A Place for Civilians

"Huh?" Frieda glanced at him and scrolled up. Her lips twisted in annoyance. "Did I miss something? I don't think I… huh? Wait, what? Oh, gosh…"

Ring! The wall phone rang again, and Rhodes went to pick it up. Frieda rolled her eyes at the man's insistence on answering a non-connected phone. If he got sick of the dead air, it wouldn't be her fault.

Rhodes placed the transceiver against his ear. He waited for the breathing person to speak. However, the call only lasted for a few seconds. The person could be telling him something, but their voice couldn't reach him one bit.

A frown marred Rhodes's cool expression. This wall phone rang last night, and Giles walked home for hours. If the person called, they must have warned the residents about the problem. The phone rang again tonight. Should Rhodes investigate more? The breathing person must have found out something important enough for them to warn the residents.

"Let's try that…" Rhodes took a deep breath and held the phone in his hand tighter. He dialed the last number to call that particular phone. His eyes closed, and his thoughts recalled how a dream space felt. If he could find the dream space created by this entity, he could talk to it.

The call picked up. A hitch came to Rhodes's breathing, but he didn't allow the feeling to slip.

["Don't attract their attention."] A female child's voice came from the other line. ["She's near, and she's coming for you. If she finds you, she'll hunt you down. That's what they do."]

Knock! Knock! Rhodes was pulled away from the trance. The call also sounded dropped at this point. He placed the phone back and opened the door without saying anything. However, the maid had already assumed her servile stance. She slightly bowed as if greeting a master. 

"Dr Huxley, a guest has arrived. She wants to speak with you, doctor. Would you like to meet her in the main lobby?" The maid straightened her back and gestured deeper into the hallway. "Would you like to meet her in a waiting room instead?"

"I'll meet her in the waiting room. Please get us something to drink and eat while discussing." Rhodes needed to isolate the sudden guest from everyone else. If the voice from the phone warned him, he might as well be cautious.

He didn't know where this trust was coming from. However, it was as if he would rather believe mysterious entities than human strangers.

Rhodes closed the door after the maid assented with a bow. He walked to his spot at the computer nook and turned off his laptop. He told his seatmate, "I'm meeting a guest. I'll check your work later when I'm done. I emailed you a few links. Get them done before sleeping tonight."

Frieda protested, "But I've been testing since we got home!"

"It's all for your exam." Rhodes patted her head and left the library. He didn't even look back when Frieda started to bargain.

…

The waiting room's door closed behind Rhodes. He stared at the woman's head and shoulders that the couch couldn't conceal. The guest's hair was worn in a sock bun, making her look formal and elegant. Her formal clothes also denoted her business… well, if Rhodes was the manager. He remembered this lady wearing the same thing when she came that morning.

That's right. His guest was no one else but Griselda van Iveren.

Rhodes walked to the seat opposite hers. He offered a small smile as a greeting. "Madam Iveren, I didn't realize you'd be interested in meeting me tonight."

"My daughter received news about your acquisition of Faded Rose." Griselda smiled back, but her gaze and words were a little cold to the ears. "I'm not here to contest your right, but you might want to know more about that hotel. It's not a building that you want to exist. If you want to run a hotel, demolish the one you have right now."

"Why? Are you asking me to modernize my building?" Rhodes hummed and picked up a cup of coffee. The sweet aroma compelled him to sip on it.

Griselda pulled on the corners of her lips. She picked up a cookie from the plate. "Dr Huxley, you're buying a tainted building. I know you must have heard about the ghost stories of Faded Rose by now. Calling that building haunted is downplaying its real threat."

Rhodes lifted his brows. He brought the cup down, feigning his complete ignorance. "Oh? I didn't think someone would pay attention to all those stories. Ghosts aren't real. Why should I demolish my building because of hearsay?"

"Because the spiritual realm exists in the same space as the physical." Griselda chuckled and took out a card from her clutch bag. She placed it on the center table between them. "I don't want to steal the building from you, Dr Huxley. I merely want to tell you more about what you're doing. Faded Rose is not a place for civilians."

"Did you give this talk to anyone who dared to buy it?" Rhodes picked up the card. It didn't resemble the one he received from the receptionist earlier.

The black calling card had a logo resembling the twin masks of comedy and tragedy. However, the comedic face had painted eyes and a big smile. Rhodes frowned at the human-looking icon. The tragic face looked faded and blue-skinned, though. Its eyes were white, and its silent wail made Rhodes's skin crawl. The more he looked at it, the less he wanted to continue.

He was about to flip it over when he noticed a third mask. The third mask hid behind the human-looking comedic face, appearing like an apparition. It was so vague that Rhodes couldn't pinpoint a remarkable feature. All he knew was that it looked straight into his soul.

Rhodes flipped the card over, nonetheless. Details were written on it, telling Rhodes things he figured out from looking at the front face. This calling card bore the business name of 'the Gentle Club'. Its business address would lead someone to a theatre in the new district.

"Am I supposed to know this place?" Rhodes put the card back on the table. "Look. I don't care about your ghost stories. If you're hoping to be a partner or perform a show, state it properly."

"Are you sure you don't recognize that card, Rhodes?" Griselda shifted her tone. Her head tilted slightly to the side as if she thought wrongly. "Is it possible that…?"

Rhodes glanced at the black calling card before gazing at the lady. "I don't. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to plan for my hotel's revival. Do you need a maid to show you out? Also, don't show your face to me again if you insist on this matter. I won't let you demolish my hotel."