“Guilty. Happy Birthday.”
“Yeah, right. Have you been sent to bring me back to the party?” The way she said it sounded defiant, but Ray could tell it was said in hope that her parents had actually missed her enough to get someone to find her.
“Sorry, no. I saw the lights and guessed you’d be here. Did you scar the young man for life?”
She almost laughed, and the smile changed her face from the sulky teenager into a happier person. “He’ll have plenty to brag about when he gets back home. So what brings you back to the mad house?”
“Invitation from your mother. But it wasn’t quite without a catch.”
“Nothing ever is with her. Did you see my father?”
“Oh yes. I’m going to stay the night, see my mother, and my father unless I can avoid it, then I’m off.”
“Wish I could come with you.”
A sudden noise took Ray’s attention away from her. It sounded like a door closing on the opposite side of the poolroom.
“Did you hear that?” he said.
Paula shook her head. “This place makes weird noises. I come here a lot. I usually swim nude.” She stood, and her hands fluttered behind her back. “Shall I show you?”
Something quite large splashed into the water. Paula moved hesitantly towards Ray, who took hold of her arm.
“Stay close to me,” he said.
Beneath the blue tiled water of the pool something white was swimming towards them. It looked like a skinless seal, but the speed it was moving, and the wake it was producing, made it seem much more dangerous.
While they watched, fascinated, neither of them noticed a second figure keeping to the shadows near the wall. It was dressed in a flowing white robe.
Ray pulled Paula behind him, conscious she was shivering.
The surface of the water closest to them broke and a dark haired woman in her early twenties pushed out her head. Her hair was plastered to her face and the water streamed over her shoulders, but Ray could see she was beautiful.
“Recognize her?” he said to Paula. He hoped she might be a party guest, fooling around, but he wasn’t confident she was.
The woman hauled herself effortlessly out of the pool and stood, dripping, naked, in front of them. She was slim but perfectly formed; breasts with droplets of water like diamonds scattered around the dark nipples.
“She’s no one I know,” Paula said.
Ray glanced around. A white open fronted cabinet held towels and some magazines. He grabbed a towel and threw it at the woman. “You’ll be needing this.”
The woman let the towel hit her body, barely looking down as it puddled at her feet.
Paula moved from behind Ray. This woman was irritating her. “This is my party, and you’re not invited.”
“What, neither of us?”
Ray whirled round at the sound of the voice. A second woman, dressed in a white robe, stood in the half shadows.
Paula’s moment of bravado was gone; she edged closer to her uncle, feeling nervously for his hand.
“Okay, ladies,” Ray said. “Time for you to leave.”
The naked woman walked calmly across to her friend and took the robe she was offered. She draped it over her head and shook it over her body, still wet from the pool.
“We are leaving,” one of them said. “But you’re coming with us.”
“I don’t think so,” Ray said.
The woman smiled. “Not you, sailor boy. Her.”
Paula realized she was pointing at her and shrank against Ray, snuggling in as closely as she could. If she could disappear inside him she would have done.
Ray put his arm around Paula. “You can try.”
Stock picked up his cigar, took a long and satisfying draw on it, and blew smoke in the general direction of the fat man.
“My terms,” he said.
“I shall have to discuss these with…”
“You’ll have to get your orders from Romodon, I know that. I’ve heard what he has planned. This is what I offer him. Cash, substantial amounts, enough to make what he’s had out of me already look like pocket change. That keeps my wife alive for another year, without suffering. I want her to spend some time with Frank.”
“I mentioned that this is not about money.”
Stock continued as if the other man hadn’t spoken. “You won’t get my granddaughter. Despite her parentage, and her selfish streak, I am oddly fond of her.”
“Dr Romodon…”
Stock held up his hand. “I’m not naïve enough to believe I’ll have Frank indefinitely.” He paused while he assessed Simon’s reaction. He could tell immediately, by the creasing of the skin around his mouth, and the narrowing of his eyes, that he was right.
Stock knew what he had ventured into was as risky as anything he had ever done in his life. Illegal certainly, but that had never bothered him before. Certain to succeed? Nothing in life was certain, and the project he had undertaken was more than certain to fail. He had researched many related subjects before he found the Church. He had been to Haiti, and found voodoo. He had been to hidden parts of Africa, and seen things done that were not of this world. Animals had been brought back to life in front of his eyes, and he had gasped with wonder. When he went back after a few days, to see the longer term effects of life after death, he had been disappointed on every occasion. Nothing that had been resurrected remained alive.
“How long will I have with him? Be honest with me, at least.”
Brother Simon hesitated. He had known, as did Romodon, that this man was not like many they had dealt with. Many took what they were told at face value. So desperate were they for their loved ones to be returned to them that they were blinded to reality. Stock was made of harder material. Perhaps, Romodon had told Simon one night, perhaps it was because he carried the burden of guilt for his son’s death. “With all our subjects,” Romodon had said. “You have to ask yourself, why they want our services. What is it that they hope to gain?”
Simon wondered if what Stock wanted was redemption. Release from twenty years of painful guilt.
