Much better.
Waiting in the wash of the moonlight, he checked his wristwatch often. At 11:50, he walked very slowly toward the back porch… his gaze fixed on its screen door.
Nothing’s gonna leap out at me, he told himself. It hasn’t done it for the past four hours and it won’t do it now. There’s probably nothing in the house to leap at me.
His back to the porch, he sat down on the second stair from the bottom.
Okay, he thought. I’m ready when you are.
As eager as Alison had seemed on the phone, he expected her to show up early.
He turned his head, scanning the grounds, looking for her. Of course, the various buildings blocked much of his view.
He wondered if Alison planned to climb the spiked fence.
What if she tries and doesn’t make it?
He could almost hear her scream as one of the spear-like tips jammed up through the crotch of her jeans.
Five, six inches of iron, right up her…
Stop it.
Anyway, she’ll probably hop over the turnstile, same as me. If she does, she’ll be coming around from the front of the house.
He looked toward the southeast corner.
Any second now.
Seconds passes, and she didn’t come walking around the corner.
Minutes passed.
12:06.
Where is she?
What if she doesn’t show up at all? Maybe she got caught. Maybe she forgot about it. Maybe she never meant to show up, and it was all just a trick.
No, no. She wouldn’t do that. She wants to come. If she doesn’t make it, it’s because something went wrong.
Says who?
Me, that’s who. This wasn’t any trick. She wouldn’t do that sort of thing.
And then she came jogging around the corner of Beast house.
Someone did. A figure in dark clothes.
What if it’s not Alison?
Has to be, he told himself.
The approaching jogger seemed to be about Alison’s size, but not much showed. A hat covered her hair and she seemed to be wearing a loose, oversized shirt or jacket that hung halfway down her thighs. Or his thighs. For all Mark could really see, the jogger might not even be a girl.
He sat motionless on the porch stair, watching, ready to stand up and bolt.
The jogger raised an arm.
He waved and stood up.
Slowing to a brisk walk, she plucked off her hat. Her hair spilled out from under it, pale in the moonlight. ‘Hiya, Mark.’
Alison’s voice.
His throat tightened. ‘Hi. You made it.
‘Oh, yeah. I wouldn’t miss this. A stride away from him, she stopped and stuffed her hat into a side pocket of her jacket. She took a few quick breaths, then shook her head. ‘But I guess I wasted my time, huh?’
‘I hope not’
‘You knew the rules, Mark.’
‘Yeah.’
Damn. I don’t know why, but I really figured you’d be able to pull it off somehow.
‘I sorta did .’
Her mouth opened slightly.
‘I’ve been inside.’
‘Really?’
‘I just… figured I’d meet you out here.’
‘Okay. Great. Let’s go in.’ She started to step around him.
He put up his hand. ‘No, wait.’
She halted and turned to him. ‘What?’
‘I’m not so sure it’s safe.’
She chuckled. ‘Of course it’s not safe. Where’d be the fun in that?’
‘No, I mean it. I really don’t think it’d be such a great idea to go in. I think somebody might be in there.’
‘What do you mean? Like a night-watchman? A guard?’
‘I mean more like somebody who shouldn’t be in there. Maybe even… you know… one of the things.’
‘A beast? How cool would that be?’
‘Real cool, except it might kill us.’
‘Then we could be exhibits.’ She sounded amused.
‘I don’t think we should go in.’
‘Oh.’
‘I really like you a lot and everything. It’d be fantastic to go in the house and explore around with you. I mean, God, I sure don’t want to disappoint you. But I don’t want to get you killed, either.’
In silence, she nodded a few times. Then she said, ‘You didn’t make it in, did you?’
‘Huh?’
‘You just figured you’d meet me out here anyway and hope for the best.’
‘No, I got in, I did. It’s open.’
‘Let’s go see.’
She turned away. Mark almost grabbed her, but stopped his hand in time.
She trotted up the porch stairs, opened the screen door and looked around at him. ‘Well, this isn’t locked.
‘I know’
She went in.
Mark hurried after her. ‘No, wait.’
She didn’t wait. She walked straight across the porch.
‘Alison. Wait up.’
She stopped and gave the kitchen door a push. It swung open. ‘Hey, she said. She sounded surprised and please.
‘I told you.’
She turned around. ‘You really did it. Good going, Mark. I had a feeling about you.’
‘Well…’
She came toward him, stopped only inches away and put her hands on his sides. She looked into his eyes for a few seconds. When she pulled him forward, his belly pack pushed at her. ‘Let’s get this out of the way,’ she said. She slid it around to his hip, then wrapped her arms around him and tilted back her head.
They kissed.
He had often imagined kissing Alison, and now it was happening for real. She seemed to be all smoothness and softness and warmth. She had a taste of peppermint and an outdoors aroma as if she’d taken on some of the scents of the night: the ocean breeze and the fog and the pine trees. She held him so snugly that he could feel each time she took a breath or let it out.
Though her breasts were muffled under layers of jackets and shirts, he could feel them.
He started to get hard.
Uh-oh.
Afraid it would push against her, he bent forward.
Alison loosened her hold on him. ‘I’m ready if you are,’ she whispered.
