“No, he was serious. He meant the Vampire. That’s what he told me.”
“Elliott lives in a fantasy world,” Kyle said, not unkindly. “He likes to make things up. He still swears a UFO hit his bike and caused his wreck.”
Kyle looked so solemn saying it that Darcy stared at him, her eyes narrowed.
“You’re joking.”
“He’s not.” Brandon shook his head, smiling sadly. “I swear he’s not. Poor Elliott.” He looked at Kyle, then at Darcy, and without warning the three of them erupted into laughter.
“You guys, that’s not funny!” Darcy protested, wiping her eyes on her sleeve.
“I know it’s not.” Kyle sank back in his chair, holding his stomach. “But, God, I mean …” His voice trailed off as he glanced at his watch, then bolted upright. “Man, I’ve got to run! I didn’t know it was so late!”
Brandon checked his own watch and got up. “Me, too. It’s not smart to be late for rehearsals. What are your plans, Darcy?”
“My laundry,” Darcy remembered. “I just hope no one’s stolen it by now.”
“Wow.” Kyle whistled. “You mean Jake’s got you doing his dirty work already?”
“Not exactly.” Darcy made a face as they headed out onto the street. “His cat left a present for me in my bed last night. A dead rat.” She saw their disgusted faces, then added, “Without its head.”
Brandon gave an exaggerated shudder and looked over at Kyle. “But I thought Jake didn’t have his cat anymore.”
“He doesn’t,” Kyle answered. “It died last spring sometime.”
Darcy slowed down, frowning. “But that can’t be. He said his cat did it. He called it by name … Lester, I think.”
“Yeah, that’s right, Lester.” Brandon nodded, shoving his hands in his pockets. “He was always carrying in dead stuff, I remember that. But Lester died.”
“Wait a minute,” Darcy insisted. “Then if Lester’s dead—”
“Relax.” Brandon patted her shoulder. “Jake’s always taking in strays, and he probably started calling one of them Lester.”
“That sounds like Jake.” Kyle grinned. “Rather than go to all the trouble of thinking up a brand-new name. Well, here’s where I leave you. See you guys later.”
“Right.” Brandon gave a wave, then steered Darcy over to the opposite corner. “Think you can find your way back?”
Darcy shrugged noncommittally, her mind still on Jake’s cat. “Thanks for dinner—and good luck with rehearsals.”
“Yeah, I’ll need it.” He bared his teeth and then chuckled. “So what do you think? Can you see me with fangs?”
“A definite improvement,” Darcy said, and he seemed to find it uproariously funny.
Hurrying back toward the laundry, Darcy’s thoughts went in circles—Jake’s cat … Elliott and his wild imagination … Elliott’s prediction … Elliott’s face. She could still see that face, even now, those scary dark glasses watching her from that alleyway.
Darcy stopped in midstride and glanced nervously behind her. Come on, Darcy, why would Elliott be watching you? He hardly even knows you, and besides that, he’s working at some gas station clear across town. She was glad to see other people in the laundry. She waited restlessly for her clothes to dry, then hurried to get home.
She wasn’t sure when she first suspected someone following her. And it was strange, she thought later, that even through all the noise on the streets, she could almost hear a certain pair of footsteps behind her, mocking her progress, step by step.
She didn’t really know why she started running or why she was so frightened, knocking people out of her way as she searched frantically for a place to hide. Nothing looked familiar anymore.… She couldn’t find the Dungeon—couldn’t find Jake’s club—and it was so dark now, on some strange street, and Where did the people go, they were here just a second ago, I’m all alone—
She saw an alley between two condemned buildings, and it looked so dangerous, so scary, but not nearly as scary as whatever was behind her, stalking her, knowing that she was too terrified now to turn around and look at it—
She flung herself into the narrow space, flattened herself into the shadows, heart screaming, exploding in her chest.
The night was full of footsteps that never came.
