Dance For The Devil

by S. Kodejs

  “And you couldn’t do anything to stop them?”

  “Like what? Forbid them to enter? They had a search warrant. If you recall, I had more pressing matters to deal with, like slipping out the back way and collecting you. Why are you so upset about this, Gil? It’s not like they found anything – you already moved your harem.”

  “Don’t call them that. They’re breeders, nothing more. For the Church.”

  “So you’ve said. I don’t know why you insist on keeping the filthy little things in our own home. It would be more fitting to have a stable or something.”

  “I like to keep an eye on them, check their progress.”

  Suzanne waved her hand airily. “Really, Gil, this whole subject bores me. I don’t care where you keep them, as long as you keep them away from Jason and me. Now, about your study. Your last one was lovely, but are you getting tired of traditional? I was thinking of something different.”

  “For the love of Seth, no! Not that horrible art-deco crap you plastered all over Marvelworks.”

  “No, I was thinking more along the lines of country-chic. Something Ralph-Laurenish. Dark colors: burgundies and lush navies and deep, emerald greens.” She moved over to the windows. “Big, swooping drapes with frothy-white sheers. Lots of plaid and stripes, maybe a hunting-motif. A fireplace in the corner, a real one, mind you, with a huge, blazing fire. Not one of those insipid gas ones. Perhaps one of those walk-in types, what are they called?”

  “I haven’t a clue.”

  “Try to be helpful, dear. We saw some in Scotland, remember? In those old castles.” She moved from the window and was studying the corner. “Yes, perfect. And you’ll need a dog, of course. A golden retriever.”

  “Christ, Suzanne, do you have any idea how much this will all cost?”

  She whirled around. “No, and I don’t care. Don’t you dare talk to me about money, Gil Vandercamp. After everything I’ve put up with over the years, don’t you dare quibble about money. How many women would stand by and –”

  “Alright, Suzanne,” he cut in abruptly. “You’ve made your point. You’re a fucking saint.”

  She gasped. “Gil, how could you?”

  “Sorry, ‘saint’ was uncalled for. You’re a fucking demon. The decor sounds fine, but I draw the line at the Retriever. If you absolutely insist on a dog, make it a Doberman.”

  Problem-number-three left the room, somewhat mollified.

  Gil frowned. He knew she told the cops about the basement key. What Suzanne, or nobody else, realized was that every inch of his houses and offices was secretly monitored. Nothing went on, day or night, even in the privacy of bedrooms and bathrooms, that Gil didn’t know about.

  Suzanne had been with him for a long time, almost from the beginning. The love that began as lust had long since dissipated, developing into the more enduring emotions of tolerance and respect. Suzanne was good for him, and good for Jason. She was a highly-effective spouse, planning brilliant parties and exuding class and style. Never once had she behaved inappropriately by getting drunk or committing embarrassing sins such as flirting or exhibiting poor social graces. She was attractive without being gaudy, and she always participated in all aspects of the church without so much as a grumble. Even in the more delicate matters.

  On the downside, Suzanne spent money like it was falling through a sieve, but that was immaterial. Money wasn’t, and never had been, a problem.

  Yet she couldn’t be trusted. Suzanne was becoming a problem. And, problems like Suzanne were easily eliminated.

  **

  Jason was back. Amy identified his hesitant footsteps, even with her eyes clenched shut. She uncurled from her fetal position and turned to face him, her face remaining unreadable.

  “Hi.” He paused. “Look, Amy. It’s no use being mad at me. It’s not my fault you’re here. I’m only trying to help you.”

  She forgot her resolve to remain silent. “It is too your fault – if I never met you, I’d be safe.”

  “Or, you’d be like the other girls, with no one to watch out for you. Is that what you want?”

  “No, idiot, that’s not what I want. What I want is to be out of here and back home, with my family.”

  “I know.” He sat beside her, pretending not to notice her flinches. “Listen,” he whispered, cupping his hand to her ear. “I’m working on it, okay? Don’t say anything out loud. These rooms are bugged.”

  “That’s disgusting.”

  “I agree. So,” he continued, his voice rising conversationally, “what’s new?”

