The Hidden Tunnel Read online

  “My apologies, Mr. McManius and Miss…Nadia,” Ellen said. “I really didn’t mean that.”

  “Sure, you did,” Brian said with a forced smile. “But never mind. You’re here to help, and I’m grateful.”

  “Yes, we are here to help,” Sue said. “And we were only teasing. I could tell you two could take a joke, or I wouldn’t have said it.”

  “Of course, we can,” Nadia said in her smooth, young voice as she patted Brian’s knee. “It’s nice to meet you.”

  “I wanted to be here personally to greet you,” Brian said. “And it’s a long drive, so I brought a friend to keep me company.”

  Nadia smiled at him, and then, noticing her lipstick on his mouth, quickly wiped it off with her thumb.

  Ellen could see what Nadia saw in him, beyond his billions. He was an attractive man with gray eyes made even more stunning by thick, dark brows. He looked fit for his age, which was closer to her own. She blushed when he caught her checking him out.

  Ellen cleared her throat, as feelings of guilt washed over her, along with images of Paul. “Perhaps you could tell us more about your brother’s disappearance and fill us in on what’s happened since.”

  “Yes,” he said. “But first, may I offer you ladies a drink? I have a well-stocked bar, or if you’d prefer coffee or tea…”

  Sue sat up. “A margarita on the rocks sounds good to me.”

  “He said a well-stocked bar, not a bartender,” Ellen said to Sue.

  “In that case,” Sue said, “a glass of wine will do.”

  “We have a margarita mix in a bottle,” Brian said. “Just needs tequila and ice. Will that work?”

  Sue’s face lit up. “Absolutely.”

  “That sounds good to me, too,” Tanya piped up.

  “May as well make it three,” Ellen said.

  Ellen was impressed when he unfolded a table from the floorboard. The table had cupholders on each corner. Brian took three glasses from a side compartment, filled each with ice from a box beneath his seat, and then mixed the drinks. He was liberal with the tequila.

  “You may want to give them a stir with your finger,” he said, as he handed the drinks over. “I’m all out of straws.”

  Sue raised her glass and clinked it against Ellen’s before reaching over to touch her glass to Tanya’s. “I think we need one of these, ladies.”

  “One of these limos?” Tanya asked.

  “Absolutely,” Sue said. “With a built-in bar.”

  Everyone laughed. Ellen knew Sue was only joking. Although Sue enjoyed taking multiple cruises a year, that was the most extravagant any of them had ever gotten with the oil money. They’d lived their middle-class lives for too long, Ellen supposed. Being frugal had become a habit that was hard to break.

  Splurges in moderation were acceptable to Ellen, but she couldn’t stomach living in luxury every day when so many people in the world lived in poverty. She tried not to judge Brian McManius too severely, but she found herself doing it anyway as he poured Nadia and himself shots of whisky.

  “Remind me when your brother went missing?” Ellen asked, trying to bring them back to the reason they were there.

  “February sixteenth.”

  “Oh my!” Ellen said. “It’s been over a month.”

  “I told you that,” Sue said.

  “I guess I didn’t hear,” Ellen said.

  “And the police came up with nothing?” Tanya asked.

  “Believe me, ladies,” Brian said, “you wouldn’t be here if I hadn’t already tried everything.”

  Ellen’s face grew hot.

  “Well,” Sue said. “You don’t have to resort to flattery to get our cooperation.”

  Brian chuckled. “I only meant…”

  “You don’t have to explain,” Ellen said. “We get it.” Then she asked, “Where was your brother last seen?”

  “At the Ladd Carriage House,” Brian said. “It’s in the middle of downtown Portland. I’d met him there to talk about the project. It was last used for offices, and we’re planning to convert it into a restaurant and bar.”

  “Was it just the two of you there that day?” Ellen asked.

  “Our contractor, Wayne, was with us, and our architect, Lisa,” Brian said. “But they left before I did. Mike would have been the last to leave. His car never left the parking garage.”

  “And no one saw or heard from him after that?” Ellen asked.

