“I already met with one of their managers. The guy had a stick up his ass.” Logan gave a huff of exasperation. “He claimed our show would tarnish their reputation.”
“Their loss. But there’s gotta be another location that would work. Does the episode have to take place at a hotel?”
“Ideally, yes, since we’re focusing on haunted inns and hotels this season. I’m meeting with someone from the Pendray Inn, so that might do the trick, but I’d like more options.”
Knox pulled out his phone. “Let me see if there’s anywhere else. After I went on that ghost tour, the guide sent me a link to a few other haunted places in Victoria.”
Before he could search for the list, his boss, Preston, entered the Gilded Lily. As usual, he was impeccably dressed in one of his pricey Jack Victor suits. Though he wasn’t the worst boss Knox had ever dealt with, he demanded a lot from his staff. Ever since he’d taken the reins of the Duchess a year ago, he’d been on a nonstop mission to boost the struggling boutique hotel’s rankings and occupancy rate.
Preston strode up to the bar with a look of grim determination. “Knox. Did you get my note? I’d like us to go hard on the beach vibes for at least another week.”
Knox resisted the urge to roll his eyes. “Yep. Got it. Once happy hour starts, I’ll fire up the blender and switch to your playlist.”But not another minute sooner.
“Excellent. Just because Labor Day’s over doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy summer for a little while longer. After all, fall doesn’t officially start until September twenty-second.”
Did that mean another two weeks of frozen daiquiris?Hell, no.
Logan tossed back the rest of his drink and set down the glass. “I should head over to the Pendray Inn. Let me know if you think of any other haunted hotels in the area.”
“Haunted hotels?” Preston’s voice rose in excitement. “Now you’ve got my interest. I’m Preston Hargreaves, the general manager of the Duchess.”
Logan shook his hand. “Logan Cantrell. Knox and I go way back.”
Knox spoke up before his friend could reveal too much about their shared past. “We used to work together, but now he’s in town scouting locations forCanada’s Most Haunted.”
“I love that show,” Preston said. “If you’re searching for a place to film an episode, then look no further. Our hotel is second only to the Grand Duke in terms of hauntings.”
What the fuck?When Knox had gone on that ghost tour, his guide hadn’t mentioned the Duchess.
“I could totally see shooting here,” Logan said. “This place has a great old-timey vibe. But we’d need more background material. Usually, when a hotel is haunted, it’s because it played host to a tragedy, like a grisly murder or a devastating fire. What’ve you got?”
Preston’s smile faltered. “I…uh…don’t have all the details offhand, but I can round up some info. When would the filming take place?”
“In about six or seven weeks, so I’m thinking late October.”
Just like that, Preston’s smarmy grin was back. “Super. We’re planning to ‘lean into’ Halloween this year. Hosting the show would give us a huge boost.”
Logan’s phone buzzed. “Shit, I’ve gotta run.” He handed Preston a business card. “Send me all the details. The sooner, the better.” He nodded toward Knox. “We need to catch up. You free for coffee tomorrow? Or lunch?”
“Either one’s fine. I don’t start work until three.” Knox could always count on Logan for the juiciest industry gossip.
“Perfecto.” Logan shot him a pair of finger guns. “I’ll text you.”
“Sounds good.” Knox took his empty glass and wiped down the bar. He waited until his friend had left before speaking to Preston in a low voice. “The Duchess isn’t haunted.”
“It could be, right? It’s over a hundred years old.”
Not everything old is haunted, dipshit. “It’s not on the Historic Hauntings tour, and there are no records of any ghostly sightings.”
“Maybe we haven’t looked hard enough. I’ll bet we could find guests who’ve had some kind of supernatural encounter while staying here. Or we could make something up.”
Bad idea. After years of mismanagement, the Duchess was slowly rebuilding its reputation as an iconic boutique hotel. If word got out they were concocting fake ghost stories, they’d be the laughingstock of Victoria’s hospitality industry.
Preston rubbed his hands together. “This show could be just what we need to stand out during spooky season. Since you and Logan are old friends, I’d like you to be my point person for this project.”
What?This was going from bad to fucking awful. “Me? I’ve never watched a ghost-hunting show in my life.”
“Then you’ll have to get up to speed. You’d just need to handle a few things.” Preston ticked off the items on his fingers. “Ask the front office staff to comb through past reviews to see if they mention anything out of the ordinary. The spookier, the better. Do some background research into the hotel’s history. Then, if we get a green light, coordinate with Logan’s team and our facilities staff to set up everything for the filming.”
