The Hollows: A Midnight Gunn Novel

by C. L. Monaghan

  “Pass me the box?” Arthur held out his hand for it and then waved it in front of the peep hole. They heard more shuffling and a bolt slide open before the door opened just enough for a heavy-set Chinese man to poke his face out and scowl at them.

  “Who are you?” he demanded.

  “We’re patrons of the club,” Arthur replied and wiggled the box at the man whose scowl merely deepened.

  “Wait,” he said. Then slammed the door and bolted it.

  “Bloody brilliant. We’ll be here all night at this rate.”

  “Patience Arthur. The man said wait so we wait.”

  “Patience isn’t one of my virtues I’m afraid.”

  “I noticed.”

  They waited outside the door for a further ten minutes before the bolt rattled again and the door swung open to allow them entry. The doorman let them draw level with him then flung out a hand and said,“You come see Mrs. Mary now.” He shuffled off before they even had chance to reply, leaving them no choice but to follow. The doorman led them into a small room laid out like a parlour and lavishly decorated in rich scarlet fabrics and gold gilded fretwork panels. Chinese lanterns hung from the ceiling casting a dim warm glow around the room. Both Arthur and Midnight were surprised to find that Chinese Mary, the woman who reportedly ran the establishment, wasn’t Chinese at all but was in fact unequivocally English. She greeted them like any other well-bred English lady would- with a delicate smile and a gloved hand, which Midnight took and gently kissed the back of and Arthur shook reluctantly.

  “Well, gentlemen. Now the niceties are over perhaps you’d be so kind as to tell me who you are and why you have Miss Rowbotham’s members’ box?” Her tone was pleasant but Midnight detected a trace of warning in it that indicated she was not as delicate as she might appear. His quick senses recognized that they were not the only people in the room, he felt hidden eyes watching them from behind the elaborate panelling. There was no point in lying to her, she already knew they weren’t patrons. Honesty would have to get them access now.

  “So much for incognito.” Arthur said under his breath and promptly removed his oversized topper from his head with a certain degree of relief. Midnight noted that his colleague’s demeanour improved once he was back in his comfortable role as Detective Inspector. “My name is Inspector Gredge of Scotland Yard, this is…Detective Gunn. We’re here to investigate the murder of Miss Rowbotham.” If he was hoping for the bluntness of his declaration to shock their host he was mistaken. The news didn’t seem to be new to her.

  “You already knew.” Midnight stated, Mary nodded.

  “Of course I did. I know everything about my clients Detective Gunn.” The emphasis on his fake title wasn’t lost on Midnight. Mrs. Mary was quite a wily woman underneath her perfectly coiffed blonde curls and flawless make up. He made a mental note not to underestimate her.

  “Perhaps you could tell us how she ended up strangled to death in a Southwark alley then?” Arthur quipped.

  “Touché Inspector Gredge. When I said everything, I meant everything worth knowing. How the poor girl ended up dead is not my concern. Her debts have been paid and she was removed from my client list. I had already been informed her passkey,” she glanced at the wooden box in Arthur’s hand, “was in the possession of the police.” Gredge found her smug smirk disconcerting.

  “Who and how?” he demanded.

  “Now Inspector, did your mother never instruct you in the proper use of manners? Tsk tsk.” She reached for a lace fan atop an ornate ebony table and casually flipped it open, wafting it slowly. The gentle brush of air from the fan made her curls dance and sway and Midnight found himself momentarily distracted by it. He caught himself looking and quickly redirected his gaze at Arthur who was gradually losing patience with her game.

  “Madam, please. It’s been a long day and Inspector Gredge and I are merely chasing justice for poor Miss Rowbotham. This passkey is an important piece of evidence that led us to you. We’re not interested in how you run this place or what goes on here but I’m sure the Superintendent might be. So, unless you want a bunch of policemen at your door, I’d suggest you give us your full co-operation. We understand you aim to keep your client records confidential but we must know who paid her debts and how you knew we had the box.”

  “Oh you must? Well then,” she challenged.

  “I absolutely insist.” Whether it was something in his tone or the sudden shadow that passed over his face, he didn’t know but her confident defiance slipped to be replaced by unexpected wariness and willingness to comply with his demands. She shifted awkwardly in her seat looking rapidly between Gredge and himself. He heard rustling and a discreet cough from behind the fretwork panels but Mary held up her hand, halting the advance of the protector she had hidden.

