“But she’s gone. Poof. Like that.” Ramon stopped his trek and snapped his fingers.
“This isn’t the first time a girl has disappeared on you after sex, is it?” He picked up his pants and tugged them on.
Ramon heaved himself into the corner chair, frowning. He ran his fingers through his dark hair. He wore it longer, just past his ears, where Julian kept his neat and short. The two could be brothers; both had that Mediterranean skin tone and coloring.
“Usually I kick them out,” Ramon rambled on. “Not this one. I was hoping for another go, but I needed a minute, yeah?” Ramon waved his hand. “You get it. Anyway, I asked her to get us some water. She went into the bathroom and disappeared. I swear, Juli. She never came out. Finally I get up and knock on the door. There’s no answer and I’m thinking she’s like dead or passed out or something. Because I railed her good, you know?”
Julian sat on his bed and rubbed his eyes. “From the damn noise I had to put up with, I’m sure you were awesome, but whatever. What happened to the girl?”
“I don’t know.” Ramon shook his head in wonder. “The bathroom was empty. I figure maybe I dozed off and she snuck out, but all her clothes were still there. Shoes, panties, dress, everything.”
“How drunk was she that she left your room naked?”
“You don’t believe me? Come on, I’ll show you the dress.”
With another sigh, he followed Ramon to his room. Ramon unlocked the door and tossed it open with a flourish. They both stared from the hallway.
The room was even more spare and shabby than Julian’s. But it had also been cleaned. The bed was made, trash emptied, no sign of a woman’s clothes. Ramon’s bag had been packed and sat neatly by the door, his shirt draped over the back of a chair. His Ferragamo shoes were buffed and shined beside his bag.
Julian checked outside for the room number. Right room. Ramon had been in Julian’s room five minutes at most.
“This is the weirdest hotel I’ve ever been to,” Julian said. “What housekeeping packs your bags for you and cleans at five a.m.?”
Ramon’s eyes lit up. “A supernatural hotel, that’s what. I’m going to give them four stars on Yelp. Wait, no. Then everyone will want to come here. We’d have every ghost hunter showing up here with their EMF readers and their cameras. I want this place to myself. Let’s go down to the front desk.” He pulled the shirt off the chair.
“I’m going to get dressed before they clean my room.” Julian left him.
He didn’t hold much stock that the woman at the bar was a witch any more than the clerk was a vampire. But there was definitely something going on with the hotel. He also knew Ramon well enough to know that once he got an idea, he wouldn’t let it go.
What he’d hoped would be a simple night out in a forgotten hotel had turned into a mystery. And Ramon loved a mystery. He would stay here or keep coming back until he satisfied his curiosity. The man was an asshole, but occasionally he was a correct one.
Julian sighed, pushing his lackluster dinner aside. That night in the hotel had been the snowball start to the avalanche he faced now. Months later, he’d found Ramon and his mystery woman in the decrepit hotel. Both were dead now, and it was only a matter of time before Cesar discovered it.
Tonight he dumped the rest of his microwave meal in the trash and changed into dark jeans and a gray turtleneck. Hiring a ride share, he headed to the Hotel Fulbright.
A paper cup rolled down the sidewalk in front of the hotel. Julian picked it up gingerly and noted the police tape across the lobby doors. So far, no one had contacted him about the state ofthe hotel. A good thing, as he had enough on his plate with the Ramon problem.
Moving on down the block, he entered the crappy diner across the street. He hadn’t seen anyone, but something told him to case the joint first. Julian was seriously questioning his sanity. How did he even know if the necromancer was still there? He sipped his coffee, eyeing the pecan pie in the circular display case by the register.
As he watched, two guys walked past the hotel, sauntering too casually to be casual. They slowed enough to look through the glass before continuing down the street. Julian turned back to the diner’s interior.
“Would you like a refill, hon?” The waitress stood over him with her pot of decaf.
He slid his cup over. “What happened to the hotel across the street? Is it open for business?”
She shuddered. “I don’t know, but cops keep showing up there. Some kind of gas main broke. That’s what I heard. But really—” She leaned down, showing enough cleavage to get lost in. He refocused on her eyes. “It’s kind of a flop house, you know? Sketchy. If you’re looking to stay, there’s a nice Holiday Inn a few blocks toward Fishtown.”
“Thanks, but I was curious.”
“If you’re new in town then, I get off at ten. I could show you around.” She grinned. “I’m a bit of a night owl.”
“Not new in town. New to the area. Thought I’d check it out. I heard that the hotel is haunted.” He raised his eyebrows in an exaggerated motion, hoping for more info.
“Nope,” she said firmly. “Sketchy.” She swished away to pick up an order.
He leaned back against the cracked leather, facing the diner door. Old habits. The two guys casing the hotel entered.After a quick smile at the waitress, they navigated the narrow aisle between tables and booths.
Taller of the two, the blond was rangy, long-limbed, and good-looking. His buddy was slight but not overly so, sharp features and soft eyes, haircut in a fade with a brilliant purple streak. Julian dropped his eyes as they slid into the booth in front of him. By the way he carried himself, the blond had seen violence in his life. The other one looked like the only fight he’d ever had was onCall of Duty.
