Page 16 of Unalive On Air

“I’m just trying to dot all the i’s and cross all the t’s.”

“Can we please focus on the ghosts we’re sure about?” Helga marches out of the honeymoon suite. I follow her. “Everything I know—knew about Imogen, I’ve already told the police. Dave Davies. He’s a sergeant now. If you want more information about her, you should chat with him. It was a sad case, but she was an actress. It’s in their nature to be dramatic. She’d probably had enough of life in the spotlight and decided to pack it all in. As someone from the industry, it’s not inconceivable to think that she just needed a break from it all.”

It takes me a moment to realise by “someone from the industry” she’s referring to herself.

“Do you want the names of the other people who’ve died and went missing?” She’s already at the end of the corridor, running down the sweeping grand staircase.

I chase after her. “Helga. Mrs Roskelly, can I ask one more question?” I say once I reach the bottom of the steps. “It’s not about Imogen, I promise. It’s about . . . the ghosts.”

“Sure.”

On a keypad fixed to the wall, she types in a code. Two eight zero seven. She glances at me, and I look away.

“Why half a ghost? Seven and a half seems odd and highly specific.”

“Because . . .” she says, opening the door. “In two thousand and twelve, we found a . . . pair of . . . legs disembodied at the waist. Male legs.”

five

The Graveyard Shift

Eleven Hours Before I Die

Helga’s office sits just off the main entrance foyer of The Paragon. It’s a complete contrast to the mushroom factory slash public bathroom Gerald Pickett holes himself up inside. It’s light and airy with white walls, white furniture—including a white swivel chair—and a fluffy cream rug, and there’s no crap anywhere. No art on the walls, no trinkets overflowing the shelves. Only a dozen or so white-framed official‑looking certificates celebrating things like “Hotel of the Year,” and “Cornish Hospitality Prize,” and “Staycation Award” for 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, and 2016 mar the space.

There’s barely any paperwork on her desk either, only a state‑of‑the‑art, paper‑thin desktop monitor (white), a lamp (also white), and a coffee mug, which immediately draws my attention because it’s orange and red. The air smells of leather and artificial grapefruit. It makes a pleasant change from the black mould I undoubtedly breathed in at Doughlicious a few days ago.

She perches herself behind her desk and taps away at her keyboard.

“Sit,” she says, pointing to a chair beside the monitor. I do as instructed, and a moment later, a whirring sound fills the room. She reaches under the desk and passes me a piece of paper.

On it, is a list of names and dates of birth. They’re separated into two columns: CONFIRMED DEAD and MISSING PERSONS. An asterisk pulls my attention to the bottom of the page.

*from 1984 – today

“That’s taken directly from my personal files. Please don’t share the information with anyone else.” Helga watches me over steepled fingers as my eyes flick over the names. “This is simply to help you in your ghost extraction.”

CONFIRMED DEAD

1. Peter Roskelly 14/01/1954 – 28/07/1984. Cause of death: accidental stabbing

2. Pixie Maynard 01/09/1970 – 29/05/1993. Cause of death: overdose (accidental? Who knows)

3. Trystan Retallack 25/04/1972 – 02/08/1998. Cause of death: drowning

4. Stove MacLeod 12/06/1980 – 12/06/2007. Cause of death: head injury (stalactite falling)

4.5. Unidentified male guest (lower half) ??? – 06/06/2012. Cause of death: unknown

5. Josh Little 20/11/2002 – 27/06/2018. Cause of death: exploded

7. Camille Ciel 24/10/1990 – 01/07/2025. Cause of death: broken neck

MISSING PERSONS (last sighted at The Paragon)

1. Jean Johnson (a.k.a. Imogen Savona) 04/08/1960 – August 1995?

3. Saul Rainer 03/02/1966 – July 2019?