  “Give me a few moments to retrieve the information gentlemen?” she waited for them to acquiesce to her request before continuing, “Perhaps the detectives might enjoy some refreshments in the members lounge while they wait? Kim, would you kindly show these gentlemen to a booth?” A large male emerged from the fretwork, dressed in black silks and tunic with a shaven head and long plaited beard, he stood level with Midnight but infinitely bigger in build. He made for quite an imposing figure. Now it was Gredge’s turn to cough.

  “I suppose I could use a drink,” he said.

  “I’ll send Kim when I have the information you require.” Mary told them as they were ushered through a door into a large elaborately decorated lounge area. Bawdy music, that which suited the music halls, danced through the air- cloudy with the acrid-smelling smoke of the opium pipes. Men and women in various attire and state of undress were littered around the main area chatting and laughing.

  “This way.” Kim grunted and pointed forwards. Midnight and Arthur made their way across the room to the far side where several private booths lay in relative darkness. Each booth was encompassed by more fretwork panelling like the ones in Mary’s parlour. Kim opened the door to the booth in the corner that faced away from the main lounge and Gredge and Gunn took a seat on a red chaise with gold braiding. Midnight took stock of the intricately embroidered tapestries that adorned the wall. All depicted scenes of a highly sexual nature; bare-breasted women with wine goblets in one hand and an opium pipe in the other. Another showed a male figure with his head buried between a woman’s legs and a third tapestry showed two naked men draped over a bed enveloped in each other’s arms.

  Kim bowed and informed them he would send a tray with refreshments. Midnight noticed Arthur’s gaze drift to the tapestries and a flush spread rapidly across his cheeks, he smiled inwardly as Arthur cleared his throat and averted his gaze to anywhere but the wall. Music and animated chatter filled the awkward silence until a scantily-clad woman appeared with two glasses and Absinthe apparatus. She expertly prepared the concoction for them, much to Arthur’s horror, before leaving with a wink and a smile in Midnight’s direction.

  “Couldn’t she have brought beer? I wouldn’t touch this stuff if you paid me.” Arthur said, pushing his glass away.

  “When in Rome!” Midnight replied and raised his glass to his friend in mock salute. “Mm, it’s a little bitter on the aftertaste but gives one quite a pleasant tingle.”

  “You can keep your tingle, I’ll stick to the amber stuff down the pub. How long are we going to have to wait here? How bloody long does it take to find a bit of information?”

  “Oh I daresay our lovely hostess already knew what we were seeking but she’s not going to give it up without a price.”

  “What do you mean?”

  Midnight tapped his glass.

  “It’s drugged.”

  “What?” Arthur shot forward in his seat and reached for the glass.

  “No no, Arthur. It’s alright, I must finish it.”

  “Why the bleeding hell must you?”

  “Because if at least one of us doesn’t, I suspect you may not make it out of here alive.” Midnight whispered in dramatic fashion and then gigg
led like a school boy, “You look like you just sucked a sour lemon, ha!”

  “What the blazers is in that drink? You’ve come over all… all funny.” Arthur was incredulous, he made another attempt to snatch away the glass.

  “Do be a good chap and let me finish it? The sooner we get this charade over with the better for you.”

  Arthur scowled and lowered his voice,

  “And why is it only me that’s not going to make it out alive then?”

  “Because Mary knows I’m not a detective, you’re the one who poses the most danger to her business and I suspect she knows more than she’s letting on about our secret debt payer. She means to get rid of us as quickly as possible, I believe her aim was to drug us and probably have Kim and Co dump our bodies in the Thames. This way, if I’m drugged and you’re not she only has one option left.”

  “Which is?”

  “To hold me captive until you drop this line of enquiry and give her time to move her business elsewhere.”

  Midnight took another big slurp of the Absinthe cocktail.

  “How can you tell all of that just from being here for twenty minutes?”

  Midnight raised a finger to his temple

  “I sense things remember? Superpowers and what not.” He slurred and his eyes rolled as he fought to stay conscious.

  “Oh shite! Midnight? Stay awake man! What should I do?” He shook his friend.