  “Gina went into labor last night. It was awful. She was screaming like crazy. I thought she was dying.” Amy shuddered. “I am never having a baby.” She thought for a moment. “What will happen to her?”

  “She’ll come back here in a day or two.”

  “And the baby?”

  Jason hesitated. “The baby won’t be coming back.”

  “I figured that out. But what I meant was, what’ll happen to it?”

  “It’s given to the church.”

  “Like adoption?”

  Jason turned away. “Not exactly. Let’s talk about something else, okay?” He fumbled in his pocket. “I brought you some chocolate. Snickers are your favorite, right? And here’s some extras for the other girls.”

  Amy took the candy. “What did Gina have, a boy or girl?”

  “What does it matter?”

  “It doesn’t, I guess. Just curious.”

  “If I tell you, will you stop bugging me about it?”

  She nodded solemnly.

  “A girl, I think. I could tell because everyone was disappointed. The church prefers boys.”

  “Why?”

  “Amy, you promised –”

  “Why would boy babies be better than girls? That’s sexist.”

  “I don’t know, just the way it is, is all. Don’t tell Gina, okay? She isn’t supposed to know what its sex was.”

  “Why?”

  “It might depress her.”

  Amy nodded. That made sense.

  “How do you like the new place?”

  “Better than the last. My bed is way more comfortable, and it’s nice having TV and DVD. Helps pass the time. Thanks for getting them for me.”

  “Anything else I can get for you?”

  “Yeah, outta here.”

  He winked and held his finger to his lips, mouthing, ‘I’m working on it’. Aloud, he said, “That’s impossible. I brought some sexy movies, want to watch?”

  Her eyebrows went up. “Porno’s?”

  “Yeah, kind of.”

  Amy fidgeted for a moment. “Why not, nothing else to do. I’m so bored I’d even take school over this.”

  Jason took a DVD out from under his jacket and popped it into the machine. Within moments, a naked woman appeared, heavily engaged in intercourse. A second man joined in, holding the woman’s legs wide open so the first man could plunge deeply. The woman massaged her breasts while arching her neck upwards to suck the second man’s penis and testicles. She moaned in ecstasy, and despite her misgivings, Amy felt warmth spread between her legs.

  “Hot, huh?” Jason whispered.

  Amy nodded mutely, eyes riveted on the screen. Jason nestled closer and began softly fondling her breasts. The tingling in her groin spread and she turned to Jason involuntarily.

  “You’re so beautiful,” Jason whispered, kissing her neck. “I love you, Amy. No matter what else happens, remember that.”

  **

  “I’m glad you’re here,” Sergeant Carmichael told Jake and Cari as they walked into his office. “I was just about to phone you.”

  “Oh? News about Amy?”

  Carmichael motioned to the chairs. “You should be sitting to hear this.”

  “Sounds ominous,” Jake said, his jaw tightening. “Give it to me straight. I can’t stand anymore pussy-footing around.”

  Carmichael nodded. “It’s not about your daughter. It’s your ex-wife. We found her.”

 
“Elizabeth? Where is she?”

  The old cop hesitated. “Dumped in the bottom of Lake Mead.”

  “Lake Mead? Where is that? California?”

  “Arizona and Nevada. It’s close to Las Vegas. We got another anonymous tip – passed it onto the boys in California. Autopsy’s not completed – the body’s been there awhile, maybe months, but they found a length of wire around the neck, indicating strangulation.” He hesitated as he saw Jake’s face drain of color. “Sorry, but you wanted it straight.”

  “Jesus.” Jake staggered slightly and felt his way to a chair, sitting heavily. “Jesus.”

  “That poor woman.” Cari whispered.

  “It never occurred to me that she could be dead,” Jake was saying, shaking his head. “Missing, yes. I figured Elizabeth was hiding, didn’t want to be found. But dead! My God. And murdered? She didn’t deserve that, Christ, nobody does.” He hung his head in his hands. “How do I tell Skeeter?”

  His anguish was excruciatingly real, and Cari touched his shoulder wordlessly and stroked it. Carmichael looked from one to the other. “I’ll need you to answer questions.”

