Chapter 2

Lexi had changed into a long-sleeved light brown dress. She had curled the ends of her dark hair. Lexi walked down the large staircase. She wasn’t sure if she would be the last one to arrive in the den or not. However, she had heard voices in the hallway as she got dressed in her room.

She walked through the sitting room that was to the left of the staircase. She saw a sliding door across the room and heard muffled voices. Victor had told her that the den was behind the sliding door in the receiving room.

Lexi slowly and gently slid the door open. The people in the room stopped talking and looked at her.

“Hi,” a white woman chirped. She walked over to Lexi. She wore a pink dress with a sheer pink scarf around her neck. Her brown hair was piled on top of her head. “I’m Lindsay, I’m Brock’s realtor,” she said and offered her hand to Lexi.

Lexi wanted to smack her for unloading this house of horrors on Brock.

“Yep, she’s the culprit,” a bald-headed black man said.

Everyone chuckled.

Lexi took Lindsay’s hand. “Nice to meet you. I’m Lexi.”

“Well, come on in, Lexi,” a white man said. “Name your poison.”

“Um….I’ll just have what the ladies are drinking,” Lexi said.

“White wine it is,” the man said and headed to the small bar across the room.

The wallpaper was pink and white stripe. Like the rest of the walls in the house, it was old and dated. The fire was burning in the large fireplace.

“Have a seat,” a black woman said.

Lexi smiled and sat down in one of the old style chairs. The white man who asked her what she wanted to drink approached her with a glass of white wine.

“Thank you,” Lexi said.

“You’re welcome,” he said with a grin. He picked up a glass full of brown liquid off the small table next to her. “I’m Troy, by the way. I served in the Marines with Brock. I’m a college professor, now.”

“Oh, do you like it?” Lexi asked.

“I do,” Troy said. “What do you do for a living, Lexi?”

“I’m a travel blogger and fiction writer,” she answered.

“Oh, what do you write?” the black woman asked with interest.

“Well, I’m trying my hand at romance suspense,” Lexi said shyly. “I have a manuscript written, but I haven’t found an agent yet.”

“How do you know, Brock?” another white man asked. He was standing next to the fireplace.

“We went to high school together,” Lexi replied.

“Nice,” Lindsay said and sipped her white wine.

“Well, I guess the rest of us should introduce ourselves,” the white man at the fireplace said. “I’m Connor. I’m a freelance photographer. I met Brock, Troy, and Barry when they were serving overseas. I took pictures and interviewed them in Iraq.”

“And I’m Barry,” the bald black man said. “As Connor said, I served in the Marines with Brock and Troy. I was discharged around the same time Brock was. Now, I run a dealership. Are you in the market for a car?”

Lexi laughed. “I just bought a brand new SUV several months ago.”

“Are you happy with it?” Barry asked.

“Yes, I am,” Lexi said.

“I’m Nicole,” the black woman said. “I’m an interior designer here in Dallas. I’ve worked with Brock on several projects.” Nicole was slim and she had short hair. There were auburn streaks mixed among her dark strands. She wore a dark green pants suit.

“Nice to meet you,” Lexi said, then she looked over at the white couple who sat on the sofa.

“I’m Jeffrey. I’m Brock’s stockbroker and friend. And this is my wife, Jennifer.” Jeffery had thick brown hair with gray around the temples. He wore a dark suit with a yellow tie.

“Nice to meet ya, hon,” Jennifer said with a Texan accent. She had long poufy blonde hair. She wore a short white dress that showed off a bountiful amount of cleavage. She looked to be twenty years younger than her husband.

“Good evening,” a male voice said from the doorway.

Lexi turned to see who the new arrival was. She almost dropped her wine glass when she got a look at the new arrival. He was a priest; clerical collar and all. She didn’t know Brock was Catholic.

“Blake,” Jeffrey said. “Come in. I think you know everyone here.”

The father walked into the den.

“Blake?” Lexi said. “Brock’s little brother?”

“That’s right,” Blake answered. “Although I don’t remember you.”

“Oh, no. I guess you wouldn’t. You had only seen me two or three times when Brock and I were in school. You were in middle school, I think, when we graduated. I’m Lexi.”

Blake took her hand and shook it. “Nice to meet you…again,” he said with a gorgeous smile. “And, I was going into my sophomore year when Brock graduated.”

Lexi smiled. Blake had the same wide cheek bones as his older brother. His hair was dark and thick. A woman’s fingers could get lost in that hair.

The lights flickered above.

“Looks like Brock needs to do that re-wiring sooner rather than later,” Connor said.

“Or perhaps the spirits in this house are trying to get our attention,” Nicole mumbled.

“Oh, come on,” Connor said. “I know it looks spooky, but it’s not a real haunted house.”

“Actually it is,” Lindsay said as she walked to Connor. “It was rumored that the original owner and his wife were into black magic and sorcery,” she said as she tried to portray a spooky voice.

“Please,” Connor said and sipped his drink.

“It’s true. I’ve lived in Dallas all my life and there were all kinds of stories about this house,” Nicole said.

The lights went out.

“I hope Victor isn’t cooking dinner on an electric stove,” Lexi said smartly. The place was a shithole.

The lights came back on.

Connor looked petrified.

“Geez, man,” Troy said. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

“I think this place really is haunted,” Connor breathed out.

“Why do you say that, hon?” Jennifer asked with concern.

“When the lights were off, I felt something glide pass my face,” Connor said with a petrified look.

Everyone was quiet.

Troy broke the silence. “Bull!”

Everyone laughed.

“No, seriously,” Connor said.

“You have to do better than that, Connor,” Barry said.

“I’m not kidding,” Connor stressed.

“Sure. So, how about those Cowboys?” Nicole asked.

For the exception of Connor, they chatted away for the next twenty minutes.

Victor came in. “Ladies and gentlemen, dinner is served.”