  “Play along, agree to whatever she demands. Don’t worry about me, I have this all in hand.” And then his head slumped forward and hit the table. A moment later, the booth door flung open and Gredge’s skull connected with something hard. He turned just in time to see a grinning Kim- club raised for another blow if necessary- before he too passed out cold.

  His peripheral vision took longer to return, the vignette that hampered his sight was disconcerting at first, as was the heavy fog that clouded his ability to think clearly. He had to draw in the light from the candles surrounding the bed he was laid on to speed up the healing process. Then he remembered; he was at Chinese Mary’s Rainbow Club, he’d been drugged and by now, hopefully, Arthur was long gone and would be eagerly awaiting his return- however long that may take.

  Rustling on his right side alerted him that he was not alone and the tell-tale shuffle of feet told him it was probably Kim. Careful not to appear too alert, he let out a soft groan. Kim appeared and stood bent over him, squinting. He reached out and took Midnight’s face in one meaty hand and slapped him hard with the other. Midnight groaned again and Kim muttered something in Chinese, he heard a door open and shut and then the distinct perfume of a woman wafted through the air towards him.

  “Thank you Kim, you may go.” Mary instructed. Kim began to protest but was silenced by a wave of her hand. “Leave us! He’s in no fit state to be of any threat. He’ll be like this for hours.” Kim left and Mary strolled victoriously to the door and locked it. “Well now Detective Gunn,” she said silkily, “you’ve gone and got yourself into a bit of a fix it seems. Whatever am I to do with you?” The mattress dipped as she sat down next to her captive, her hand strayed towards his neck and she ran a finger in a slashing movement across it.

  “Where…am I?” Midnight muttered sluggishly. Mary placed her hand on his cheek and stroked it soothingly

  “Shush now handsome, no need to fret. Mary will look after you. You’re going to be very…very comfortable here.” She moved her hand down towards his chest and toyed with his top shirt button. Popping it open and moving to the next one, her tongue left a wet trail on her bottom lip. She finished undoing his shirt and pushed it open to expose his torso. Midnight could sense her pulse quicken at the sight of him and still fighting for control over the drug, his body responded of its own accord. Mary noticed at once and her breath hitched. She took his reaction to mean that he welcomed her attentions and grew bolder. Rising, Mary hitched up her skirts and straddled him. Rocking her pelvis back and forth with mounting confidence she began to laugh,

  “Why Sir, you are pleased to see me.”

  “Arthur?”

  “Arthur! Ha! Surely not? I am certain Mr. Midnight that your affections for your dear detective do not run that deep?”

  “Where is he?” His voice rose a little too much, his agitation noticeable. Mary stiffened.

  “He’s gone. He’s no longer your concern. You however, seem to be a little too perky for my liking. Kim! Kim!” She scrambled off Midnight and a moment later Kim blundered through the door.

  “Yes lady?”

  “Bring him another dose. He grows restless.”

  “Yes lady.” Kim turned to leave,

  “Make it a bigger dose this time. He’s stronger than I thought.”

  As soon as the door closed she turned back to the bed where Midnight lay, struggling to get up. A second later Mary fished out a short, thick wooden club from a hidden pocket in her skirts and lashed out as hard as she could. It connected with his temple and once again he lay still.

  Feisty one aren’t you,” Mary said to a motionless Midnight, “I like my men with a little fire in their bellies.” She ran the club slowly down from the bridge of his nose to the waistband of his trousers as Midnight lay unmoving- his breathing shallow. “What am I to do with you? Your little inspector friend had to go but you…you’re just too pretty to let go just yet. Besides, a girl must have an insurance policy. I can’t have people turning up uninvited and asking questions they have no business asking.” Mary bent and kissed Midnight on the mouth. He tasted divine- bittersweet. She let her tongue travel over his bottom lip, the club dropped from her hand and landed with a dull thud on the rug. Her hands went to his hair and her fingers grabbed handfuls and tugged him closer. The taste of him did something to her, drew her in, it was intoxicating and confusing. She wanted to devour him right there, right now, the fact he was unconscious didn’t even enter her head- so addictive was his flavour. Heat flooded her veins, everything grew dim and all she could focus on was kissing him. Mary didn’t notice the shadows in the room creep ever-closer, inch by inch they swirled towards the bed. A churning maelstrom of dark fury bore down on her, ready to pounce. The moment struck when she forced her hungry tongue past her captive’s silent lips to explore his mouth further. Midnight’s eyes flew open and the shadows slammed into his body. The instinct to resist such an assault caused him to bite down on the thing that invaded his mouth. The next thing he tasted was blood. Mary reeled from him, her hands flying to her mouth, blood poured through her fingers and she stumbled to the floor in horror. Midnight sprang from the bed, his fierce stare fixed on her and spat. A pink chunk of flesh landed on the floor next to the frantic woman- it was her tongue.

