The Hellfire Club

by Peter Straub

  Nora’s heart stopped, and her body went cold. She sensed Jeffrey gathering himself to leap.

  If Dart came through this window, his foot would land about three inches from Nora’s elbow. She lifted her chin, peered in, and her heart started back into life with a massive thump. He was moving away from the table toward the other windows. In seconds, he passed out of view. Down the terrace a handle rattled, and the French door opened. It was all part of the performance, a show for the ladies. In high good humor, Dart was demonstrating their helplessness. He leaned out and bellowed her name. “Norma! Norma! Mrs. Desmond!”

  He must have looked back into the room. “Hear anything, Marian?”

  Softly, Marian said, “No.”

  He was still leaning out through the French door. “You know who she is, don’t you?”

  “The woman you kidnapped,” Marian said.

  Margaret Nolan said, “Nora Chancel.”

  Dart sighed lightly, mockingly, as if lamenting Nora’s treachery.

  “You made a serious mistake, Mr. Dart,” Margaret said. “You let her go. Please understand what I’m telling you. Mrs. Chancel isn’t cowering in the woods. She’s on her way to find help. You should get away now. You can go back to Pepper Pot, put on your clothes, and take a car. If you waste a lot of time with us, you will certainly be captured by the police. You see that, don’t you?”

  “Captured?” Dart said. “Wonderful word. Suggestion of the jungle beast.”

  “We aren’t asking to be untied. But if you want to keep your freedom, you have to leave Shorelands now. Mrs. Chancel is probably already talking to Tony.”

  After a long moment of silence, an owl hooted from the other side of the pond. Drops pattered down onto the tiles. Dart snickered. She glanced sideways. He was smiling up at the sky.

  “What a worry. If Nora-pie does talk to your charity case, he’ll come up here to check out her story. I can take care of Tony. But do you know what’s really going to happen? In a little while, Nora is going to sneak into this house. Written in stone. The girl knows my little ways. Won’t be able to help herself. Never abandon you, not possible.”

  “That’s stupid,” Marian said. “Save yourself. Leave now. You don’t even have time for clothes.”

  “Like me naked, don’t you, Marian? I like me naked, too. Love standing here, the fresh air drifting around my body. Arouses me. I do especially enjoy being aroused, as you will discover. Do you have freckles on the soles of your feet, Marian?”

  For several seconds, she said nothing. Dart waited her out.

  “No.”

  “What a pity. Shall we see if Nora’s already here? Promised her a treat, and I dearly wish to keep my promise.” Dart shouted her name, cupped a hand to his ear, shouted it again. “No answer, girls. Must carry on by ourselves. Never fear, Nora’s arrival won’t spoil our fun.” He pulled himself back in, and the French door grated shut.

  Jeffrey jerked his head toward the front of the terrace and was instantly slithering over the tiles, making no sound at all. With a superhuman effort, Nora pushed herself up onto her hands and knees and followed him.

  Jeffrey slipped around the edge of the pillar at the top of the steps and waited. When she reached him, he led her down the stairs to the grass, moved sideways to the wall beneath the terrace, leaned his head back against the stone, and stared out at the dark lawn.

  “Is he always like that?”

  “Pretty much,” Nora said. “What are we going to do?”

  “We have plenty of time. He’s still winding himself up.” He smiled. “You know, as long as you didn’t care too much about who he killed, Dick Dart could have been a terrific combat soldier. He’s incredibly strong and quick, he can absorb a tremendous amount of pain and keep going, he thinks ahead, and adverse situations bring out the best in him. So to speak.”

  “You’re asking me to admire Dick Dart?”

  “Not at all,” Jeffrey said. “I’m describing him. If I don’t take him into account, I don’t have a prayer of defeating him. I don’t suppose he was always like what we saw just now?”

  “Being brought in for murder liberated him. He didn’t have to hide what he was like anymore.”

  Jeffrey smiled again. “Escaping liberated him. After that, all the normal rules were suspended. He’s a brand-new person in a brand-new world, stretching his wings, discovering himself.”

  This was so accurate that Nora set aside her impatience.

  “He’s not going to get around to doing any damage to those women for at least half an hour. He’s having too much fun. In the meantime, he’ll be waiting for you to show up. Is the front door locked or unlocked, do you know?”

  “Unlocked,” Nora said.

  “Okay.” Jeffrey looked up at nothing and wiped his face. “Does he know that you know it’s unlocked?”

  “Yes.”

  “That’s where he expects you to come in.” He walked out onto the lawn and looked up at the house. “Let’s cook up a little surprise for Mr. Dart.” He ran his eyes along the rear of the building. “The French doors weren’t locked, either. Farther down from where we were, there was another set at the back of the room he went into to get the cleaver.”

  “The dining room.”

  “I bet every window in the building is unlocked. They rely on their isolation and Tony to keep them safe. They’ve probably never had a break-in. You say there’s another woman in the house, some kind of invalid?”

