What Hides Inside: Bay City Paranormal Investigations, Book 2

could,” David answered. “I don’t know if you noticed it on your end, Bo, but the walls and floor are covered in furrows and scratches.”
    “Yeah, we noticed that too.” Bo glanced at Andre, who was walking a few paces ahead. “I don’t have to tell you what Andre thought of that.”
    “Same as us, probably,” Sam murmured.
    “Probably.” Tugging on his braid, Bo looked over at David. “What else did you do?”
“Sam took pics, and Dean used his pedometer to measure the tunnel,” David told him.
“We can pace it off outside in the courtyard,” Sam added. “Then we can see exactly where the shaft from the pit comes out.”
“I guess it’s reasonable that the pit the monks found is still there.” Bo tapped his flashlight against his leg. “But it’s hard to believe the opening to the surface is still intact. Why didn’t it collapse over the years?”
“Well, something’s obviously covering it, or we would’ve seen daylight coming through. The monks must’ve built over it and planted grass on top or something.” Spinning around to walk backward, Dean turned a questioning look to Bo and Sam. “Can we investigate the courtyard? Figure out what’s hiding the pit?”
“Let’s hope so.” Shooting a quick glance at Sam, Bo jogged forward and touched Mr. Innes’s shoulder. “Mr. Innes, we’d like to look around the courtyard, if that’s okay.”
The older man frowned. “Why?”
“We think the place where we found that backpack is the original pit that the monks found here when they bought the property,” Bo explained. “We want to see what’s above it. I expect the police will probably do the same once they finish in the tunnel, but we’d like to take a quick look.”
“Very well.” Mr. Innes sighed and shook his head. “I may as well give up on my antiquing trip.”
Dean’s eyebrows shot up. Antiquing? he mouthed, then swung his hand back and forth in a blatantly limpwristed fashion. Sam bit the insides of his cheeks and decided they were all very lucky Dean still had his back to the principal.
“That’s such a stereotype,” Sam muttered as they followed the others down the hallway leading to the back courtyard. “All sorts of people collect antiques.” He gave Dean a playful nudge with his shoulder. “Like you have any room to talk anyhow.”
“Hey, my hobbies are all of the manly variety,” Dean declared, turning around to walk forward again.
“Uh-huh.”
“Motorcycle racing, moose hunting…”
“I’m pretty sure there are no moose in Mobile.”
Dean pursed his lips. “Okay, when I say moose hunting, what I really mean is macramé. But it’s manly macramé, dammit.”
Sam laughed. “You lie like a rug.”
Sidling closer, Dean gave Sam a purely filthy grin. “You could lay me like a rug.”
Oh hell, Sam groaned inwardly. His cock liked Dean’s suggestion far too much for comfort. He was about to politely insist that Dean not proposition him any more, when he reached the door into the courtyard and saw Bo standing just outside. The man was shooting furtive sidelong glances at Sam and Dean. His eyes blazed with jealousy, hurt and anger, but it was what lurked beneath the surface that hit Sam like a fist.
Shame, and fear. The same things that had kept Bo in the closet his whole life, and pulled Sam in there with him. Sam didn’t know if the emotions playing across Bo’s face were born of the fact that he’d broken up with Sam, or the fact that they’d been together to start with, but in the end it made no difference. The expression in Bo’s eyes felt like the final nail in the coffin.
He’ll never change. I have to move on with my life. And I know just how to do it.
Holding the door open, Sam smiled at Dean as they passed through into the winter sunshine. “What are you doing tonight?”
Dean shrugged. “Nothing much. Probably pick up some take-out, watch some TV. Why?”
“I was just wondering if…” Sam stopped and drew a deep breath. “I was wondering if you wanted to go out.”
Dean blinked at him, clearly surprised. “Really?”
“Yeah.” Trying to ignore the heat rising in his cheeks, Sam forced himself to hold Dean’s gaze. “You’re right, I need to get over…you know, him…and move on. I like you, you like me, so why not?”
Darting a quick look at the others, Dean leaned closer. “No pressure, Sam. I’m up for anything, you probably figured that out already. But we’re friends first and foremost, and it never has to be any more