Chapter Sixteen
‘Huh?’ Mark asked.
‘Ready?’
Still holding each other, but loosely with their bodies barely toughing, they spoke in hushed voices.
‘Ready for what?’
‘To go in.’
‘Oh. I really don’t think we should.’
‘Sure we should. I’ve been waiting for this for years. It’s gonna be so cool. Come on.’ She lowered her arms, turned toward the kitchen door, then reached back and took hold of Mark’s right hand. ‘Come on.’ She pulled at it.
He followed her into the kitchen. And stopped. ‘Wait. I have to tell you something.
She turned toward him. ‘Okay.
‘I was down in the cellar. That’s where I hid til closing time.’
‘Really?’ She sounded interested.
‘Down in the beast hole.’
‘My God. Inside it?’
‘Yeah, there’s like a tunnel.’
‘Wow.’
‘I stayed in there all day.’
‘My God. How cool! Weren’t you scared?’
‘Sometimes.’
‘So how did you return the tape player?’
‘I didn’t. I never got one in the first place. I came over really early and jumped the turnstile and hid until they opened the house. Then I just blended into the crowd and pretended to be a tourist til I got into the cellar.’
‘Good going.’
‘I was pretty lucky. I had a couple of minutes by myself, so I crawled down the hole and stayed.’
‘So that’s how it’s done.’
‘How I did it, anyway. But the thing is, when I came out of the hole, I took a look around. You know how there’s always a
padlock on the Kutch side of the door down there?’
‘Sure.’
‘It’s gone. The padlock.’
‘Gone?’
‘Yeah. And I’m pretty sure it was there this morning. So somebody must’ve taken it off while I was down in the hole.’
‘The door isn’t locked at all?’
‘It opens. I opened it, just to see.’
‘Did you go through?’
‘The tunnel? No. I got out of the there.’
‘But if goes to the Kutch house.’
‘I know.’
‘Nobody ever gets to see the Kutch house. This is the chance of a lifetime.’
‘Yeah, a chance to die.’
‘Oh, don’t be that way. Nobody’s going to die.’
‘That’s because we’re getting out of here. Turning away, he pulled at Alison’s hand.
She jerked her hand from his grip. ‘Not me,’ she said. ‘I’m not leaving till I’ve checked the place out.’
‘The padlock’s off.’
‘Right. Meaning we can go through the tunnel.’
‘Maybe someone already came through. From the other side. Doesn’t that scare you? We oughta get out of here right now. We’re lucky we haven’t already gotten…’
‘Nobody’s stopping you.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘You can go.’
‘I can’t leave you here.’
‘Well, I’m not going.’ She sounded so calm.
‘But…’
‘Okay, so the padlock’s off. Did you get chased or anything?’
‘No.’
‘See anything? Hear anything?’
‘No.’
‘So as far as you know—except for the padlock being off—the house is as safe as ever.’
‘But the padlock…’
‘Did you actually see it today?’
‘No, but I’m pretty sure it was there.’
‘But you didn’t see it with your own eyes. So maybe it wasn’t there. When was the last time you actually saw it?’
‘I guess maybe… early July.’
‘I did the tour last month,’ she admitted. ‘I saw it then. So that’s the last time we can be sure it was on the door. A month ago. So maybe it’s been gone for weeks.’
‘I don’t think so. That door’s always locked.’
‘Okay. Maybe it is and maybe it isn’t. But even if someone took the lock of today, it doesn’t mean they’re in the house right now.’
‘I guess not,’ he admitted.
‘Come on. Let’s take a look around.’
‘I don’t think we should. Really.’
‘I do. Really.’
‘Alison…’
‘Mark. Come on. It took a lot of guts to do what you did today. You don’t want to bail out now, do you?’
‘Not really. But…’
‘Then don’t. Come on.’ She took his hand and led him through the kitchen.
‘Not the cellar,’ he whispered.
‘Of course, the cellar.’
‘Why don’t we go through the rest of the house first? Don’t you want to wander around and see all the exhibits? I thought that was supposed to be the main idea.’
‘It was. But this is our chance to see inside the Kutch house. Maybe out only chance ever.’
‘I think it’s a really bad idea.’
In an oddly chipper voice, Alison said, ‘I don’t,’ and led him into the pantry.
She suddenly stopped.
‘What?’ Mark whispered.
‘My God, it’s dark in here.’
‘Even darker in the cellar.’
‘Do you have something?’ Alison asked.
‘A couple of candles.’
‘Good. I meant to bring a flashlight. Glad you came prepared.’
‘Thanks.’ He let go of Alison’s hand, reached over to his right hip and slid open the zipper of his pack. When he tried to put his hand in, the headphones got in his way. He took them out. ‘Can you hold these?’
Alison found them in the darkness and took them.
‘Thanks.’
He put his hand into the pack.
‘Headphones?’ Alison asked.
‘To make me look like a tourist.’
‘Hmm. Smarter than the av-uh-ridge bear.’
Cellophane crinkled softly.
‘What’s that?’ she asked.
‘Wrappers. I had my lunch in here. I’ve also got an empty Pepsi can.’
