The Dance

by James Goodman

  “Maybe you’ve forgotten about the blood we found at the Joyner house,” Tom scoffed. “The blood on that lamp definitely belonged to Pearlman.”

  “I’ve been giving that a lot of thought,” she said after taking a deep breath. “The Puppeteer has never left any physical evidence before and hasn’t left any since. What if the blood was placed there deliberately, to throw us off his scent?”

  “Then we’ve all been had,” Tom admitted in a whisper.

  “There’s always the possibility I’m wrong, but I have a strange feeling about this one.”

  “Does your suspect have a name?”

  “Kyle,” Anna shook her head. “Just Kyle. I haven’t been able to find a last name written down anywhere. It’s the damnedest thing.”

  “I guess we can go down the list of Kyles in the Rolodex. It’s as good a place as any to start.”

  “I’m way ahead of you. There are none. I checked and re-checked and there is no one named Kyle, or any variation of the name, in the entire list.”

  Tom felt like he had just taken a kick to the gut. God, please let her be wrong. A nationwide manhunt for the wrong guy?

  “I should call Captain Duke to see how he wants us to handle this.” He groaned in frustration and stood. “The media is going to have a field day with this.”

  “I wouldn’t make that call just yet,” Anna said. “I found a few other things we need to discuss. There were some fascinating documents in Dr. Pearlman’s personal effects.”

  “What, are you just jacking with me?” Tom’s patience grew thin. “Are we after the wrong guy or what?”

  “Just hear me out,” she urged, motioning for him to sit.

  Tom shook his head in disgust but returned to his chair.

  “I kept running across obscure references to something called Goetia scrawled in various notepads with all of these strange drawings.”

  “What the hell is that?”

  “It is the actual name of the Lesser Key of Solomon.”

  “Sounds familiar, but I don’t remember the context.”

  “It is the handbook for someone dabbling in the occult.”

  “So, Pearlman was a Satanist?”

  “Not necessarily, but it does mean that—”

  “He’s a searcher,” Tom interrupted. “He’s not satisfied with the world the way it is and he is searching for a way to see it in a new light.”

  Anna stared at him. “That may well be the single most profound thing I have ever heard you say.”

  “That just goes to show how little you listen to me.” He smiled. “If you spent a little less time ridiculing me and a little more time getting to know me, you would realize that I am actually a man of great depth.”

  They shared a comfortable laugh at the thought of it.

  “I am a little confused as to how you can go from hearing occult and instantly thinking Satanist, to making the leap to creating a better world through magic,” Anna said.

  “Who said anything about magic? I just meant he was trying to see the world from a different perspective, or a different path.”

  “Well, I think that path may have led him to a really dark place. I doubt his intentions were to make changes for the good of the world.”

  “So, you think Pearlman and this Kyle fellow are in cahoots?”

  “I think it’s possible. The more I read through Dr. Pearlman’s notes the more it sounds like he grew to admire Kyle.”

  “So what you’re telling me is this guy must be one hell of a talker.”

  “How do you mean?” Anna asked.

  “He goes to therapy and not only does he not get the help he so obviously needs.” Tom motioned to the poem. “But he manages to talk his doctor into going on a killing spree.”

  “Is that so hard to believe?”

  “There is a major hole in your theory, buttercup. One I am surprised you missed, what with how thorough you’ve been up to this point,” he said with a tired grin.

  “What are you talking about?”

  “These killings… The Puppeteer… this case, is a lot older than I think you realize. About a decade ago, this city was plagued by a series of killings where the murderer had exactly the same M.O. as we’ve seen with these recent murders.”

  “But I didn’t say anything about—”

  “What, did you miss the headlines on the newspaper clips pinned to the wall behind you?” Tom pointed. “They say The Puppeteer has returned, not we have a new killer in the city.”

  “If you would let me finish, I was about to explain my theory on that as well,” she said, trying desperately not to grind her teeth.

  “Oh, I’m all ears, detective.”

  “That’s not the part of the anatomy I would use to describe you.” Anna seethed. “I think Dr. Pearlman may have been able to somehow suppress his homicidal urges. That’s why the murders stopped all of those years ago. He managed to lead a normal life, coming to terms with what he had done and reaching out to others who were mentally ill. Everything was going great until he met a patient that reminded him so much of himself, it plunged him back into his old habits.”

  “That’s all well and good but it doesn’t explain what…” Tom stopped short as he reached for the stack of papers and began sorting through them.

  “What are you looking for?”

  Tom held up a single finger signaling for her to wait as he looked for the right report.

  “What if Kyle was the killer all along. I saw something here a minute ago that talked about all of the horrible things Kyle thought he had done.”

  “Either way, I would be willing to bet when we find one of them, we will find the other.”

  “I think you may be on to something here, Anna.”

  “Now that we are on the same page, we have to see if we can find more information on Kyle.”

  “Have you been through all of the files yet?” Tom was visibly excited about the prospect of finding a new lead.

  “Not yet,” Anna said with a shake of her head. “Do you have any plans for say… the next couple of days?”

  “Yes, actually I do.” Tom nodded vehemently.

