“Do you know the story of the house, man?” Teyler asks Callan while he is stretched out on the living room sofa watching the quirky man pack up the few belongings he’d brought with him when he’d first arrived in Falls Village to work undercover and find Amanda’s stalker. That ended well with Brian Edwards admitting to his drinking and taking sleeping pills, and his obsession over his ex-wife fueled by the toxic combination. Brian is now living in Falls Village and running Sin Village with the blessing of Amanda and her current husband, Justin. “Colleen told me the rumors.”
“Why do you think I’m being strong-armed into purchasing a fucking rundown piece of shit castle that’s too big for twenty people, let alone just Jordan and me? Oh and let’s not forget that Maxwell James has thrown in his twist of torture for me as well.”
Teyler laughs and can’t wait to hear about that twist in the saga, but he doesn’t stop Callan as he reports what he survived at the Ingram castle.
One castle in Falls Village is owned by the Ingram family, originally from a small town just north of Falls Village, but the first members of the family settled on the hill in the castle not long after the town was settled. After that, it’s remained in their ownership, being handed down to each new generation. Carson Ingram is the name listed as current owner, but no one currently living in Falls Village has ever met the man. The sales transaction happened with lawyers and relators, Carson never showing his face. As far as anyone knows, Carson Ingram has never stepped foot inside the dwelling.
This, of course, peaked Jordan’s interest.
“I bet the Ingram family suffered envy, strife, deceit, malice, and even,” Jordan lowers her voice to a whisper, “murder.”
“What?” Callan asks with his eyes sliding from the road to her then quickly returning to the snow-covered payment under the tires of his SUV while on their way to the castle to see if anyone lives there and might want to sell their home at the spur of the moment. “There is no record of a murder ever occurring at this house.”
“Courtney’s favorite movie growing up was Clue. She made me watch it with her this summer. The house reminds me of this one. Maybe they have a butler, a maid, and a cook and one of them did it,.” Jordan speculates.
“And I’m Colonial Mustard?” Callan only half-jokingly asks.
“Yes! You kind of are, aren’t you?”
“No. Not at all. If someone is home, please let me do the talking.” He yawns.
“You should be the one to have the social interaction with a stranger?”
“Yes, as sad as that is, yes. You’re not the best person for the job, even between the two of us.”
“But didn’t you pay attention when we…”
Callan sends her a smirk and cuts her off before she makes him relive the scene she created with her sisters that had forced Callan and his best friends to watch the reenactment of the elaborate fable based on the original, old as time one.
“Your girl has got some imagination in her, huh?” Teyler laughs.
Callan smiles. “You’re one to talk about sassy women, but”—he shakes his head—“what Jordan and her sisters came up with.”
“Once upon a time, in the hidden heart of Falls Village…” Courtney says.
“A handsome young billionaire with a jaded past lived in a beautiful castle,” Jordan continues.
Callan rolls his eyes at Elliot, who pats his shoulder. “I warned you about that one from the beginning.”
“He had a perfect puppy named Beast,” Jenny contributes with the barking of her dog.
“Although he had every materialistic thing his heart desired, the billionaire was lonely, selfish, and mean.”
“Sounds sexually frustrated, am I right?” Elliot asks Callan who agrees.
“Needs to get laid, for sure. Pussy would fix that right up.”
“Exactly, look how much better you are,” Elliot teases Callan.
The girls shoot the guys a glare and they heed the warning when Beast begins to growl at their feet.
“I bet he threw expensive parties for the rich and famous,” Jenny adds as she pats Beast’s head to calm him down.
“Then one night, at one of the celebrity parties,” Courtney adds. “An unexpected guest arrived at the castle looking for a place to spend the night. That was before everyone had phones and there was a bitter storm.”
“So this hot, young billionaire is eighty-nine now or…”
Callan gets an evil glare for that question.
“As a gift, she offered the billionaire a single rose.”
“He didn’t take it, did he?”
“How do boys not know this story?” Jenny scoffs. “This is why men don’t know a good thing when they have it and fuck it up every time they do.”
“Because of a fairy tale?” Callan asks and again Jordan’s face tells him to be quiet.
“No, he didn’t take it. Her appearance repulsed him and the billionaire turned her away and sent her back out in the dangerous storm.”
“So, what you’re telling us is that girls are being taught to like a dick that wouldn’t let a woman into his home for safety because why? Because he’s rich?”
“I’m sure he has a big dick, too. Don’t all the male characters in those books they read?” Callan asks.
“You’re making yourself sound like you have a small dick and are jealous. Don’t make my sisters think that,” Jordan says.
“Courtney knows…”
“Callan,” Jordan warns, and once again, Callan shuts his mouth.
“Okay, fine,” Callan relents. “Finish the story.”
“The woman warned him not to be fooled by appearances. And told him that beauty is found within, but he dismissed her again and the old woman’s outward appearance melted away to reveal a beautiful and young enchantress.”
“The prince begged for…” Courtney says.
But Elliot coughs, “Pussy” and Callan laughs.
After punching her husband in the arm, Courtney continues, “Forgiveness, which you’re going to need, Gingy. But it was too late because she had seen that…”
It was Callan’s turn to break in. “He had a small penis?”
Jenny growls. “No, that there was no love in his heart.”
“Then as punishment…don’t say it, Callan. No, she did not tie him up, spank his ass, or deny him an orgasm. She transformed him into a hideous beast.”
“Not a cute little baby like mine,” Jenny adds.
After an eye roll, Courtney finishes the story. “She placed a powerful spell on the castle and all who lived there.”
“And you want to live in a haunted house?” Callan asks.
The girls continue to complain that Elliot and Callan don’t understand anything about fairy tales and love. Elliot then throws his wife over his shoulder, slaps her ass and says, “I’ll show you exactly how well I understand.”
“So what happened when you went to the castle?” Teyler asks, then jumps up and swears at the television and the basketball game he was watching. “What the fuck kind of call was that? Jesus, these refs fucking suck worse than I thought.”