Oleander House: Bay City Paranormal Investigations, Book 1

eyes closed, listening to the audiotape from that morning. “David! We need you, bro.”
David opened his eyes and grinned, showing dimples. He turned off his tape and sat up straight, laying the headphones on the desk. “Whatcha got?”
Before Andre could answer, footsteps sounded in the hall. Bo came into the room, closely followed by a rather red-eyed but smiling Cecile. “Hey, guys,” Bo said. “Sorry we’ve been gone so long. We were talking. What all have you gotten done?”
“I listened to the audio from this morning.” Rising from his chair, David took Cecile’s hand. “Didn’t get anything.”
“What about the video from yesterday, in the old kitchen?” Bo asked. “Did you get to that?”
“Mm-hm.” Amy gave him a pointed stare. “There was nothing paranormal on it.”
Bo blinked and dropped his gaze, and Sam instantly knew he’d been right. Bo cleared his throat. “Okay. Well. What about audio and stills downstairs?”
“Andre and I did that,” Sam said, determined to make Bo look at him. “We got something.”
Bo’s restless eyes cut to Sam’s face. He licked his lips, sending heat shooting through Sam’s groin. “Yeah? What is it?”
“There was a temperature drop,” Andre chimed in. “Sam and I both felt something go past us, but we didn’t see anything. There was a weird sound, though. I think I got it on audio. And Sam took a bunch of pictures, we’re hoping he might’ve caught it on film.”
Bo turned to Andre. “Have you listened to the audio yet?”
“We were just about to.” Andre started rewinding, watching the counter as it ran back to the spot where they’d felt the strange presence. “Okay, here. Listen.”
Everyone huddled around Andre and the recorder. Bo ended up right next to Sam, his shoulder pressed against the back of Sam’s arm. Sam took a slow, deep breath, trying to fight off the fierce wash of need threatening to overtake him. It didn’t help. He could smell Bo’s skin, soap and cologne and the sharp musk of sexual arousal. It was all Sam could do to keep from answering Bo’s desire with his own.
Sam was grateful for the audio recorder. It gave him something to focus on other than the ache in his groin.
“What are you?” Andre’s voice asked from the tiny speaker. A short pause, broken by shuffling feet, then, “What do you want? Are you dangerous?”
Sam tensed all over again when the question came asking the thing to show a sign of its presence. He heard his own voice, then Andre’s, followed by a breathless pause. What came next drew gasps and exclamations from everyone in the room. A sound so deep it was almost beyond hearing, twisting with the suggestion of words that defied understanding. The menace in it raised goose bumps on Sam’s arms.
“What’s it saying?” Bo whispered when the sound stopped. He gestured at Andre. “Play it again.”
Sam clenched his teeth against the unpleasant vibrations the voice sent through him. He let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding when the sound ended. He glanced to his side and caught Bo’s eye. The other man’s face reflected the same mix of fear and excitement he himself felt. For a moment the previous night’s kiss was forgotten in the thrill of this find.
Bo slapped Sam’s back and grinned. “Guys, I think you really got something there. Could anybody understand what it was saying?”
Everyone shook their heads. Sam frowned. “Bo? Don’t you think it sort of sounds like what we heard on the nursery tape yesterday?”
Bo’s eyes went wide. “You’re right. Damn.”
“We never did hear that,” Amy said.
Andre was already moving before she finished speaking. He shuffled through the tapes on the table, found the one he was looking for and popped it into the TV. “Bo, ‘bout where was this?”
“Halfway, more or less.” Bo turned to Sam. “Wasn’t it?”
“Yeah.” Sam walked around to where Andre was standing. “Here, let me see.”
After a couple minutes Sam found the right spot and started the tape. The whole group crowded around to watch. When the strange sound came, there was no doubt about it. Though not exactly the same as the one on the audiotape, this was similar enough that it had to be related. Chills raced up Sam’s spine.
“What the hell is that?” Cecile said, her voice high and shaky. “Are we in danger here?”
Silence. Sam felt fingertips sliding up and down his back, and realized with a shock that it was Bo, who was standing to his left.