  The dark power of the shadows roiled inside of him and he fought for control. He usually had time to prepare himself for the invasion but this time they’d leaped upon him without an invitation. If the truth be known, he found it a little disconcerting yet also reassuring, as he now knew his plan had worked. Only once before, in his childhood, had the shadows taken him over uninvited and it had almost killed him. He’d been unconscious then too, knocked out after a riding accident, his powers had leapt to his defence and protected him from the raging bull in the farmer’s field. Back then, the force of the shadows rage had rendered him comatose for almost a month after. He was thankful that had not been the case this time and briefly wondered why.

  His attention returned to the mewling sobbing Mary who now scurried backwards on her bottom, attempting to get away from him. Blood spurted from her mouth and covered her gown, hands chin and neck. She couldn’t scream for Kim- her tongue was gone and she spluttered and coughed on the blood that filled her mouth. She was trying to get to the bell pull by the door.

  “Oh I don’t think so madam!” Midnight shot out both his hands and channelled his power. Mary was hoisted off the floor by a spinning mass of charcoal black smoke and flung against the wall where she remained, arms outstretched like the crucifixion of Christ as her life’s blood dripped down the wall
and onto the floor. The door handle turned but Midnight was fast and focused now, the power burned inside him but he didn’t care. He fired another stream of smoke at Kim as he entered, it looped around his wrist and dragged the struggling heap-of-a-man through the doorway. Kim’s angry expression turned to one of horror when he saw the state of his mistress pinned to the wall. He tried to reach her but Midnight’s hold on him was too great.

  “You will give me the information I want now!” Midnight’s tone was fixed and unyielding and Kim’s eyes widened when a thin trail of the smoke that pinned Mary wound its way around her neck and tightened.

  “I give you nothing! You leave her or friend die!”

  “What do you mean?” Midnight faltered, a small flutter of concern in his chest.

  Kim squinted at him and said in clipped English,

  “You let her go or detective friend dies!”

  “You’re bluffing. You don’t have him.” His reply was bold but in the back of his mind he heard Mary’s earlier words- ‘he’s gone, he’s no longer your concern.’ And he knew it was no ruse. The big oaf started to laugh. He knew Midnight had no choice but to let them both go. He didn’t know that his foe barely held control over the power within and his mocking laughter had just tipped him over the edge.

  An outraged roar sprang from Midnight, a wave of dark power rode the cacophony of sound. Other screams rent the air but he was oblivious to them. Intent only on ending his adversaries. Bones snapped and bodies crumbled to the ground. Behind his enraged glare, Midnight reeled and struggled for control. It was as if he were watching through somebody else’s eyes. He was not a killer but at this moment his powers had deceived him- they were in command. His veins pulsed and his body quivered as he pushed back at the shadows; they were reluctant to give way now that they finally had free reign to do as they willed. Midnight looked at the inert bodies of Mary and Kim. They were barely breathing. If he didn’t stop his onslaught now they would die. He pushed again but his powers hardly shifted. Trying not to panic, Midnight focused his mind’s eye and tried to look past the darkness within. Then an idea came to him- the light! There were candles dotted around the room. He knew must channel the light to fight the dark. He’d never held both sides of his powers inside before, he wasn’t sure if he even could but he knew he must try or death would once again be on his hands. The image of that fateful night in his childhood haunted him; his father clutching his chest, the darkness raging uncontrollably through him and his father pleading with his dying breath ‘accept it my son, death is but a part of life, you must…accept it.’ That was one death he would never accept. His father died because of him and he’d vowed then never to let his powers overwhelm him to the point that they became more powerful than his own will. It was this notion that forced Midnight to suck in the light from the candles now. No matter how much danger he found himself in or however much people deserved to feel his wrath, he would not kill.