As minutes passed Darcy’s head began to clear. She fought off a wave of dizziness and realized she’d been holding her breath. Around her, shadows began to take shape and form—a brick wall … trash bags … a pile of old clothes …
She bent her head down to keep from fainting and saw a pale sliver of light angling in from some distant street lamp … slicing across the pile of old clothes.…
Only Darcy could see now that the clothes weren’t old …
She could see that someone was still wearing them.
Someone … in a blood-soaked blouse … with blood-stained hair …
A girl … with a gaping slash across her throat.
8
Here,” Jake said. “Drink this.”
Through blurry eyes Darcy saw a cup of coffee being shoved at her, but when she tried to take it, it spilled onto the table.
“She’s still shaking.” Jake’s hand came into view, but another hand gently pried the cup from her fingers.
“That’s okay, Darcy,” Kyle said. “I’ve got it.”
Around her the noises of the Club seemed strangely dreamlike. “I told them everything I know,” Darcy mumbled. “Everything I saw.”
“The cops are gone now.” Jake leaned forward, peering anxiously into her face. “You might as well go home.”
“Can’t I stay here with you?” Her voice rose.
“Well, sure.” Jake nodded. “Whatever you want.”
“I could take her home,” Kyle suggested.
“You get onstage,” Jake said. “You’re already late starting. And you guys quit arguing up there—it looks bad.”
“Darcy”—Kyle patted her arm—“are you going to be okay?”
“Of course she is.” Jake nudged him. “Go on, now.”
Darcy reached for her coffee and tried another sip.
“So,” Jake said, “someone was following you.”
“No … I mean—I don’t know. I guess not.”
Jake threw up his hands. “So which is it?”
“I thought someone was. But they weren’t. Or maybe they went away.”
“But you didn’t see anyone, right? No one you recognized?” He leaned forward, his voice urgent.
“No.”
“What were you doing way over on that block anyway? It’s not even near the apartment—”
“I got lost, okay?” Darcy’s voice trembled, threatening to break. “I didn’t know where I was! Everything looks different at night! I’ve only been here one day!”
“Yeah, you’re right,” Jake said matter-of-factly. “So don’t cry.”
Darcy turned away from him, her heart sinking as she saw Liz making her way over to their table.
“I heard what happened,” Liz announced, and Darcy had the instant impression of being blamed for the whole horrible incident. “What’d she look like?”
“Dead,” Darcy retorted before she could help herself, and shuddered at the memory.
“That was really stupid of you to be out wandering around alone,” Liz said, sitting down in Kyle’s vacated chair.
“I was getting my laundry.” Darcy tried to compose herself. “Before that I wasn’t alone. I was with Brandon and Kyle.”
“Really.” Liz’s tone went icy, and Darcy stood up, looking appealingly at Jake.
“Could we please go home now?”
“I’m surprised you even remembered where I was,” Jake said, “considering the state you were in.”
“I didn’t. I told the policeman I was your niece, and he knew where to find you.”
“My cousin Tony.” Liz nodded. “He said you were really freaking out.”
Darcy turned away and felt Jake’s hand on her e
lbow.
“I can’t get away right now, Darcy. I’ve got someone waiting in my office, but I’ll be done in about an hour.”
“I’ll go home with her,” Liz said.
“I can wait,” Darcy said firmly. “I’ll just sit here till Jake’s through.”
“Brandon’s picking me up here,” Liz said, and Darcy could hear the smugness in her voice.
“Go on with Liz,” Jake said. “No sense waiting around this place—”
“We can dump her on our way”—Liz raised an eyebrow—“unless, of course, she needs a babysitter at the apartment.”
“That won’t be necessary.” Darcy’s smile was stiff, and she followed Liz out onto the street. Brandon pulled up almost immediately, and Liz jumped in beside him while Darcy collapsed in the backseat. As Liz filled Brandon in on the latest murder, Darcy could see his worried glances in the rearview mirror.
“God, Darcy, are you all right?” He sounded shaken, but Liz brushed him off.
“She’s fine. We’re dropping her off, and then we’re going to that movie you’ve been promising to take me to all week. And I can stay out late, remember? Since I don’t have a job to go to anymore.”