“Your wife we can offer no more than six months. I am sorry. Your son? No more than that. Again I am sorry it cannot be longer.”
Stock bowed his head. It was more time that he had expected. More than he needed. “I accept that. It’s worth it to me. And…it’s been twenty years.”
Simon nodded. “The son you receive will be as he was when he passed over. You were outlining your terms. If we cannot have the girl…”
“My other son. Raymond. He’s young enough, fit, healthy. Lives an outdoor life, even if he drinks and smokes too much. He won’t fit the same purpose as Paula, but then you never intended for her to join you did you?”
Simon smiled, the flesh of his face creasing like a well-used bed sheet. “We will have a use for the soul of a healthy enough man.”
Stock smiled. “He’s here tonight. By special invitation.”
Phil Ryker looked at his watch. Anders had been gone a long time. He doubted there had been any trouble kicking out some well fed socialites taking drugs. Sure, Anders might have roughed them up a little, but he would have got them out of the house easily enough. What worried Ryker was whether it had been done with sufficient discretion.
He dialled the number he had on his company cell phone and listened as the voicemail kicked in for the ninth or tenth time. Anders voice sounded uncertain, as if he was reciting the simple phrase about leaving a message. Ryker cut the connection without speaking.
The party was still going strong, although quite a few people had left. There was still a need for all the exits to be secure and the guests to be escorted to their cars, He arranged cover on the door of the house and went in search of Anders.
Inside the house the noise was louder than he had anticipated. Several people were clearly drunk, while others were still determined to dance until they dropped. The band was playing, although he heard the singer give notice that the end was near.
> Ryker knew which part of the house Anders had been directed to, and he headed that way. It wasn’t long before he bumped, literally, into Martin Devereaux.
“Watch where you’re…oh, it’s you.”
“Apologies, Mr. Devereaux.”
“I thought you were covering the door. Is everything in order?” Devereaux’s eyes darted from side to side as he spoke, looking for important people he didn’t want to ignore.
“All normal. I’m just doing an internal sweep. Checking bathrooms and bedrooms, making sure no one has extended their invitation in ways it wasn’t intended.”
Devereaux allowed a look of distaste pass over his face, before his carefully constructed façade of sophistication was restored. “I’m not sure what sort of parties you’re used to attending, Ryker, but my guests know how to behave.”
Ryker nodded. “Of course. Excuse me, but I’m off to check on the well behaved guests who were snorting cocaine earlier,”
He walked off before Devereaux could splutter a response.
As he began to climb the stairs he glanced back, just in time to see Caroline Devereaux standing next to her husband.
Caroline was annoyed, if her body language was anything to go by. “Have you seen Paula yet?”
Devereaux looked at her as if she was speaking a foreign language. He was still smarting from his conversation with Ryker. “What? No, I guess she’s off doing whatever spoiled eighteen year olds do these days.”
“Which is what exactly?”
“I wish I could remember.”
Caroline grabbed his arm and pulled him into a corner so they wouldn’t be overheard. “There are three of those sisters with mother.”
“And your master plan of getting your brother on board failed at the first hurdle.”
“He’s always been a disappointment,” Caroline said, her voice full of as much venom as she could muster.
“So where do you think Paula is?”
“Someone said they’d seen her with that Rulski kid.”
Devereaux nodded approvingly. “That’s good. His father has a lot of influence, he could help business.”
Caroline crinkled her nose in despair. “Martin, they won’t be swapping study tips. What do you think they will be doing?”
“But…she’s just a…”
“She’s not a kid any more. Wake up and look at her. She’s all grown up.”
Devereaux smiled and nodded at some people who were walking past. “I’ll have to circulate. People are leaving.”
“I’m going up to see mother. It’s about time someone took control around here. Father might be taken in by these fake holy rollers but I’m not. Dr Cooperman says people often seemingly improve, even appear to recover, for a period of time before…” Martin touched her cheek in a gesture of genuine affection. “Father seems to think the Church is saving her life but all they’re doing is fooling her into believing there’s hope.”
“Hope’s not such a bad thing.”
Caroline walked away from him. “I’m going upstairs. Can you send someone to find Paula?”
Ray positioned himself between Paula and the two women. They were alert, like animals scenting prey.
“We’re here to take the girl to her grandfather. That’s all.”
“Now why do I doubt that?” Ray said.
The two women exchanged glances and then moved away from one another. One advanced towards Ray and Paula while the other began to circle around and behind them.
“Stay close to me,” Ray whispered. Paula responded with a firm grip on his arm.
Ray had been in several fights during his life. Working near the docks there were often sailors ashore for a few hours who thought the best way to let off a bit of steam was to beat up the local hippie types. When they saw how large Ray was many of them backed off, realizing their error. The more foolhardy types saw it as a challenge and ploughed on through.
Ray had developed a strategy that had held him in good stead. Hit first and hit hard.