  “Agnes Brotherhood.”

  “What floor is she on?”

  “The second.”

  “All right. When I was trying to find you, I saw a ladder next to the wall in the court. Some workmen must have left it behind. I’ll go in through an upstairs window. Once I’m up there, I’ll make some kind of noise, and Dart will think Agnes is about to join the party. He’ll be delighted. You go back up there and stand at this end of the lounge. When you see him leave the room, go into the dining room and stay there.”

  “All right.”

  “We have to play this by ear, but hide in the dining room until you know you can take Dart by surprise. He won’t expect you to come in that way. He won’t be expecting me, either. If I can take care of him, I will. If I can’t, he’s going to bring me into the lounge, and that’s when you come out.”

  “You should take the gun,” she said.

  “No, you keep it.” Jeffrey raised one leg, untied his shoe, wiggled it off, and set it beside the wall. He did the same with the other shoe. “You have one bullet left. Don’t waste it.” He tapped the center of her forehead with his index finger. “Put it right here. This guy is made of iron.”

  “I know,” Nora said, but Jeffrey was already slipping away through the dark.

  101

  MARIAN’S COAT FELT like a ridiculous encumbrance. Nora took the revolver from the pocket, ripped open the snaps, hitched her shoulders, and lowered her arms. The coat slid off and landed heavily on the grass. Except for the parts of her legs washed by the stream, the entire front of her body was dark with mud. She settled the revolver in her hand and moved up the stairs to the terrace. Quietly, she slipped across the tiles and flattened herself against the building beside the second set of French doors. She tilted her head and looked in to see three-fourths of the bright lounge. Marian Cullinan’s back obscured half of Lily Melville. Margaret Nolan, fully visible, faced the all too visible Dick Dart. He was holding a champagne bottle in one hand, his half-erect penis in the other, and talking to Margaret, no doubt on the subject of the many delights he had given elderly women. She looked at him unblinkingly.

  For the first time Nora began to doubt her assumptions about why Agnes was not with the others. Dart would not have left her in her room simply because she was too weak to get out of bed. Maybe he had tied her up and stashed her in a part of the room they could not see, saving her as a spider leaves extra meals in its web. If he had brought Agnes downstairs, he would know something was wrong the instant he heard a noise inside the house, and J
effrey would be in even greater danger.

  Dart swigged champagne and offered the bottle to Lily. When she did not respond, he moved in front of her. Nora thought he was putting the bottle to her lips. He made a sideways comment to Margaret. Of course. She was the one he hated most” he was performing for her benefit. He carried the bottle to Marian, tilted it like a waiter to display the label, and put the bottle to her mouth. Whatever Marian did or said evoked an expression of unhappy disbelief. Dart backed away, pouting, and walked across the room to pick the knife off the table. He explained what he would be forced to do if she did not join him in a drink and tried again. She must have allowed him to pour some of the liquid into her mouth, because he gave her a happy smile. He went to Margaret, who grimly opened up and let him tip in champagne.

  Dart gulped from the bottle and turned to Marian. He tilted his hips, offering the cucumber. No? He put the bottle on the floor and said something which involved pointing to both the knife and the cucumber. Still talking, he tugged at himself, and the obedient cucumber plumped forward. Pleased, he displayed it to the other two women. Lily’s eyes were closed, and Margaret barely glanced at his prize. Returning to Marian, Dart again indicated the knife and the cucumber. The back of Marian’s head gave no clue to her response. Dart moved up beside her and rubbed the cucumber across her cheek. He glanced at Margaret, whose face settled into bleak immobility. Lily dared to take a peek at him and instantly squeezed her eyes shut again.

  What was Jeffrey doing, admiring Georgina Weatherall’s bedroom?

  Dart backed away, raised the knife, and fingered the loops of rope binding Marian to her chair. After selecting one, he slipped the knife underneath it, severed the rope, and knotted it in a new place. Marian’s right arm was freed to the elbow. It was an exchange of favors. Be nice to me, I’ll be nice to you.

  Stroking himself, Dart moved in front of Margaret. He waved himself at her and went through the same grinning pantomime he had with Marian. For Margaret’s benefit, he manipulated himself into another inch of bloat. Pulling and stroking, a dreamy expression gathering in his eyes, he extended himself in front of her face, demanding admiration. He stroked her hair with his free hand. Then his head snapped sideways.

  The muscles in Nora’s arms and legs went tense. Dart said something to Marian. Marian shook her head. He whirled away from Margaret, bounded to the side of the entrance, and pressed his back to the wall. Marian turned her head, and Margaret quizzed her with a look. They had all heard something, and no one in the room thought it was the sound of Agnes Brotherhood wandering down to the main floor. Nora stared at the empty opening. Dart put a finger to his lips. A few seconds ticked by. The women strained in their chairs.

  Dart licked his lips and stared at the entrance, ready to leap.

