Chapter 19

Harry’s day had been a full one. When he’d gotten back to the Inn, Hal was hanging around waiting for the producer from Paranormal Encounters to show up. Harry avoided him as much as possible, not wanting to give away the plans he’d made for Hal and the whole election fiasco. But just before the producer arrived, Hal cornered him. “Harry, I trust you are going to do your duty and take part in campaigning for mayor now that you’re on the ballot?”

He spun and glared at his father. “No, I’m not. I’m going to have my name removed from the ballot. I never filed it.”

Hal smiled at his son. “I hear Kevin Jones over at the clerk’s office has paperwork saying differently.”

“Well, I plan to correct that problem as soon as I’m done checking your guest into the Inn.”

“What problem? As I see it there is no problem and I’m pretty sure there’s nothing you can do about being on the ballot.”

Harry could feel a tension headache coming on. “Oh, I think there is. I wonder how legal it is for someone else to be using my name so freely. I mean, to me, it seems like maybe that’s identity theft. Maybe I should call a lawyer and find out.”

Hal laughed. “I’m pretty sure no one stole your identity.”

“Well, they stole my face for those ads and billboard, didn’t they?”

Hal’s smile got even bigger. “From what I remember, those ads say they were paid for by the candidate. So apparently, you paid for them.”

“That’s strange isn’t it. Seeing as how my bank accounts don’t show any payments to either the paper or the owner of the billboard.”

Before they could get into it anymore the front door opened and a blonde haired, blue eyed guy, with a suitcase and leather courier’s bag, walked through, looking around like he was taking in everything.

Harry smiled and moved away from his dad. “Welcome to the Gladstone Inn, how may I help you?”

The guy looked a bit confused. “Gladstone Inn? I’m supposed to be at the Phantom Horse Bed and Breakfast. Am I at the wrong place?”

Harry shook his head and looked at his dad with a frown before turning back to his guest. “I’m going to guess that you are Lucas Hart of Paranormal Encounters, and that Mayor Hal told you where you were staying?”

“That’s correct. Can you tell me where I need to go?”

Harry sighed, “You’re in the right place. Mayor Hal here has trouble remembering he isn’t in charge of the Inn. We were the Gladstone Bed and Breakfast, but as you can see we are expanding and remodeling into a full-scale Inn. Phantom Horse is the name the town is being changed to, but the Inn will remain named after our family.”

“I see, so this is where my reservation is, then?”

“Exactly. I’m Harry Gladstone owner and manager. The fellow standing over there” --Harry waved at where Hal stood-- “is my father and your host, Mayor Hal Gladstone. Let’s get you checked in before he starts planning your day.”

“Sounds good. Is there any chance there’s any breakfast left? All I’ve had is a donut and some gas station coffee.”

Hal stepped forward. “I’ll take ya over to my diner, once Harry’s shown ya your room, and get you fed while we figure out where you want to start.”

“You own a diner? I thought you were the Mayor.”

Hal smiled his politician smile. “I am, but only ‘til first of the year. I’ve decided to retire after that. But this is a small-town, Lucas my man, being mayor ain’t a full-time job.”

“I see. Then diner food sounds fine.”

Harry handed the man a registration card and pulled the key to his grandmother’s old room off the wall. “Oh, you’ll love the food at this diner, my sister is the head chef there. She’s got three degrees in culinary arts and was offered the head chef position in a five-star restaurant in New Orleans before Dad talked her into coming home.”

“Okay, seems like a waste of a talented chef.”

Hal bristled and Harry swallowed the laugh that wanted to burst forth.

Hal glared at Lucas. “She knew family was more important. Besides she gets to cook that frou-frou stuff here at the Bed and Breakfast on Sundays for a bunch of freeloaders.”

Harry didn’t say anything but was looking forward to seeing Hal get his comeuppance this afternoon. “At Mayor Hal’s request, I’ve put you in the Diane Gladstone room. It was my grandmother’s and she used to claim to talk to several of our deceased relatives there. I thought you’d rather have a room that allowed you easy in and out access, but the Mayor insisted.”

Lucas nodded. “That’s fine, it really won’t matter. I plan to talk to several eyewitnesses and see the sites of some of the supposed manifestations. If it looks like there’s enough here for a show or two we’ll be back and then you’ll want to put one of the investigation teams in that room so they can run recorders and video all the time of our stay. But we haven’t gotten that far, yet.”

Hal couldn’t keep quiet a moment longer. “You’ll find plenty of evidence, Phantom Horse is haunted. Almost everyone has a story of the Phantom and his horse.”

Lucas looked slightly shocked. “Really?” Then he looked at Harry. “Do you have a story of seeing this supposed ghost?”

Harry nodded. “I do. I was ten, me, my sister, and cousin all saw him at the same time.”

Lucas pulled a small steno pad out of his bag, opened it, and wrote down a note. “Would you mind talking to me about it later, say, one evening?”

Harry was about to answer in the positive when Hal answered for him. “Harry would be thrilled to talk with you. Just like everyone else in Gladstone. Let’s get your things in the room and head to the Diner; you can eat while I tell you about what I have already set up for you.”

Hal led the guy up the stairs to Grandma Diana’s room. Harry shook his head. Oh, this is going to be fun seeing his dad get blindsided with a guest in tow.

******

When Glenna told Ruby what was going to happen at the diner, they’d decided to go get a front row seat. She knew that Harry was planning on making an appearance shortly after Hal dug himself into a deep hole. When she and Ruby got there, she texted Harry and told him to wait ‘til she gave him a thumbs-up to come in. He agreed and then sent her, “I love you. I’m telling everyone we’re married in this interview.”

She frowned and then thought about it. “If you do, you’ll have to move home.”

“Not this week, got that Paranormal guy at the Inn.”

She bit her lip. That could give her another week to work on learning to trust him. Letting him tell everyone they were married was a good place to start. “Okay, tell them. I love you, too. I’ll try to be ready for you in a week.”

“If you aren’t, we can just do what we did Friday night. Sleep without anything more.”

Ruby looked at the frantic texting “What’s going on?”

Glenna showed her the whole thing.

“Glenna, that man loves you like no one’s business. He’s willing to sleep holding you without rocking the bed. Why are you having so much trouble with this?”

Glenna frowned. “I don’t know. I guess I just can’t wrap my head around what my heart already knows. Harry Gladstone is a great and trustworthy guy.”

“Well darlin’ you need to whip your head into submission. Besides, I saw how you were walking the first part of last week. Harry Gladstone is more than just a great and trustworthy guy, he’s a mind melting sex machine, apparently.”

Glenna blushed and almost missed it when Amy Petrowich cornered Hal. “Mayor Gladstone, Amy Petrowich Channel Five News, can we have a word with you?”

Hal stood and smiled at the dark-haired news reporter. “Of course, Amy, always glad to talk to the press.”

She nodded and moved to stand beside Hal facing the camera. The camera man nodded and counted her down “Three ... Two...” He held up one finger and then pointed at Amy.