Chapter 182
Oscar’s chubby body suddenly moved with surprising agility. He led them to the surveillance room, which, shockingly, had no actual guard on duty.
“Uh, so… just a heads up. Not a lot of people come through here normally, so some of the cameras are broken… We haven’t had time to fix them.”
The moment he said that, everyone’s stomach sank. And sure enough, “not great” turned into “a complete disaster.”
More than half the cameras were out of order. Worse yet? The one covering the first–floor
elevator entrance was dead too.
They scrubbed through what little usable footage was left and finally spotted Rebecca near one of the shops, only to watch her disappear around a corner a moment later.
At least it confirmed she had been there.
“We’ll just have to go floor by floor. There are only 20. If we split up, it won’t take long,” Calvert suggested.
“No. No one goes alone.” Dominic shut that down immediately.
Vespera had learned that lesson more than once. She agreed that going in alone was too risky. If anything happened, they’d barely be able to protect themselves, let alone help
someone else.
Dominic turned to Oscar and asked for more details about the tower, promising a generous
reward if they found the person they were looking for.
FEEL
That lit a fire under Oscar instantly. He gave a full rundown–the upper floors used to be office space, and a few small companies still operated there. Some levels had been converted into rental apartments, but hardly anyone lived in them.
He even explained what each company did and described some of the current tenants. Beyond that, there wasn’t much else.
“What could Ms. Snyder be looking for in a place like this?” Yasmine whispered, puzzled.
ow either, but she did trust that Rebecca wouldn’t come here without a good
Vespera didn’t
reason.
Dominic was thinking about something else. “Why turn off her phone? That’s usually only required in extremely private venues. Could there be a place like that inside this building?”
Vespera ran a hand through her hair, clearly agitated.
Suddenly, Oscar’s eyes locked onto Vespera, lingering like he wanted to say something but couldn’t get the words out.
Calvert noticed and clapped a firm hand on his shoulder. “Spit it out. Don’t just stand there choking on your thoughts.
“Oh, right. It’s just that, after hearing what this handsome guy said and seeing the bracelet this young lady’s wearing, I just remembered… there’s a rather unique tenant upstairs.”
Bracelet? Unique tenant?
They all turned toward him in unison.
Feeling the sudden pressure, Oscar grew nervous. “Yeah, so… when he mentioned the phone thing, it reminded me. There’s this spiritual expert upstairs–Miranda Kinsman.
“She’s got this rule: before entering, you’ve gotta leave your phone, jewelry, stuff like that, outside. Once you’re in, total silence. She’s quite famous.”
Yasmine scoffed. “Famous people live in dumps now?”
The building was rundown, but hearing her say it out loud rubbed Oscar the wrong way.
“What’s wrong with a little wear and tear? She’s a geomancy expert. The energy here suits her. It’s all about harmony with her aura-‘
Vespera cut him off with a wave of her hand. “What floor is Ms. Kinsman on?”
“18th.”
They headed straight for the 18th floor.
As soon as the elevator doors opened, a flood of red light poured out, thick with a sharp, smoky scent. Then, just as the haze parted, a ghastly, snarling face appeared out of nowhere.
“Ahh!” Yasmine, standing closest, screamed and flung herself onto the nearest person’s arm in panic.
Calvert burst out laughing and pulled off the terrifying mask, waving it in front of her. “Easy, ma’am. It’s just a mask.”
“A mask, huh…” Yasmind clutched her chest, trying to catch her breath.
Then she paused, suddenly suspicious, and turned to glare at him. “Wait, ma’am? Do I look that old to you?“.
“I’m 22. How about you?”
“You’re so annoying!” Yasmine huffed, shoving him hard. She looked soft and delicate, but her push nearly sent Calvert flying into the wall.
Chapter 189
Chapter 183