  Brian shook his head. “Over the next couple of weeks, I kept expecting to receive a demand for ransom, but it never came.”

  Ellen noticed there was something very attractive about Brian’s mouth when he spoke.

  “Was there any sign of a struggle in his car?” Sue asked.

  “No. It appeared untouched.”

  “Do you know of anyone who might have been out to get him?” Tanya asked.

  “Everyone loves Mike,” Brian said. “He’s the charismatic one, the personality behind our success. I’m just the numbers guy. I don’t think he’s made a single enemy in the sixty-four years he’s been alive.”

  “You obviously care a great deal for him,” Sue said.

  “He’s my big brother,” Brian said before he threw the last of his drink down his throat.

  Nadia kissed his cheek.

  “We’ll find him,” Ellen said.

  Brian rubbed his forehead, as though fighting a headache. “How can you be so sure?”

  Ellen shrugged. “I just have a feeling.”

  She took another sip of her margarita, hoping she hadn’t given the guy false hopes.

  “How soon can you take us to the Ladd Carriage House?” Sue asked.

  Brian poured himself another shot of whisky. “Tomorrow morning, after breakfast.”

  “Why not tonight, after dinner?” Sue asked.

  “Aren’t you tired from your flight?” Nadia asked.

  “Yes,” Tanya answered for Sue. “The morning sounds fine to me.”

  “I guess I’m anxious to get started,” Sue said. “And, normally, traveling wears me out, but I didn’t think the flight was that tiring. Did you, Ellen?”

  “No, I’m not tired at all,” Ellen said, also eager to see the carriage house.

  Sue leaned forward in her seat and turned to Tanya. “You don’t have another spirit attached to you, do you?”

  “What?” Brian’s eyes widened.

  “Shut it, Sue,” Tanya said, annoyed.

  “It’s a long story,” Ellen explained to Brian and Nadia.

  “But it sounds like an interesting one,” Brian said.

  Unable to resist, Sue told them all about the ghost of Cornelius Nunnery and his relationship to Marie Laveau, Delphine LaLaurie, and the Devil Baby of Bourbon Street. By the time she’d finished, the limo was pulling up in front of a taupe art-deco building with a large courtyard in front. A bike rack bordered the sides of the brick pavers, where umbrella-covered picnic tables and large pots of flowers were situated.

  “Ah, here we are,” Brian said. “Your story made the time pass quickly.”

  “That wasn’t such a long drive,” Ellen thought out loud. Not fifteen minutes had passed since they’d left the airport.

  “No, not at all,” Brian said with a hint of irritation in his voice. “But Nadia and I came from my house, which is much further away.”

  “Oh, I see,” Ellen said without offering an apology. Brian McManius was getting under her skin, and she didn’t know why. He was pleasant enough. Why was she judging him so harshly?

  “I hope you ladies will enjoy your stay. Of all our projects, this is my favorite.” Brian handed them each a business card as Kirk came around to open the back doors. “I plan to stay here, too, to help in any way I can. You can reach me at this number.”

  “I thought we were going back to the mansion,” Nadia said to Brian.

  “No, Babe. We’re staying here.” Brian folded the table back down into the floorboard.

  “Seriously?” Nadia whined.

  Brian narrowed his eyes and then averted them, apparently not wanting to argue in front of his guests.

  Nadia frowned as Kirk offered her his hand.

  Once they were out of the limo, Sue turned to Ellen and whispered, “Sounds like trouble in paradise.”

  Ellen took another sip of her margarita, and then held up her glass. “Oh, what do we do with these?”

  Brian, who had already begun walking toward the courtyard, glanced back and said, “Bring them.”

  “What about our luggage?” Tanya asked as Kirk climbed back into the limo and drove away.

  “He’ll take it around to another entrance and see that it’s delivered to your rooms,” Brian said as he led them up the paved steps through the courtyard. “I normally enter from the other side, but I wanted you to see the main entrance.”

  Ellen studied the interesting architectural features before noticing the signage on the front of the building. “Kennedy Elementary School?”

