The Beast House

  Tyler, in the backseat, kept her eyes down as Jack swung the car onto Beach Lane. She didn’t want to see the road she’d driven yesterday, but her mind dwelled on it: the windowless brick house across the field to the left, the woods to the right, the row of mailboxes, Dan’s mailbox. She saw herself and Nora walking Seaside’s shadowy ruts, the strange man staring out at them through the screen. She remembered the desolate, abandoned look of Dan’s cabin with its empty porch, and how she’d felt anxious to get away from it. Without knowing, she’d somehow known her search for Dan would end badly. Dead more than a year. God, it was hard to believe. He lives in Beast House? I wouldn’t say that, not exactly. That crazy old man, Captain Frank, had known all along. He’d toyed with her. Even last night, he’d kept it to himself. Maybe he just didn’t have the guts to come out with it. Maybe he’d wanted to, but couldn’t force himself to be the bearer of such news. Probably holds himself responsible, figures it was his father’s Bobo that did it.

  She wished he had told her. Nothing could’ve dragged her into that awful place, if she’d known. Dan’s body—no, not his body, just a wax dummy…

  And she’d fainted. God, she’d fainted! Right in front of everyone. The memory made her skin go hot with embarrassment, just as it had every time she’d thought of it, even in the shop while trying to pick out a swimsuit.

  Fainted. Barfed.

  It would’ve been awful enough without all that, and she felt ashamed for letting the humiliation of it stand in the way of the grief she should feel over Dan’s death. She should be mourning him, not blushing over the spectacle she’d made of herself.

  But deep inside, where there should have been anguish, was only a hollow feeling that seemed distant from sorrow.

  The car stopped.

  “All out that’s getting out,” Nora announced.

  “You go on without me,” Abe said. “I’ll change in here.”

  Tyler followed Nora out the driver’s door.

  “Too bad,” Nora said. “I guess we won’t have the beach to ourselves.”

  Two other cars and a van were parked nearby, but Tyler saw no people about. They were probably already down at the ocean. “I’ll wait for Abe,” she said.

  “No hurry,” Nora told her. “We can all…”

  Jack swatted her rump. “Let’s go,” he said.

  The two of them started down a path along the low hillside, holding hands, Nora nodding as he spoke to her.

  Tyler stepped to the front of the Mustang. She leaned against its hood, staring at the brown weeds and dusty path, very aware of Abe just behind her, probably watching her through the windshield as he changed into his trunks. She wondered why he hadn’t put them on at the motel, as Jack must’ve done. She heard the quiet clink of his belt buckle. The car moved slightly against her rump, probably in response to Abe rising and settling in the seat as he took down his pants. Thinking about that, she felt a quick stir of excitement that made her guilt worse.

  I’m not betraying Dan, she told herself. It was decided before I knew. I can’t help how I feel. I can’t. I’m sorry.

  Her hands went quickly down the front of her blouse, flicking open its buttons. She slipped the sleeves down her arms, and draped the blouse across the hood. The sun’s heat and the caressing breeze felt wonderful on her skin, and she could almost feel Abe gazing at her. She wondered if his trunks were on yet. Did the sight of her back, bare except for two thin cords, arouse him? She and Nora, after paying for their bikinis, had used the changing rooms to put them on. She almost wished, now, that she had left hers in its bag. She could’ve stripped naked here in the sunshine and the ocean breeze, with Abe watching in astonishment from the car. It seemed outlandish, but at the moment she felt capable of such actions. Giddy, maybe a little desperate. She could reach back, right now, and pluck the cords and let the top fall away and turn to face him.

  He would think she’d gone mad.

  Maybe I have gone mad.

  Troubled by the urge to remove her top, she went ahead and opened her corduroys. She slid them down her legs, stepped out of them, placed them neatly on the hood without turning far enough to see Abe through the windshield. Then she leaned back again.

  Abe was taking a very long time.

  Maybe enjoying the show.

  I ought to give him a real show.

  My God, what’s the matter with me?