  “Really?” Anna asked. “I couldn’t imagine what could be more important.”

  “I plan on spending the next couple of days knee-deep in files.” He gave her a wink.

  “Smart ass,” she retorted.

  “Hey, I guess that’s a step up from dumb ass, which is what you were thinking when you first met me.”

  She grunted an agreement and handed him another stack of files.

  “Shall we get started?”

  “Oh, absolutely.”

  Chapter Thirty

  Kyle crept across the room, keeping a close eye on the bed. Two shapes lay motionless beneath the covers, intertwined but far enough apart that each was distinct. He took a moment to survey the enormous room before approaching the left side of the bed.

  There’s lots of room to play in here. He nodded approvingly.

  Nina smiled when she spotted the stereo sitting on a dresser across from the bed. She pushed a button and waited for the CD changer to shift to an empty slot. She spun the disc between the forefingers of each hand, letting the light that shone through the window reflect through the room. She looked up, watching the flickering patterns of light it created on the ceiling.

  Kyle extended his fingers gingerly, reaching for the edge of the comforter. It was all he could do to keep his fingers from trembling as his anticipation mounted. The covers moved back slowly, revealing two faces pointed in his direction.

  Ah, they’re spooning.

  He knelt closer, bringing his face within inches of the woman closest to him. His lips parted slightly, letting a steady stream of air escape into her hair. Her body twitched, telling him she registered the sensation. At last, she opened her eyes.

  “Hi, there,” Kyle whispered with a grin.

  The woman’s head smacked hard into her lover’s face as she jerked away.

  “Ouch!” the
lover cried out as she threw her hand over her throbbing nose. “What the hell’s the matter with…”? She fell silent as the blurry veil of sleep cleared.

  The woman closest to him was already sobbing by the time the lover had registered what was happening.

  “What do you want?” the lover asked, struggling to keep her voice steady.

  “I want you to Dance with me,” Kyle said as if it were common knowledge.

  “You want me to…” she rose to her elbows, not sure what to do with his answer.

  “It is the single most amazing experience you will ever have in your life. I guarantee it.”

  “Who are you?”

  “That really isn’t important at this point, now is it?” he asked.

  “Do you know who I am?”

  “Not exactly. I know one of you is Sheila and the other one is Tina, but I don’t know which is which.”

  “She is the News Director for Channel 22,” Nina offered, looking over her shoulder from where she stood in front of the stereo.

  Sheila turned towards the sound of the voice, alerting Kyle to her identity. Even Tina stopped sobbing long enough to see who else was in the room. Sheila blinked several times. A smile spread across Nina’s face as the intended Dancers began to scream.

  “Hey, take it easy! You’re gonna wake the neighbors.” Kyle pretended to be frightened. “Oh, that’s right, I bet in a neighborhood like this, you could fire a gun indoors and no one would hear it.”

  “Now Kyle, you know we don’t use guns,” Nina chided. “I abhor such barbaric tools. No, guns are only used for one thing: killing. What we do… well, that’s something else entirely.”

  “What we do is art. I’m an artist, not a killer like you people make me out to be,” Kyle added, nodding at Sheila and Tina.

  “You’re more than that, you’re a genius, lover.”

  “You’re The Puppeteer,” Sheila whispered.

  “I’ve always hated that name, but yes, guilty as charged,” he confirmed with a sweeping bow.

  “Do what you want with me, but please don’t hurt her.” Sheila put a protective arm around Tina.

  “What makes you think it’s gonna hurt?” Kyle’s left brow rose as he asked the question.

  “I’ve seen the pictures of your victims. What you do to them.” She paused, nearly choked on her words. “Fishing wire run through the holes.”

  “Ah, that was The Dance of the past. This is a brand new day. We have something extra special planned for you two.”

  Nina pushed the tray closed, pressed play. Within seconds, the sound of crickets filled the air, followed by the steady beat that marked the beginning of the song.

  I wonder if Trent Reznor would like what she has done with his song, he mused as the words from The Hand That Feeds poured from the speakers.

  Sheila and Tina went rigid before their bodies started to spasm, marking the beginning of The Dance. The shrill sound of the Zragration tongue wound its way through the lyrics of the song. The headboard banged against the wall as the bed shook beneath the twitching bodies.

  Nina stepped next to Kyle, bracing herself for the next step in the ceremony.

  The air between the two couples began to shimmer and vibrate, dancing to the beat of the song. The bed glowed as light searched out the twitching couple from unknown sources. Tiny tendrils leapt from the convulsing couple and caressed Kyle and Nina’s chests. The tendrils grew until they were as big as Kyle’s arm. They both closed their eyes. The power coursed through their limbs.

  Now, I can show her how much I really care.

  Kyle started to sing the words of her song. He wasn’t sure if he was matching the pitch, but he was sure he was close.

  Nina’s eyes flew open when she felt the stream entering her body taper away. She stared at Kyle, slack-jawed. He sang in Zragration. He was murdering her beautiful dialect, but the words themselves were close enough to work their magic.

  “Kyle, what are you doing?”