  Brian laughed. “That’s right. My brother and I turned an old, abandoned elementary school into a hotel, theater, restaurant, and multi-bar establishment. We converted classrooms into guestrooms. Our slogan is, ‘Fall asleep in class.’ We even maintained the original chalk boards.”

  “Really?” Sue said. “That’s different.”

  “Sounds intriguing,” Tanya said.

  “We kept over sixty of the original windows. And we made sure that the view from every room is a good one,” Brian said as they went up five more steps to an arched portico leading to the main entrance.

  He opened the door for them. Ellen gave him a forced smile as she walked past him. But she forgot her uneasiness around Brian McManius as soon as she stepped inside.

  The ceiling in the entranceway was three-stories high, with the eve
ning light pouring in through the front doors and arched windows above them. A beautiful cylinder pendant hung overhead. Opposite the windows was a plaster relief of four scenes, like you might see in ancient Greece, illuminated by track lighting. Below the reliefs was a cased entrance to a wide hallway with a lower ceiling, and straight ahead, against the wall, stood two statues of Native Americans holding a gong between them.

  Talk about eclectic, Ellen thought admiringly.

  On either side of the entryway were arched alcoves. The one on the right housed the front office. On the left was a gift shop. Ellen wandered past them, over to the statues and gong, and looked both ways down a long, wide hallway that ran the width of the building. In both directions, the hallways were divided with a ramp on one side and steps on another, to accommodate the building’s split-level. Interesting murals, art deco mirrors and moldings, and eclectic paintings adorned the walls, where elementary students would have passed between classes. Ellen wondered if the wooden floors, wide doors, and trim were original. There were wooden benches, resembling pews, that looked as though they had always been against the walls lining the hallway. A couple was sitting on one, as if they were waiting for friends and were disappointed that Ellen wasn’t one of them.

  “Why don’t we get checked in?” Brian suggested as he approached the front desk. “And then, if you’re up for it, I’ll give you a tour.”

  Ellen returned to the front desk, where the man behind the counter handed over several key cards.

  “I think I’ll skip the tour.” Nadia took one of the keys. “I’ll meet you back in our room.” To the ladies, Nadia said, “It was nice meeting you.”

  Brian said nothing as Nadia walked away, clearly still pissed at him. Then he said, “Perhaps you ladies are tired. Should I show you to your rooms and save the tour for tomorrow?”

  “I’d love a tour now, if you’re still offering,” Ellen said, pushing past the wall she’d built up between her and the billionaire. “I’m fascinated by the art and the original details of this place.”

  “Me, too,” Tanya said.

  “I thought you were tired,” Sue accused Tanya.

  “Too tired to drive across town, but not too tired to check out this cool building.”

  “Great,” Brian said with a charming smile. Then noticing their empty glasses, he added, “You can leave those here with Nick. He’ll take care of them for you. We can get more from one of the bars.”

  Ellen, Sue, and Tanya gave Nick their empty glasses and then followed Brian past the front desk, and around the corner, where a third hallway emerged, perpendicular to the others.

  “Let’s start this way,” Brian said.

  When he offered his elbow to Ellen, she felt caught off guard but only hesitated for a moment before taking it, not wanting to offend him. The sparkle in his gray eyes beneath those thick, dark brows alarmed her. She was relieved when he offered his other arm to Sue, because it made the gesture seem less intimate—though standing this close to him was unnerving no matter how many other women he had on his arm.

  Ellen glanced behind her at Tanya, to make sure she wasn’t feeling left out. Tanya smiled back, but Ellen saw the disappointment in her eyes. She reached out and took Tanya’s arm, making them four astride the wide hall.

  “Follow the yellow brick road,” Sue sang suddenly, causing everyone to laugh, for they did resemble the tin man, scarecrow, lion, and Dorothy as they journeyed to Oz.

  And the Kennedy School was like nothing Ellen had ever seen.

  Chapter Three: Kennedy Elementary School

  “Those photographs along that wall are from the days when the building was a school,” Brian said, nodding his head to their left. “One of nearly every headmaster and principal.”

  “They don’t look very happy,” Sue said.

  “Is anyone ever happy at school?” Brian said with a laugh.