  Staring down at herself, she even wondered what had possessed her in the store. At home, she had a similar string bikini. She never wore it in public, only in the privacy of her enclosed sundeck. So why had she bought one just like it this morning? And why, even though it covered so little, did she have such a strong desire to pull it off and stand naked in front of Abe and…?

  I must be crazy, she thought.

  And it must have something to do with finding Dan that way. Something to do with fear and loneliness. Maybe more to do with the feel of the sun and the sea air and the slick fabric on her nipples and the taut press of it on her groin and knowing she was so very much alive like an insult to death.

  The sound of the door opening interrupted her thoughts. She turned around and watched Abe step out of the car. He looked sleek and tanned. His boxer trunks were pale blue. He had a bundle of towels clamped under one arm. “That’s quite an outfit,” he said.

  “Thanks. I like yours, too.”

  He laughed. “Want to leave your clothes here?” He held out a hand. She gave him the blouse and pants. He put them in the car and locked up. He approached without looking at her. A troubled frown had replaced his smile.

  “What is it?” Tyler asked.

  He shifted the bundle to his right arm, took hold of her hand, and led her toward the path. “I didn’t go back to the motel,” he said. “I stopped in at the police department.”

  “The police?”

  “I wanted to get the story on Dan. I thought there were…things we should know.”

  The tight sick feeling seemed to swell inside Tyler. “And?” she murmured.

  “I didn’t find out much. He was murdered there in the house. They don’t know who did it. A sister from Sacramento claimed his body.”

  “Roberta. She’s an accountant. She had dinner with us once at Ben Jonson’s. A very nice person.”

  Abe let go of her hand. He put an arm around her and eased her close to his side. “I’m awfully sorry about all this.”

  “At least…his parents aren’t alive. It would’ve been terrible for them. He wasn’t married?”

  “I didn’t ask. I assume he wasn’t, since his sister…”

  “Probably not. God, it’s funny. Yesterday, my biggest worry was that he might be married. Then, today, I was so worried that he wouldn’t be. And all the time, he was dead in that house for everyone to gawk at.”

  “It’s not him, Tyler.”

  “Yeah, I know. I keep telling myself. God, you wouldn’t think they’d be allowed to put someone on display like that.”

  “Madame Tussaud’s been doing it for two hundred years.”

  “Doesn’t make it right.”

  “No,” Abe said, “it doesn’t.”

  “It’d probably take a court order to get it out of there.”

  The path curved around the slope, and Tyler saw Nora and Jack down at the water’s edge. Combers were rolling in. Off to the side, a woman stood in the surf holding the hand of a toddler. A man was jogging along the shoreline, a black retriever prancing ahead of him. Stretched out on a blanket near the foot of the slope was a young couple embracing. Tyler felt Abe’s hand caressing her side. She took a deep breath of the fresh, tangy air.

  “When are you leaving?” she asked.

  “There’s no rush.”

  “Today? Are you leaving today?”

  “That depends.”

  “On what?”

  “On you.”

  She stopped walking. Turning to her, Abe let the towels fall. He looked into her eyes as his hands slid up her arms, cupped her shoulders. “I’ll st
ay another night,” she said, “if you will.”

  He smiled slightly. “Do you think Nora would object?”

  “Surely you jest?”

  He eased Tyler against him. Gently. One hand stroking her hair, the other light on her back. She hugged him tightly. He was warm and smooth and solid, and she remembered embracing him that morning and the way his hands had felt on her breasts. It seemed like a very long time ago. Dan had been there in the room with them like a chaperon. If I’m going to lose you to this guy, Abe had said, I’d rather not get in any deeper. I want you too much already. The memory of his words made Tyler’s heart pound fast. Guilt swept through her, and she hugged Abe more tightly to ward it off. Though he stroked her hair and back gently, as if intent only upon consoling her, Tyler felt his rising hardness.

  Abe stepped back. His smile trembled. “I guess I can stay one more night.”

  Tyler nodded. She was a little breathless. “I would like that,” she said.

  He looked toward the water, and Tyler’s eyes strayed down to his trunks. The bulge slanted upward, forcing the elastic band slightly away from his waist. “There might be a problem,” he said, and crouched to pick up the towels.

