Free Black Raven Inn: A Paranormal Mystery (Taryn's Camera Book 6) by Rebecca Patrick-Howard Page A

apart at the sight of abused animals.
    Black Raven Inn bothered her in a different way. Here, she saw what could have been but never was. The potential of the place was reflected in the kind of crowd that had gathered there–desperate and, in many cases, hopeless.
    “What brought you here, Parker? What were you doing here?” At the sound of her voice, a nearby Styrofoam cup was lifted gently in the air and floated past her face on a breeze. She watched it drift across the courtyard where it was deposited against a window. It landed with a soft sound.
    Parker had family money, even without the band’s success. He could have done better. What had brought him to the Black Raven Inn? What had kept bringing him back?
    Taryn left the courtyard with a great weight resting on her shoulders. Such a place didn’t deserve someone like Ruby Jane. There was too much sadness there, too much heaviness. Nobody needed that.
    Taryn was usually against the destruction of history but in this case she thought tearing the motel down would be in everyone’s best interest.
    Feeling unsettled and a little dejected, she let herself back into Room #5 and locked the courtyard door behind her. As she crossed the room to leave, however, a cold dagger stabbed her through the chest, leaving her winded and shocked.
    “Oof!” she gasped, grasping at her chest and shaking her head from the blast of pain.
    Doubled over from the throbbing, Taryn paused and attempted to collect herself while the waves of bitter air gathered around her, chilling her to the bone. This was different from the coldness that she’d felt earlier. This time it was wet and probing, trying to penetrate her clothing and skin and sink inside of her. The acrid smell of filth increased and churned around her, making her gag and cough until acid rose in her throat and nose.
    Taryn looked up, trying to find a reason for what was happening. Her eyes landed on Parker’s picture on the nightstand. It was turned back around, facing the bed again.
    The cold slowly began lifting from her, the pain easing up as the room returned back to normal. When the feeling subsided and she could move again Taryn sprinted for the exit, fumbling for the key.
    The heavy hand that gripped her shoulder from behind as she flung open the door was pure ice.
    “Hello,” it rasped in a voice neither male nor female.
    The breath that rained down on her neck reeked of the grave.

Seven

    T aryn was busy uploading her photos to be edited when the ringing of her phone startled her. The only person who ever called her was Matt, she conducted business through email, but it wasn’t his ring tone.
    “If you’re wanting money from me you’re going to have to wait in line,” she called as she stalked across the floor to where the phone was charging in the wall.
    When she saw the caller ID, however, her face lit up.
    “David!” Her voice was filled with genuine warmth as she answered.
    “There’s my favorite ghost chaser,” came the smooth, deep reply.
    Taryn had met David earlier that year while working at an upscale resort on Jekyll Island off the coast of Georgia. He’d been working there as an anthropologist and they’d bonded over ghosts, alligators, and other assorted adventures.
    He’d also saved her life, but not before Matt had been certain he had designs on her and Taryn was almost equally certain he was trying to kill her. One of them had been wrong.
    “I thought you’d forgotten about me,” she chided him as she settled onto the floor, her phone still plugged into the outlet.
    “Never,” he laughed. “I’ve just been up to my nose in work. I do have some news, though.”
    “What’s up?”
    “I’m going to be in your neck of the woods in two weeks. I’m doing a lecture at Belmont Mansion, part of the university’s convocation series, and will be talking about our finds on the island. I was hoping we might be able to get together and have dinner while I’m in town,” he said.
    Taryn