  “I don’t understand,” Cari said. “You think we had something to do with a death that occurred in another country?”

  “Like I told Jake earlier, in a murder case, everyone’s a suspect.”

  Jake was still holding his head. “Could this be linked to Amy’s disappearance?”

  “Maybe.” Carmichael fiddled with a broken latch on his desk for a moment, contemplating. “What if Vandercamp is involved? What if Elizabeth’s death has everything to do with your daughter’s disappearance? What if Elizabeth was lured to Los Angeles in order to get her out of the picture? With mother gone, father and children are adrift, susceptible to intriguing offers?”

  Jake looked at him, shaking his head. “All so Gil could abduct Amy? No, that doesn’t make sense. He could have grabbed her in Toronto.”

  “But not with the added bonus of ruining you financially and professionally. It’s the perfect setup. Let’s go with the revenge theory for a minute. Vandercamp is consumed with revenge so he takes Elizabeth, willingly from the look of things. We tracked down a roommate who swears Elizabeth was happy to be in Los Angeles, and we know from talking to her agent that her acting career was doing reasonably well. That’s blow number one: your wife leaves you.

  “With Elizabeth gone, the rest of the family mopes around, at loose ends, and when Vandercamp’s irresistible offer comes to begin life anew, you jump at it. Everything is handed to you on a silver platter: job, house, even your social life. Then, it’s all snatched away.”

  “Maybe, but some things still don’t add up. I believe in my heart that Gil has Amy, but I still can’t figure out why he wants to ruin me.”

  Carmichael shrugged. “Who knows? Could be anything. Maybe you cut in front of him in the cafeteria and snagged the last donut, or maybe you got a better grade on a term paper.”

  Jake’s face was still pale, the face of a man haunted by demons. “Could it really be something so mundane?”

  “Certainly. We’re dealing with a psychotic personality. In any event, we need to establish the relationship between Gil and your ex-wife.”

  “I told you, they didn’t have a relationship.”

  “Not that you know of, anyway. Secondly, and more importantly, we need to locate the bastard.”

  “We agree on that point,” Jake rasped.

  “’Course, it’s easier said than done. He’s probably at a safe-house. The scope of these organizations is amazing. A man of Vandercamp’s resources and intelligence probably has multiple backup accommodations in place. Failing that, he certainly would have hundreds of members willing to hide him, and I’m not just talking local, either. Vandercamp could be anywhere from next door to Katmandu.”

  Cari spoke up. “Are you saying it’s impossible?”

  “No, he’ll turn up eventually. Bad pennies always do. My bet is that he’s still local. It’s easier to set up here than transport his family and, if she’s still alive, Amy. I imagine she’d make quite a fuss going through an airport or ferry terminal.”

  Jake allowed a ghost of a smile thinking of Amy’s obstinate demeanor. For once he was glad his daughter was such a hellcat.

  “What can we do to help the investigation?” Cari asked.

  “Nothing. All you can do is sit and wait.” The cop glanced from one to the other, noting their expressions. “Don’t do anything foolish. Leave it to the professionals.”

  Jake stood abruptly and shook the older man’s hand. “Thanks for your help. We’ll keep in touch.”

  “I mean it,” Carmichael called to Jake’s departing back. “Stay out of trouble. Leave it to the police.”

  Cari stood and accepted the cop’s outstretched hand. “Would you?” she asked curiously. “If it was your daughter missing, would you sit idly by?”

  “I’d leave it to the trained professionals.”

  She smiled softly. “Bullshit.”

  Benny Carmichael sat for several long moments after she’d left, thinking. Finally, he said to no one, “No, I’d do everything possible to nail the abductor’s ass to the wall.”

  CHAPTER TEN

  Skeeter waited by his locker, checking his watch for the millionth time. Only two minutes had passed since he last looked. Jason was late.

  Skeeter hadn’t seen him for over two weeks. Jason was supposed to take him to Marvelworks, but never showed. Same thing happened each day since... Skeeter waiting dejectedly by his locker. What had he done wrong? Had he offended the older boy?

  He’d just about given up when he found the note stuffed in his locker. Meet me here at 3:30. Got something cool to show you.