  “I loved school,” Ellen said.

  “I bet you did,” he replied.

  Ellen wasn’t sure what he meant by that, and she didn’t ask.

  Brian added, “Around here, we say not to run in the halls because you might spill your beer.”

  Sue and Tanya laughed. Ellen was still ruminating over his last comment.

  Brian led them past the gymnasium, which had been rented for the evening by a local high school for their prom, to the Boiler Room—a brick, industrial restaurant and bar filled with pipes and eclectic art work and people. Open stairs led down to a lower level, and elaborate pipework took the place of railing. It wasn’t a big room, but the height made it feel enormous, and there were so many interesting things to look at, including a bronze bust of a jester wearing a many-pointed hat. Across from it was a life-size statue of an African tribal woman.

  “This is my favorite room in the joint,” Brian said from where they peered through the doorway. “When you’re hungry for dinner, I recommend the Cajun Tots and Hammerhead Cheesesteak Sandwich.”

  Sue beamed. “Those sound delicious. I love trying new things.”

  “And check out the bends in the pipes. Some of them have faces painted on them.”

  “How different,” Tanya said.

  As they continued down the hall, past a Detention Bar and Honors Bar, Sue asked, “I guess you send the naughty customers to the Detention Bar.”

  “That would be you, Sue,” Tanya said.

  Brian chuckled. “They send themselves there. We play opera in the Honors Bar, for the more sophisticated clientele.”

  Across the hall, a sign read, “Brewery.”

  “That’s where all the magic happens,” Brian said. “When you’re ready, I’d love for you to try our sampler—my treat. All six of our hand-crafted beers on one platter.”

  “I suppose, if you’re going to twist our arms,” Sue teased.

  Brian laughed again. “You’re a funny one, aren’t you?”

  With her quick wit, Sue replied, “Unfortunately, people aren’t usually referring to my sense of humor when they say that about me.”

  That made them all laugh.

  Then Brian said, “The Cypress Room is another restaurant and bar where we play reggae music and offer an extensive list of international rum. There’s more interesting pipe structures and colorful light fixtures to look at. I wouldn’t eat dinner there because the menu is limited to things like pizza, sandwiches, and burgers—all good, but not if you’re looking for something different.”

  Tanya pointed to another rectangular signage jutting from the next doorway. “What’s the Courtyard Restaurant?”

  Through the windows, Ellen saw a beautiful courtyard with covered tables and decorative lights. “I think I would rather eat out there.”

  “It’s cold outside,” Sue said. “Remember?”

  “Those people don’t seem to mind,” Ellen said of those already sitting around tables.

  “We have space heaters and a huge fireplace to keep it nice,” Brian said. “You can also eat inside the Courtyard Restaurant, in what used to be the school cafeteria. Let me show you.”

  They followed him inside. Colorful paper lanterns and painted glass fixtures hung from the ceiling. Though it was twice the size of the Boiler Room, the single level and wooden booths made it feel more intimate, like a cozy pub. A huge wall of windows looked out onto the Courtyard, where dusk had settled, and colorful lights made it look festive.

  “If you eat here,” Brian said, “I recommend the salmon. You can’t beat it.”

  “I’m getting hungry,” Sue said.

  From the Courtyard Restaurant, Brian showed them two empty meeting rooms, with original chalkboards and windows, and a small library before taking them to the lobby of the movie theater.

  “It’s not your typical movie theater,” Brian said. “It was once the school auditorium. I’d show it to you, but there’s a film playing.”

  “Oh, we don’t want to interrupt,” Tanya said.

  “That’s not the problem,” Brian said. “People go in and out during the entire showing. You just can’t see worth beans.”

  “We can check it out in between showings,” Sue said. “But just out of curiosity, how many people can you get in there?”

  “About a hundred,” Brian said. “It’s mostly couches, so more can squeeze in, if there’s a lot of kids.”

  “Kids?” Ellen asked. “In a bar?”

  “Families come to the matinees and eat pizza while they watch.”

  “How fun,” Tanya said. “How much are the tickets?”