Knight Casefiles Book 1: Revelations

Revelations [Chapter 6] - NEW

Chapter 6

“My, it’s rather…big,” Sigrun breathed as she took in the place where we were supposed to meet our benefactor.

“Heh, that’s what she said,” I said.

She raised an eyebrow in question. “Yes. Yes, I did,” she said blandly before walking to the doors of the huge mansion we had driven to.

It had taken us around six hours total traveling time to get there, including the plane ride and a drive up the mountains via a car Amelia had rented in advance.

Everywhere I looked was buried in a heavy coat of snow, like a blank canvas. In a way, it was really nice. I hadn’t seen much people going up. Only a few cars were parked in the small parking lot a little ways away from the Lodge proper, all of them obviously rented. The solitude was a stark contrast to festivities in the town, which was all the way down the mountain. It gave a sense of detachment from worldly troubles – something I really needed, if Dr. Sigrun Freud had anything to say about it.

“It’s a gag,” I tried to explain; keeping pace with her as we passed the stone signboard that read Whistler Lodge. “‘That’s what she said.’ It means – oh, nevermind.”

Whistler Lodge was really impressive. Although years spent in Chateau Pierce has pretty much desensitized me from gaping in awe at houses that cost more than some islands, I still couldn’t help but appreciate it. The main house was simplistic, the kind you’d see featured in high-end magazines, with tower-esque features that gave it a good Victorian feel. I wouldn’t be surprised if some Duchess or Countess had lived there during its time. It was painted in a fleshy tint that shone beautifully in the sunset, topped by olive green roofs peeked from under its blanket of winter wonder.

In an arc radiating from the main house were the actual lodges - rustic wooden cabins, each only large enough to house a bedroom and a bathroom, with a porch in the front. The clearing was surrounded by a thick forest of pines. Some of the guests were out on the said porches, either idly chatting or taking pictures. They broke from conversation to rubberneck when Sigrun and I passed. I recognized some of them from Amelia’s magazines but knew none of them.

“Looking for someone?” Sigrun asked idly.

I shrugged. “I guess serendipity’s too much to hope for.”

As we entered the large double doors that led to the lobby, a cold chill ran the length of my spine. I pulled my leather jacket closer and rubbed my hands for warmth. I wasn’t as used to the cold as Sigrun was and even she paused to shiver.

A playful smile formed on her lips. “This place has history.”

“What do you mean by that?” I asked, oddly troubled at her words.

She shrugged and proceeded inside. “It’s a long week. I guess we’ll see.”

“What do you mean by that?” When she didn’t reply, I decided it was just another one of her attempts to unnerve me. She always slipped tiny, seemingly insignificant notes into casual conversation during my training exercises, designed to keep me on my toes. She said that if I couldn’t keep a level head in situations that call for it, someone was bound to level it for me.

The interior of the Lodge was as impressive as its exterior. The lobby reminded me a lot of our mansion – brightly lit, paintings and other décor hanging on the walls, with those fun double platform stairs on each side of the room leading up to the next floors. There were three floors in total, all with the same high-class feel that reminded me of home. Almost too much so. Even on vacation, I couldn’t escape my family.