His fingertips found the match book. He took it out, opened its flap and plucked out a match. He struck it across the score and tiny sparks leaped around the match head, but it didn’t catch.
He tried again.
The match flared.
‘Now we’re cookin’, Alison said.
She looked golden in the glow of the small flame. Marked smiled when he saw that she was wearing the headphones.
‘Why don’t I hold this?’ Mark suggested, ‘and you reach in and get out the candles.’
‘Sounds like a plan.’ She slipped her fingers into the opening, then smiled at him. ‘You don’t have anything nasty in here, do you?’
‘I don’t think so.’
Her hand came out holding a pink candle. ‘Here’s one,’ she said. She raised it and held it steady, its wick touching the flame of Mark’s match.
When the candle wick caught fire, Mark shook out the match. Alison gave the candle to him.
‘Thanks,’ he whispered.
‘I get the other one?’
‘Sure. We might as well use them both.’
She put her hand into the pack again. ‘What’s this?’
‘What’s what?’
She removed her hand from the pack. And showed him.
‘Somebody’s glasses. I found them down in the beast hole.’
‘Really? Can I have a look?’
‘Sure.’
The cellophane made quiet crackly sounds as she unwrapped the glasses.
She raised them into the light of Mark’s candle.
Her eyes opened very wide.
She said, ‘Oh, my God.’
Chapter Seventeen
Mark suddenly felt sick. Again. ‘What’s wrong?’ he asked.
‘They’re hers.’
‘Whose?’
‘Claudia’s.’
‘Claudia who?’
‘You know, Claudia. I don’t know her last name. That grody kid. Sorta fat and dumpy. She showed up for a while last year.’
‘Oh.’
‘Remember?’
‘Sort of He vaguely recalled a pudgy girl with hair that had always looked greasy. ‘She was only in school a couple of weeks, wasn’t she?’
‘Try three months.’
‘Really?’
‘I should know. She spent them all hanging on me.’
‘Oh. She was always, like, following you around the halls.’
‘Yeah. Like a dog. She wanted to be my friend. I hated to be mean to her, you know? She seemed nice enough. But too nice, if you know what I mean.’
‘Fawning.’
‘Yeah. That’s it, fawning. God, she was aggravating. She would never take a hint. She never knew when to quit. She would like invite herself places, stuff like that. There was one time, I told her she should try to find herself some new friends and she said, ‘You’re all the friend I could ever want.’ She was so awful.’
‘And she disappeared?’ Mark asked.
Alison stared at the glasses. Nodding, she said, ‘Yeah. I mean, it wasn’t like she disappeared. I never heard of search parties or anything. One day, she just didn’t show up for school. I figured she’d stayed home because she was upset at me. I’d really laid into her the day before. Told her I was tired of having her in my face all the time and how she was driving me nuts. I was pretty rough on her. But, jeez, what’re you gonna do? I mean, it was like having a stalker.
‘That was the day before she disappeared?’ Mark asked.
‘Yeah. And when she didn’t
show up for school, I was really glad about it at first. But after a couple of days, I started to feel guilty. I mean, I don’t want to go around hurting people…not even her. So I finally went over to where she lived, figuring maybe to apologize. I’d been to her place one before. It was a grody trailer over in the woods…know where Captain Franks old bus is?
Mark nodded.
‘Over there. So I paid a visit to her trailer and her mom said she didn’t know where Claudia was. She hadn’t seen her in three of four days. Figured she must’ve run away from home. And, “Good riddance,” she said. What she really said? I couldn’t believe my ears. ‘Good riddance to bad rubbish.” Can you imagine someone saying that about her own daughter?’
‘That’s pretty cold,’ Mark said.
‘I couldn’t believe it. Anyway, she seemed to think Claudia had run off to San Francisco ‘to live with the dykes and bums”. Those are her words, not mine. “Dykes and bums’. Jeez.’ She turned the glasses in the candlelight. Then she muttered, ‘Guess that isn’t where she went.’
‘They probably aren’t Claudia’s.’
‘Oh, they’re hers, all right. I mean, nobody wears glasses like these. Nobody except maybe a stand-up comic trying to look like a doofus. And Claudia. You’d better show me where you found them
‘Well…Okay. Want to light the other candle?’
Alison returned the glasses to Mark’s pack and took out the second candle. ‘Need anything else out of here?’
‘I don’t think so.’
She shut the zipper, then tilted her candle toward Mark and touched her wick to his. Her wick caught fire, doubling the light.
‘I’ll go first,’ Mark whispered, hurrying past her.
He didn’t want to go first, but he didn’t want Alison going first, either. Besides, he was the guy. When there might be danger, the guy is always supposed to lead the way.
He started down the cellar stairs, moving slowly. With the candle held out in front of his chest, he could see his feet and a couple of stairs below him. The bottom of the stairway and most of the cellar remained in darkness.
Alison was a single stair above him, but over to his right.
‘This doesn’t seem like such a good idea,’ Mark whispered.
‘It’s fine,’ Alison said. She put a hand on his shoulder. ‘Don’t worry.’
His legs felt weak and shaky, but he liked her hand.
We’ll be okay, he told himself. I was down here all day and nothing happened.