the noise was muffled by the heavy snow beginning to fall from the windy night sky.
All three people stood completely still for a few more moments. Ulrika gripped harder on Jarek’s shoulder, causing him to shake his head and clear it from the startlement of seeing Rose. Agatha walked up behind Jarek and Ulrika with the bottle of liquor in her hand. She didn’t say a single word either. The tension in the room was as thick as butter.
“Good evening, Mr. Videni,” Rose finally uttered. She had a smile on her face, but her energy was pure darkness to Jarek.
“Good . . . good evening, Ms. Smith,” Jarek replied. Everyone else stayed silent. The unease was so heavy, Jarek wasn’t even sure if anyone heard him acknowledge her.
Rose took a step closer toward Jarek. The hem of her dress was still covered in snow from outside. His instant response was to put one hand out indicating for her to stop. “What’s the matter, Jarek?” she asked.
“I have too many questions for you, Rose—” Rose raised her eyebrow—“or should I say, I have too many doubts about you right now.”
“Whatever do you mean?” Rose said with smooth sarcasm in her tone.
“You know exactly what I am alluding to. What happened to Martin? And . . . and how d-d-did . . .” Jarek stopped as he started to stutter from frustration. His face grew warm from anger. He began to breathe heavy as tears filled his eyes. “How could you? I know it was your hand that did it.”
The room sat mute. Ulrika and Agatha had no idea what was even happening before their eyes. Rose’s infuriating dark grin never shifting was making Jarek’s blood boil.
“How could you kill Martin?” Jarek finally said out loud, shaking from anger.
Ulrika let go of Jarek’s shoulder as she covered her mouth in a slight gasp.
“My goodness,” Agatha said softly.
Rose let out a crude, deep cackle, exposing her white teeth as she tilted her head back a bit. “Oh, my boy. So many people are just pawns on this planet. Expendable pawns to make everything better in the end.”
“I have a very different outlook on life, Ms. Smith. Clearly you fooled me once, but I’ll be damned if you fool me again like some palooka.”
“Oh, Jarek, you have no idea the powers you are dealing with. I know you think you are smarter than all of us and that you have the upper hand. But it is your arrogance that might very well be your downfall. You have been so blind to even realize the extent of the forces I am working with.”
“I think I have an idea, Ms. Smith. You forget—I stopped one demon already, and I set free the spirit of Samuel,” Jarek said with a cocky smirk spread across his face, an attempt to portray confidence.
“You think that’s all you want, boy. But trust me, you have yet to see anything close to real power yet. You could learn so much more. Turn your small parlor-trick-level abilities into something truly great. The powers awaiting are unlimited.”
Jarek cocked his head a bit. Rose’s smile increased, showing more of her teeth.
“I’m curious, Jarek. Have you had a chance to go back and look in that journal you scribble in? That one you keep in your satchel there,” she said as she nodded at the bag slung over his shoulder.
“What . . . what do you mean?” Jarek asked reluctantly.
Rose picked up a swan figurine made of glass off the side table she stood next to. She moved it around in her hands for a bit, not responding. After a moment she set it down again, making a clink as it was placed on the polished wood table. “I just think you still lack skills yet. I think it would be clearer if you happen to just look back to . . . oh, I don’t know . . . maybe around the twenty-second or twenty-third of December,” she said as she gave another malicious, crooked smile. “You will see how much behind you are and the extent of the forces we are working with.” She shrugged her shoulders, “Like I said, you think you are one step ahead of us, Jarek. But I assure you, we are so much further along.” Rose sat in the high-back chair near her, crossing her legs, striking a dominant pose. “Go ahead, take a look. I have the time.”
Jarek looked back at Ulrika and Agatha. They both had expressions of complete befuddlement on their faces, but they said nothing. Jarek flipped open the top of his satchel and dug inside until he felt his leatherbound journal. As he flipped through the pages covered in his own writing, he glanced up and made eye contact with Rose, whose dark eyes never moved from him, nor did she blink. Her smile grew again, making Jarek’s stomach twist. He got nearly toward the end of his journal and saw the dates: November 16 . . . a few more pages, December 12 . . . then his hand stopped turning pages on December 22.
He scanned his notes about his time at the Oakland Cemetery, the day he discovered Rose had sent him the messages that brought him to the O’Connell mansion in the first place. He turned the page and read about the dinner he had with the O’Connell family . . . but on December 23. He paused, reread the few pages.
Rose let out a low, quiet laugh that implied she knew Jarek was figuring out the discrepancy. His brain began to swirl. How did I not realize I missed almost an entire day. I am such a fool. The thought of him not noticing that much of a time gap, and even Martin not noticing either, made Jarek shake harder with more anger and confusion.