  “A problem?”

  They walked down the path.

  “The owners of the motel seem to be missing. Their car was found abandoned this morning. Nobody seems to know what happened to them.”

  “Do you think the motel might close?”

  “Maybe there’s someone to keep it running, I don’t know.”

  “Oh, great. It’s the only place in town, isn’t it?”

  “Far as I know. Brian Blake also appears to be among the missing.”

  “What the hell’s going on?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “Oh, man. This town. I knew when we got here it was a creepy place. I wanted to get out of here last night. And I might’ve, too, except for you.”

  “Except for me?”

  “It’s all your fault,” Tyler said, and squeezed his hand.

  “I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t be. Besides, I don’t think I could’ve pried Nora away.”

  In the sand at the bottom of the hill, Tyler kicked off her sandals. She picked them up and hooked her arm through Abe’s. The sand felt hot, almost burning. Nora and Jack were a distance up the beach, wading through the wash, but they’d left their clothes behind in a heap. Tyler dropped her sandals next to the pile. Abe put down the towels.

  “Shall we go in?” Tyler asked.

  “We both need to cool off.”

  With a laugh, she dashed across the sand. Abe ran along easily beside her. Cold water splashed up her legs. She kicked through a knee-high wave, charged into one that chilled her to the hips, then dived. She went rigid with the cold blast, but moments later it no longer felt so bad. She swam out, the swells lifting her, easing her down. When something seized her foot, she thought shark! And then she thought, Abe.

  She tugged free, came up for air, and whirled around. A moment later, Abe’s head popped to the surface, hair matted down, face shiny and dripping. She swatted water at him. He ducked under the surface. She watched him glide forward, saw his arms reach out, felt his hands on her hips. He pulled her down. His body slid against her as if it were oiled. He nuzzled the side of her neck, kissed her mouth. They rolled under the water, embracing. One of his thighs pressed between her spread legs and she quivered and scissored her legs shut, trapping it there. She shoved a hand down the back of his trunks, fingered the crease of his rump, clenched a firm buttock and writhed against him. But her lungs started to hurt. She pushed herself away from Abe, clawed to the surface, and gasped for air. Abe came up in front of her. Treading water, they panted for a while.

  “Trying to drown me?” Tyler finally asked.

  “You trying to drown me?”

  “What a way to go,” she said. The words reminded her of Dan on the corridor floor, his throat torn out.

  “What?” Abe asked.

  “Nothing.”

  “Nothing?”

  “I keep…forgetting about Dan. Then I keep remembering.”

  “Yeah.”

  “Would you mind if we get out now?”

  “Not if that’s what you want.”

  “We’d better.” She forced a smile. “Before we lose our suits.”

  “As good a reason as any.”

  Side by side, they swam closer to shore. Then they waded out, the waves nudging their backs as if to hurry them along. “Let’s just walk,” Tyler said.

  “Towel?”

  “The sun will dry us.” She took Abe’s hand, and they walked on the hard-packed sand, the wash of the ocean sometimes swirling over their feet. The sun felt hot and good. Gulls wheeled overhead, squealing. Jack and Nora, a distance up the beach, were strolling slowly toward them.

  “There’s something I want you to know,” Tyler said.

  “Uh-oh.”

  “Not really. It’s just that…I don’t want you to think…God, how can I say this? I felt the way I do about you before all this about Dan happened. You remember this morning in my room?”

  “How could I forget?”

  “That was before…the tour. I’d already made up my mind not to…get involved with him.”

  Abe nodded as if he’d known that.

  “I just don’t want you to think the way I…I mean, I’m not on some kind of bizarre rebound. It has nothing to do with him. Hell, I wanted you last night. But he was in the way, even though…oh, God, doesn’t that sound wonderful? He was in the way and now he’s not.”

  “I think I understand, Tyler.”

  “You guys went in!” Nora said as she and Jack came near. “Didn’t you freeze your buns?”

  “It wasn’t too bad,” Tyler said. “Give it a try.”