Brandon ignored her remark, his eyes darting between the mirror and the road. “Well, is Jake home? I mean, we can’t just leave Darcy there by herself.”
“She’s a big girl,” Liz retorted. “She’s used to taking care of herself, aren’t you, Darcy?”
Darcy was too drained to answer. To her surprise, it was Brandon who accepted Liz’s challenge.
“Lay off, Liz. Can’t you see she’s upset?”
“Upset?” The sound in Liz’s throat wasn’t pleasant. “I don’t know why she’s so upset—walking around alone after dark, she was just asking for trouble. She’s just lucky she didn’t end up in some alley like that other girl.”
“God, Liz.” There was no mistaking the disgust in Brandon’s tone. As the car pulled to the curb, Darcy got out at once, managing a feeble smile in Brandon’s direction.
“Thanks. I really appreciate it.”
His eyes looked anxious and sad. “Hey … no problem.”
“Let’s go!” Liz gave him a push. “I hate missing the start of a movie!”
“Maybe we should go in with her,” Brandon stalled. “Just check out the place—”
“You don’t want to be late.” Darcy stepped back quickly, finding the idea of a dark apartment more appealing at the moment than this argument brewing in front of her. “Have fun, okay?”
Brandon’s expression didn’t look hopeful as they drove away. Darcy let herself into the brightly lit lobby, then leaned back against the door with a groan. She could still see that heap of rumpled clothing in the alleyway … that one hand clawing out in a last reach of panic. Her mind blanked out, and she tried to focus on the room around her … counter … souvenirs … posters … beaded curtain …
Her eyes glided past it, but a soft tinkling sound brought them back again. She stared at the long red ropes of glass and saw them shimmer.…
Those beads are moving.
Catching her breath, Darcy molded her spine to the door, pressed her palms flat against the wood. She saw the lobby as if she were watching from somewhere else—a casual observer from some other, safer dimension. She saw the bloodred beads stirring so softly that it might have been only a whisper that moved them … only a breath.
The air-conditioning, Darcy thought, and it was such a silly, unexpected thought that she felt her lips move in a wry smile. Of course, that’s it … the air-conditioning just kicked on … or it’s just some draft in this old building.… Yet she felt her feet moving forward … saw the strands of glass part with a cautious touch of her hand … heard herself call out, “Elliott, is that you?”
The tunnel beyond was all darkness.
Frozen there in the doorway, Darcy’s mind catapulted between options—call the police … run upstairs and lock myself in … get to the Club as fast as I can.… “Elliott?” she called again. “Are you in there?”
Her voice floated down the labyrinth of hallways, fading into the unknown. Overhead the ceiling lights cast only a feeble glow. She took several steps and searched for a lightswitch. Damp walls slid beneath her fingertips. She paused as yet another tunnel curved before her and felt her heart slide slowly into her throat.
From somewhere down the darkness came a faint illumination, as if one of the exhibit spotlights had been left on.
“Elliott?” Darcy said hoarsely, but Elliott’s not here, he’s working across town, and he’s gone off and forgotten to turn off one of the lights.…
She squinted, trying hard to pierce the gloom along the passage, but the faint glow drew her on in a mixture of curiosity and fear. If you were home and lights were on, what would you do?
I’d get ahold of myself and go turn them off.
Annoyed now at her own cowardice, Darcy continued on, trying not to think about the ghoulish faces that watched her from the dark. As she stepped out into another chamber, she saw that one of the exhibits had indeed been left illuminated.
Count Dracula.
It was his eyes, she decided then, his eyes, so black, so commanding, so horribly lifelike in their pitiless seduction. Like the doomed woman in his arms, Darcy felt powerless to look away, mesmerized not only by his cruel intensity, but also by her own knowledge of vampire myths and legends. With an effort she finally pulled her eyes from his pale face, thinking how realistic it looked in the camouflage of light and shadow. Her gaze moved over the coffin—a real coffin—with smooth satin lining and brass handles that shone dully from one gloomy corner. And there were Dracula’s feet, the toes of his black boots showing beneath the hem of his cape, and the bloodred lining, and upon one of his slender fingers a ring with a bloodred stone. As her eyes lingered upon that ring, she could almost swear that it winked at her, that some subtle movement, some unseen flick of the vampire’s wrist had caused it to catch the half light … had caused it to shimmer … as the red-beaded curtain had shimmered.…
A cold-blooded snake of fear coiled slowly along Darcy’s spine. She shifted her eyes to the dark ones of the vampire … black, shiny, glass eyes … and yet they seemed to mock her with an almost human glow of triumph.…
With a gasp she stepped back, not able to look at him anymore … just wanting to get away from those horrible, sadistic eyes—
There was no warning when the lights went out.