“You see, boy, the powers that I am dealing with are far beyond yours. The supernatural can manipulate our realization of time.” Rose paused for a moment, simply staring into Jarek’s eyes. “I know you have experienced it before, Jarek. I know that when you tried to contact Sarah, it was really the demon you communicated with.” She paused again, as if trying to gauge his reaction to her. He remained stone-faced. “But do not worry. Lucky for you, we can help you learn so much more. You can learn to use power beyond just your natural-born gifts.”
“I don’t think I want anything you have to offer me,” Jarek replied with an intensity in his eyes that anyone had yet to see. “I just saw what type of people you are down in that chamber. I know you are somehow connected to that hell on earth. Besides, I wouldn’t take anything from a woman who was willing to sacrifice her own son’s soul, nor a woman who killed a man that she helped raise.” His crystal-blue eyes were now so strong they appeared as if they could kill someone with just the stare alone.
Rose stood with a flash of anger on her own face. “Don’t speak of things you know nothing of! Sometimes sacrifices are a necessary part of life.”
“No, you don’t speak of things you know nothing of!” Jarek exclaimed as the glass swan Rose had set down earlier exploded in one quick burst. The shattering glass caused both Ulrika and Rose to jump, as Agatha let out a gasp. “Besides, you . . . you are the one that is mistaken, Ms. Smith. I did talk to Sarah in that house that night. Right after I talked to the demon you conjured that was pretending to be her.” He paused as his eyes narrowed in on Rose even more. “And guess what? Sarah was able to bend time too.” Jarek gave her a wink. “So no, Ms. Smith, there is absolutely nothing you have to offer me that I want. I prefer to surround myself with those that will help me grow my gifts without spilling another person’s blood.”
Rose, clearly trying to compose herself, stood from the chair and turned to leave the room. But right before she opened the door to the street, she looked back at the three of them. As the door opened, wind howled outside, making huge snowflakes fly into the hotel lobby and whirl around her, adding to the chill of her stare. Her malicious grin came back as she winked right before stepping out over the threshold. The door slammed behind Rose as she disappeared down the walkway, past the windows. The room became calm for a few moments while the last few snowflakes drifted to the scarlet carpet.
“Mister, how . . . how did you do that?” Agatha said from behind him and Ulrika.
Jarek turned around to see Ulrika’s face still in shock and Agatha staring at him with a concerned look. “It wasn’t me, Agatha. I had a little help,” he responded as he looked back toward the side table and gave Mary Frank a smile before she vanished.
“I . . . I don’t understand,” Agatha said.
“He can talk to the dead,” Ulrika blurted out.
“Well, there’s more to it than that, but yes, Agatha, I do have certain gifts. One of the gifts is that sometimes I get a little help from those that have moved on from the world of the living.”
“That is tremendous. A truly tremendous responsibility, though,” Agatha said. She took a few breaths as she gazed around the room for a moment. “But also, a wonderful gift at times, I am sure.”
“That it is, Agatha. That it is,” Jarek replied with a tight smile directed toward both women. “Now, I think we should have those drinks,” he said as he motioned toward the restaurant.
“I think that is an excellent idea,” Ulrika said while nodding. “After I clean up this glass quick.”
Ж
The three of them sat quietly, sipping the last few drops of brandy from their glasses. They were at the four-person table in the middle of the restaurant. Jarek had just finished sharing most of his life story. He revealed how his father had abandoned him, his mother’s passing, and about his grandmother Leona. The women sat, enthralled in the details he shared of his upbringing and the development of his gifts as a child. But what fascinated the women the most was when Jarek shared some of his experiences from over the years. He told them about his use of Tarot, the times he’d communicated with those beyond the veil, malicious hauntings, and when he’d suspected a man was possessed before he ended up taking his own life.
Agatha stared at Jarek, clearly enjoying learning so much about him. She didn’t ask many questions as he went on. However, Ulrika leaned in on the table, barely blinking as she stared at Jarek like a child being read a bedtime story. She asked him numerous questions throughout the conversation . . . which, apparent to Jarek, was annoying Agatha a bit, as she let out a small huff when she stood up to retrieve the brandy bottle off the other table. Jarek’s storytelling took a pause while Agatha poured two fingers more of brandy into each of the three glasses.
“How do you know the woman from earlier? That Ms. Smith,” Ulrika asked while she repositioned herself in the chair.
“I only met her about ten days ago, to be frank.”
“It seemed as though you had known her a lifetime,” Agatha said in a skeptical tone.
“No, honestly. I received a request to help solve a murder case, over in Saint Paul,” Jarek said before taking a large sip of brandy to coat his throat and keep his nerves calm. “Sarah O’Connell was her name. The woman of the house, she had been killed back in August. The local authorities were at a loss. They had no idea who the killer could be. It was all incredibly sad when I arrived.”
