Nothing about Ron did either.
He just seemed like a tired guy who handled paperwork and logistics for a haunted attraction.
Which made me feel slightly ridiculous for even wondering if this could somehow connect back to Erin.
Ron flipped through files carefully.“You said Erin Day?”
“Yeah,” I answered.
He nodded absently while continuing to search.
Push stood close beside me, one hand brushing lightly against my lower back now and then.
Ron suddenly stopped flipping through folders.“Here we go.”He pulled out a small stack of papers and adjusted his glasses.“Erin Day,” he read.“Yep.She worked here a few weeks ago.”He looked up.“Didn’t even finish training before she quit.”
My stomach tightened instantly.“Can I see?”
Ron hesitated only briefly before glancing toward Anchor.Anchor nodded once.
Ron handed me the papers, and I looked them over carefully.Standard employment paperwork.Tax forms.Emergency contact information.Training acknowledgment sheets.
Erin’s handwriting stared back at me from the pages, and I swallowed hard.Seeing her name there made this all feel painfully real again.“She really was here,” I whispered.
Push stayed silent beside me.
Ron rubbed the back of his neck.“Honestly, I didn’t know her very well.We get seasonal workers all the time.”
“Did she say where she was going when she quit?”Push asked.
Ron shrugged casually.“Not really.I remember her saying something about Tennessee though.Said the weather there seemed nice this time of year.”
I tipped my head slightly.
Ron looked back at me.“Maybe she headed down there.”
I nodded slowly like I was considering it seriously.“Maybe.”
Push’s eyes flicked toward me briefly.He noticed not what specifically, just that something in me had shifted, but he didn’t say anything.
Good.
I kept my expression thoughtful while handing the paperwork back.“Thanks,” I said.“It’s good to at least confirm she was here.”
Ron nodded sympathetically.“She would have been a god worker had she stuck around.”
Nothing about him felt dangerous.
But that Tennessee comment sat wrong in my gut.
Anchor pushed off the chair.“Appreciate it, Ron.”
“Anytime.”
Prime clapped Ron lightly on the shoulder as we started heading for the door.“Try not to burn the island down while we’re gone,” Ron called.
We headed back down the stairs quietly.
The sounds of tourists and music hit us again the second we stepped outside.The air smelled like popcorn, lake water, and fog machine smoke.Push stayed beside me while the others spread out slightly ahead.