In front of her the stage went black … around her the chamber swallowed her alive.
With a scream Darcy backed into nothingness—
And felt strong, slow fingers curling around her neck.
9
Damn it, Darcy, is that you?”
Somewhere through her screams she recognized Jake’s voice. At the same instant the pressure slid from around her neck.
“Jake? Where are you!” As the lights glared on, she put a hand to her eyes and tried to follow the sound of his voice.
“What are you doing in here?” Jake sounded annoyed. “You scared the hell out of me!”
“I scared you!” Relief and anger surged through her, and she blinked against the light, searching the walls … the doorways …
Jake pointed at the stage. “There shouldn’t be any spotlights on back—”
Darcy didn’t wait for him to finish. “I saw it, too, that’s why I came in. I guess Elliott forgot this one when he left.”
Jake shook his head. “That’s not like Elliott.”
“And why did you grab me anyway? You scared me to death.”
“I didn’t grab you. I wasn’t even near you.”
“Well, something did,” Darcy said and watched Jake’s eyes shift from Dracula to her face.
“How could anyone have grabbed you? There’s no one here but you and me.”
“But I felt it. Something around my neck.”
“You must have imagined it.”
“I didn’t imagine it!”
“Come
on, you just found a stiff in an alley—you’re bound to be a little jumpy, huh?”
Darcy hesitated, confused. “Are you sure someone couldn’t have gotten in here?”
“Not likely.” Jake shrugged, then came slowly to her side, reaching up to a spot near the ceiling that she couldn’t quite see.
“Here’s the culprit.” He drew down a handful of cobwebs and shook them onto the floor. “I’ve got to get this place really cleaned up soon.”
“It wasn’t cobwebs,” Darcy insisted shakily. “It was solid. And smooth, not sticky.”
Jake gave her that indifferent look she was beginning to recognize so well. “Darcy, it had to be cobwebs. What else could it be?”
Her eyes darted around the chamber, over the scattered shadows. “It felt … alive. Human. Like fingers.”
“Fingers.…” Jake nodded and raised his arms, gesturing collectively at the exhibits in the room. “They come to life, you know. At night. After closing time.”
Darcy didn’t know whether to laugh or be furious with him. “It’s creepy in here. I don’t like it.”
“And now you’ve hurt their feelings.” Jake sighed, but he nudged her toward the tunnel. “Go on. I’m right behind you.”
Darcy was relieved to get out of the Dungeon. While Jake rummaged through his office, she stood by, trying to calm her shattered nerves.
“How come you’re here? I thought you had a meeting.”
“Yeah,” Jake said without looking up. “Funny, right? When I got to my office, the guy was gone. I just came back to pick up some stuff. Business.”
“Oh.” She’d been hoping he was home for the night and tried to hide her disappointment. “Well … then … good night.”
“Yeah,” Jake mumbled. “See you.”
Her room was sweltering. Darcy raised the window and turned out her light, sitting there in the muggy darkness, listening to the night sounds below. Her head felt so heavy, and she leaned against the wall, wanting nothing more than to sleep. It’s all the excitement, she argued with herself, finding that body … and the Dungeon, that light going off … I know I felt something around my neck, but Jake’s right, it couldn’t have been anyone, and it’s so hot in here, this terrible, sticky heat, I can hardly keep my eyes open.… She squeezed her eyes tight, trying to keep all her grisly thoughts from forcing their way into her mind. That poor girl and her look of terror … of surprise.…
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