He launched himself at the woman to his right. She wasn’t expecting an attack and she stumbled backwards. She was close to the edge of the pool from where she had recently risen. Her footing was fragile and the tiles were wet. Ray took hold of her robe, pulled then pushed, and the woman was falling into the water, arms flailing in a futile attempt to stop.
When she hit the surface and disappeared beneath the clear water, Ray had already turned to face the second woman. She had hold of Paula’s dress.
“Let her go,” Ray said, as menacingly as he could muster.
“I have my instructions. I’m taking her to her grandfather.”
Ray closed the gap between them in four long strides.
“She’s my niece. This is her birthday party. She owes me a dance.”
Before anyone could act, Paula whirled round, punched the woman hard in the face and pulled herself from her grasp. The woman held her hands to her nose, from which blood was gushing. “I think it’s broken.”
“This dress cost more than you’d make in a year, so hands off.” Paula was indignant, and sounded tough, but Ray could see the fear in her eyes.
“Who sent you?” Ray said to the woman. Out of the corner of his eye he could see the other woman had climbed out of the pool and was standing quite still, as if waiting instructions.
“They’re sisters from the Church,” Paula said. “Ripping granddad off with fake medicines for grandma.”
“Dr Romodon is acting for Mr. Stock, senior, in the medical care of his wife.”
“For now,” Ray said.
As if a signal had been given both women ran at Ray. One leapt at his face, while the other aimed for his legs.
Ray was strong. The one at his legs tried to bring him down, but he moved his legs apart and held firm. He managed to bring a knee up and connect squarely with her jaw. She crumpled like a spent paper tissue.
The one at his face was tenacious. She hooked her nails into his cheek and drew blood. Ray put both hands on her waist, lifted her effortlessly into the air and offered her to Paula. She seemed to consider what to do, then hit the woman with a solid left hook in the kidneys. The woman exhaled air with the pain, and at the same time Ray let her go. She fell like damp towel to the tiled floor.
Ray took Paula’s hand. “Come on. Time to visit my father I think and find out what’s really going on.”
Phil Ryker met Caroline on the first floor landing outside Marlene Stock’s room.
“What are you doing here?” Caroline demanded.
Ryker shrugged. “I came looking for Anders, one of my security men.”
“Him,” Caroline said. “I caught him trying to look down my dress earlier.”
Ryker smiled. “And who can blame him?”
Caroline looked as if she was going to explode with fury. “Are you going to stand there insulting me or are you going to kiss me?”
Ryker took a step forwards, put one arm round her waist, and drew her to him. The kiss was long and practiced. When it was over, Caroline said. “That’s better. I’ve wanted to do that all evening.”
“Not quite what your fancy guests would approve of?”
“Who cares? Did you find Anders?”
Ryker looked concerned. “No.”
He had searched the whole part of the house where Anders had been sent. There were three bathrooms that weren’t part of a bedroom suite, and Ryker had looked in all of them. They were all empty and although one of them looked as if it had been cleaned and tidied very recently there was no sign Anders, or anyone, had been in there.
Anders wasn’t answering his cell, which was unusual. All Ryker’s men had identical cell phones, each of them with the key numbers programmed in as speed dials. Anders was paranoid about making sure his had a full battery and he was always deleting old message threads and call logs, to “keep the phone fresh.”
Once he had looked everywhere obvious, Ryker began to search for Anders in the less obvious places. Anders wasn’t a man that wou
ld go off with a female guest, not while on duty. And he wasn’t the type of man to miss out on flexing his muscle to throw out people of the house when he had been given instructions.
Ryker was at a loss, and he didn’t like it. He needed to be in control. It was what made him so good at his job, and what gave his life order and purpose.
“He’s probably sneaked out for a smoke,” Caroline said.
Ryker shook his head. “No, he’s been gone too long. Anyway, he may be a pain in the butt, but he’s professional. He wouldn’t just slope off.”
“You’re worried aren’t you?” Caroline couldn’t keep the surprise out of her voice.
Ryker hesitated.
“Go on,” Caroline said. “Nothing you say will shock me after a life in this family.”
“I’m loyal to your father, you know that.”
“Of course, insanely loyal.”
“I don’t like seeing him get set up like he is.”
Caroline sounded excited. “You think they’re frauds too?”
“Don’t mention it to Mr. Stock, but I did some undercover work when he started to bring those people into the house. The Church doesn’t exist, at least not as a physical building or organization that anyone can join. From what I’ve found out, it’s more a kind of secret society.”
“You’re scaring me. You make it sound sinister.”
“And Dr Romodon? There’s no history of him. Sure, there’s people with similar names on FaceBook and LinkedIn, and other social media sites, but no doctor, of whatever type he claims to be. None that has qualified to practice medicine, even the West Coast quackery types.”
“I don’t see why father places so much trust in him.”
“Desperate to see your mother get better I suppose. Willing to try anything.”
Caroline snorted. “God knows why, he’s led her a merry dance most of their married life.”
Ryker checked his cell phone. Still nothing from Anders. “I told you why I was up here. What are you doing?”
“Checking on my mother. Come with me?”
“Sure.”
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