  “I’m singing for you.” Kyle looked at her, puzzled. “I wanted to surprise you with—”

  She cut him off tersely “You must never sing the words.”

  “But I wanted to show you how much I cared by actually taking an interest in your Hindi stuff.”

  “I know how much you care, lover. You have nothing to prove to me.”

  “It’s just that, this new Dance…” He fell silent, not sure how much more to say.

  “What about it?”

  “I’m not the artist,” he finally admitted. “I’m just a bystander.”

  Nina started to respond several times, but couldn’t find the right words. She hadn’t anticipated this turn of events.

  “Before, I performed for you. Now, I just watch.”

  “Oh Kyle, you do more than watch. Have I taught you nothing?” Nina grasped onto to one of his fleeting thoughts and prayed it would be enough.

  “What do you mean?”

  Neither of them noticed the light as it faded and sunk back into the bed.

  What DO I mean?

  Aloud she said, “You still set the stage. If it weren’t for the initial… contact you have with them, none of this would be possible. You are still an artist. Only now, rather than tools and wire, words and actions are your canvas. Your art has just evolved, that’s all.”

  They both spun towards the radio as the song ended. A quick glance at the bed confirmed that their argument had truly interrupted The Dance. Both women were still alive, barely, and jerking beneath the sheets. Their faces were frozen in fear and eyes stuck wide open, but the pupils had rolled up so that only the whites were visible.

  Kyle yanked back the covers to reveal their shriveled bodies. The skin hung loosely from their bones, spreading out onto the sheets as if it had melted.

  “Wow, they could pass for those starving kids on those awful infomercials.”

  “I’ll have to take your word for that one,” Nina said distractedly.

  “What do we do now?” he asked.

  “I don’t know. I’ve never had a ceremony interrupted before.”

  “Couldn’t we just start the CD over?”

  “No, it doesn’t look like there is enough life left of them to do that, and I am not sure what would happen if…” She really didn’t want Kyle to worry about playing the music.

  “If what?”

  “Nothing, I just don’t think it is a good idea.”

  “Well, what do you want to do with them, then? Should I…” Kyle traced a line across his throat with his finger.

  “No, they are not long for this world even without your assistance. We should probably just be on our way.”

  “Yeah, fuck ‘em. I didn’t like the way they Danced anyways.” Kyle spat as he kicked the side of the bed.

  “You certainly have a way with words, lover,” Nina cooed as she caressed his cheek.

  I just hope you never try to use mine again.

  *****

  They had been home for hours when Nina crept into Kyle’s bedroom. She sat on the edge of his bed, watching him sleep. The last words he said to her were still echoing in her mind. How did I get so lucky that I have you in my life?

  LUCK had nothing to do with it. She laughed to herself.

  Well, maybe a little.

  She let her mind drift, thinking back to the first time she heard his voice. It didn’t take long for her thoughts to move back to the beginning. Well, it was the beginning of that chapter in her life anyway. She could practically see Brian Pearlman as he donned that silly robe. Clothing choices had always amused her over the years. When would they learn that it’s not what you wear, it’s what you say that is important…?

  She couldn’t help but smile when she remembered the look on the doctor’s face when he summoned her. She could see it in his eyes. He never thought it would work, but had to try. This can’t actually be happening. You can’t be real. I must be as nutty as one of my patients, he had told her. She stepped out of his circle and vanished from sight.
>
  “You weren’t crazy Brian, just clumsy. One would think if you took the time to learn how to do a summons, you might want to see if there was anything else you needed to do… like perhaps a binding.”

  She had traced a line along her neckline, giving herself goose bumps. “As if a sniveling twit like you would have been enough to satisfy my needs.”

  Nina remembered what it was like to be back in the world of man after so many centuries. She floated through the house, listening to Brian sob about how terrible his life was. She listened to his half-hearted attempts at helping his patients. She listened to his patients as they blathered on about their insignificant little lives.

  Then one day it happened. She heard Kyle’s voice for the first time. The dreams he described intrigued her. She extended her hand, the fingers pushing beyond his flesh, but Kyle was blissfully unaware. She touched his mind and in that instant, she knew: His nightmares weren’t really dreams. They were memories. He was brilliant and she knew he would be the one to make her whole.

  She hovered next to him, wanting him. She needed to touch his face, but knew he couldn’t feel her caress, not yet. She needed time, time to shape him, help him become the man she needed him to be.

  So she followed him, watching, waiting. Each time he made someone Dance, it gave her strength. She knew it was only a matter of time before she would be strong enough to make contact. His mind was more open than those around him, more susceptible to the unexplained. She new he would hear her long before others with a firmer grip on reality would.

  Her mind back in the present, she stared down at Kyle. “You gave me the gift of flesh and now, I am going to give you the world, lover.” She kissed him softly on the forehead.

  Chapter Thirty-One

  “Where the hell is she?” Mark Sampson wondered as he paced outside Sheila’s office.

  She had sent him an email on Friday, asking him to meet her first thing Monday morning. He had dreaded the meeting all weekend. The last time they had talked, she was threatening to replace him and he feared this meeting was the beginning of the end for his career.