  “No way. I’m gonna spread out one of those towels and catch some rays. We’re gonna stay awhile, aren’t we?”

  “Sure,” Abe said. “One thing, though. Is anyone opposed to staying over again tonight?”

  “All right!” Nora wiggled her eyebrows at Jack. “How about you, Tiger? Think you’re up to it?”

  “There might be a problem with the Inn,” he said to Abe.

  “Weird, huh?” Nora asked. “What do you suppose happened to those people?”

  “I promised the cop I’d check about that,” Abe said. “None of you noticed anything strange last night, did you?”

  Nora said, “Not a thing.” Jack shook his head.

  “If the motel’s going to close up,” Tyler said, “we’d better find out.” Her heart started racing. “Why don’t Abe and I go on ahead and check it out? We can register, if everything’s okay, and meet you back here.”

  “Terrif.”

  “That okay with you, Abe?” Tyler asked.

  “Let’s go.”

  They left Nora and Jack spreading towels on the sand, and trudged up the slope. Tyler was eager and nervous. The parking area seemed very far away, as if the path had stretched itself simply to frustrate her. At last, they reached the car. Abe opened the passenger door. He rolled down its window, and tossed the towels into the backseat.

  “Whoa,” Tyler said. “I’d better put something on.”

  “You look fine,” he said.

  With a shrug, she climbed in. She jumped at the burning touch of the seat cover, then settled down and watched Abe wince as he sat behind the wheel. “Hurt?” she asked.

  “I can take it.”

  “We should’ve put clothes on.”

  “I like you this way.” Reaching over, he slid a hand up her leg. He patted her thigh, met her eyes for a moment, then started the car.

  Tyler slumped down in her seat as they passed through the middle of town. Abe kept glancing at her, looking a bit amused. He drove in silence.

  Nervous? she wondered.

  “We’ll check the office later,” he said finally.

  Except for Gorman Hardy’s Mercedes, the courtyard of the Welcome Inn was deserted.

/>   “My room’ll be fine,” Tyler whispered.

  He parked in front of it. Tyler stepped out into the shade. A mild breeze chilled the sweat on her skin. Leaning over the backseat, she gathered her handbag and all her clothes.

  Her hands were trembling. She dropped the room key on the stoop. Abe picked it up and unlocked the door.

  The room was dusky, the curtains drifting out from the open windows. The bed Tyler had slept in last night was still unmade. She stepped over to the dressing table, and emptied her arms.

  In the mirror, she saw Abe come up behind her. Parting her hair, he kissed the nape of her neck. He caressed her sides, her belly. She watched his hands glide upward, and moaned as they cupped her breasts through the filmy bikini.

  “Tyler,” he whispered.

  “Huh?”

  “It’s a nice name.”

  “It’s a weird name.”

  “I like it. I like everything about you.”

  “Flatterer.”

  “Yeah.”

  “Do you like my sweat?”

  “I like how it makes you slippery,” he said, sliding his hands down her belly.

  “Soap will do that, too.”

  “Mmm.”

  “Let’s take a shower.”

  He fingered the ties at her hip. She lifted his hand away. “Patience. We’ve got to rinse the salt water off our suits.”

  He laughed softly and followed her into the bathroom. Leaning over the tub, Tyler turned on the hot water faucet. She kept a hand under the spout. The water, cold at first, slowly became warm. She flinched with surprise when Abe touched her rump. His hand was big and warm. It moved slowly lower. She gasped and felt her legs go weak when it stole between them. She gripped the edge of the tub to hold herself steady. Steam rose from the splashing water, hot against her face. She looked around. Abe gave her an innocent smile, and his hand went away.

  Tyler turned on the cold water. She adjusted the faucet and touched the water. Still too hot. She reached again to the faucet, and felt Abe’s fingers on her hip. Looking back, she saw him pluck open the knotted cords. He let the ends fall. The white triangle at her groin swung away like a hinged flap. She twisted the faucet. Abe untied the other side. She turned the faucet slightly more and felt a tingling brush of fabric as Abe drew the garment away. He tossed it over her head. It dropped into the tub.