  “Skeet? What are you doing here?”

  Skeeter turned around, dismayed to see Darren, still dark-skinned with his Hawaiian tan. Oh, crap, Jason will never show up if Darren’s hanging around.

  “Uh, had detention,” Skeeter fabricated.

  “Bummer. I was trying out for the volleyball team. Think I made it, too, although I won’t find out until Monday when they post the names. Why aren’t you trying out?”

  “Volleyball sucks.”

  Darren looked surprised. “I thought you liked volleyball. At least, you liked it in gym.”

  Skeeter shrugged. “It’s a sissy sport.”

  Darren was going to say something, then changed his mind. “Want to come over to my house and play with the stuff I got in Hawaii? Maybe your dad would let you sleepover.”

  “Can’t. I’m busy.”

  “When, then? Tomorrow?”

  Skeeter heard footsteps in the hall. Great, Jason would find him standing there talking to this dork, and then he’d keep going. Jason had made it clear that no one should know about their friendship, and he also made it clear it was for Skeeter’s sake. “Look, Darren, I’m not interested in playing with your stupid garbage from Hawaii. If you’ve seen one coconut carving you’ve seen them all, so beat it, okay?”

  “But –”

  “I said beat it, you stupid scum, before I beat your brains in. I’ve got better things to do than hang out with boring babies like you.”

  Darren gave him one final, hurt look, then fled. Skeeter sighed a breath of relief. He slammed his locker door shut, then hurried around the corner. “Jason!”

  “Nope, it’s me.”

  “Rat? What are you doing here?”

  “Jason couldn’t make it, so he sent me to get you. We got some neat stuff to show you. Ready to go?”

  Skeeter smiled widely and slipped his pack on. “You bet.”

  **

  Gil held the newborn tightly, cradling the naked infant to his chest. Gil was dressed in full regalia, his dark hood fitted snugly into place. He had chosen leather pants for the ceremony. That way, any splattered blood could be easily wiped off.

  “Are you ready?” he called to Suzanne.

  “Really, Gil, is it necessary for you to yell so loudly? You’ll wake the d
ead.”

  Gil smiled. “That would be interesting. Where’s Jason?”

  “He doesn’t want to come. He hates it when babies are involved. You know how sensitive he is.”

  “Nonsense. The boy needs to build tolerance for this type of thing, especially if he’s to succeed me as high-priest. It’s one thing to exclude him from the festivities when he was younger, but he’s a man now, sixteen.”

  Suzanne pursed her lips. “I suppose. How do I look?”

  Gil scrutinized her carefully. “Nice. Your tits look great.” He put down the infant and crossed the room, taking his wife’s breasts in his hands and squeezing. “I love it when you bare them.”

  “Well, it is a special ceremony... oh, Christ, Gil, get that baby off the bed, she’s piddling all over it. Bloody heaven, that’s going to stain. The fabric is moiré.”

  “Jason,” Gil yelled. “Where is that boy?”

  “Basement, I think. He’s spending a lot of time down there. Are you sure that’s wise?”

  “Don’t question me, Suzanne. I know what I’m doing. You get Jason and I’ll clean up the piss. If the bedcover stains you can buy a new one.”

  “It’s custom-made, Gil, it’ll take weeks – oh, Jason, there you are. I didn’t hear you come in. Daddy wants you to come tonight. Run along and change into something suitable.”

  Jason looked at his parents and at the baby, his face pale. “I’m not going.”

  “Don’t be silly, dear, Daddy needs you there. We’ll have no discussion about it.”

  “What you’re doing is wrong. Why don’t you leave that poor baby alone? It never did anything to you.”

  Gil frowned. “Son, you’re missing the point. That baby represents God. It’s perfect and pure, and totally innocent. We must sacrifice it to prove our devotion to Satan. You know that.”

  “Why can’t we use chickens, or cats, or something else?”

  “It’s not the same. Tonight is a special ceremony and we need a special offering. A chicken won’t do.”

  The baby started to whimper and Jason crossed the room and picked her up. She nestled close to him, looking directly at him with her blue eyes. “She’s smiling at me.”