  Nora’s body decided for her. Before she had time to think, she moved across the window and pushed down the handle. Dart jerked his head sideways and stared at her in shock, surprise, and rage. He took a step forward, baring his teeth. Nora yanked open the French door, put a foot inside the lounge, and turned to stone as Jeffrey flew into the room. He somersaulted over, bounced to his feet behind Marian, and instantly began circling toward Dart, his body bent forward and his arms slightly extended.

  Dart shifted his eyes to Nora, then back to Jeffrey. “Who are you supposed to be, Action Man?” He sidled away from the wall. “Ladies, say hello to Jeffrey, the manservant. You’d be dead already, Jeffrey, if the mudpie hadn’t distracted me.”

  “Norma!” Marian shrieked. “Shoot him, shoot him!”

  “Shut up,” Nora said. She moved alongside Lily, who was gazing at her in pure terror.

  “Shoot him, Norma!” Marian yelled.

  “Baby, she’s a lousy shot, and the gun’s already empty,” Dart said. Already wholly adjusted to this turn of events, he was once again in confident good humor. All he had to deal with was an unarmed man and Nora-pie, who was a lousy shot, especially when the gun was empty. He loved his odds. Jeffrey was still circling toward him. “Come on, manservant,” Dart said.

  Jeffrey had not glanced at Nora since he had rocketed into the room. So focused on Dart that he seemed not to have heard Marian’s outbursts, he advanced with one slow, deliberate crab-step after another. Dart rolled his eyes in amusement. Jeffrey was not a serious threat. He threw out his arms and shrugged at Nora. “Should tell you the bitter truth, sweetie. I lied to you. The tits aren’t pretty. Too small and too flat.” He glanced at Jeffrey, and his smile widened.

  Nora said, “Do you ever wear women’s clothes, Dick?”

  He lost his smile, then began to move toward Jeffrey with the air of one having to conduct a necessary but tedious bit of business.

  Lily looked up fearfully at Nora. “Is that you, Mrs. Desmond?”

  “It’s me, Lily.” Nora touched her shoulder. The men drew closer. Nora was aiming the revolver at Dart, but she had no confidence in her ability to hit him. She said, “I can see your closet, Dick. There are two dresses inside it, and nobody’s ever seen them but you.”

  Dart growled and sprang, and Jeffrey seemed to flow backwards. Dart sailed four feet through the air and thudded down onto his stomach. In a second he pulled himself upright and went into a crouch. “So we know you’re fast,” he said, and bunched himself to charge.

  Jeffrey jumped right, then left, so quickly he seemed not to have done it at all. He moved directly behind Margaret, who, unlike Lily and Marian, was looking at Nora. Her eyes moved to something near the windows, then back to Nora. Nora looked behind her and understood. She ran to the table and picked up the cleaver. “Are you crazy?” Marian yelled. “You have a gun!”

  Dart twitched right, Jeffrey twitched left, a mirror image.

  Marian screamed at her to shoot.

  Dart ripped his knife through the empty air where Jeffrey had been, then pivoted and charged forward. Instead of floating back, Jeffrey ducked sideways, gripped Dart’s arm, rolled his body over his hip, and spun him wheeling to the carpet a few feet past Marian. Nora remembered that Jeffrey had once been, among a dozen other unlikely things, a karate instructor.

  Wincing, Dart picked himself up nearly as quickly as he had the first time. “Cool,” he said. “Faggy martial arts. Way you fight when you can’t really fight.” He jumped forward, jabbing, and Jeffrey faded back. Six feet from Dart, Jeffrey glanced at her over Marian’s head and spoke with his eyes. Nora switched the cleaver into her right hand and chopped at the ropes running across the back of Margaret’s chair.

  “Now me!” Marian yelled.

  Margaret pulled herself forward. The ropes fell away from her chest, but her hands were still tethered. “Me!” Marian screamed. Nora put down the gun and knelt to saw the cleaver between Margaret’s wrists. Lily cried out, and a body hit the floor. Dart was getting up on his knees, holding a bloody knife. Jeffrey dodged toward the hallway. An oozing, foot-long slash ran up the side of his chest, and his face looked as though he were listening to music. He filtered through the air, caught Dart’s arm, and slammed him back down on the carpet. Instead of waiting for Dart to twitch himself upright and charge again, Jeffrey followed him over in one smooth, continuous movement. With the electric immediacy of a bolt of lightning, Dart twisted to one side and thrust the knife into Jeffrey’s ribs.

  During an endless few seconds in which Nora tried to convince herself that she was mistaken, that she had seen something else entirely, the two men hung locked into position. A red stain blossomed on Jeffrey’s wet shirt, and then he sagged down onto Dart’s body. Nora wavered to her feet.

  Marian shrilled to be set free.

  Dart released a sigh of triumph and pushed Jeffrey off his chest. Jeffrey pressed a hand over his wound and lay still.

  Sitting up, Dart was sliding backwards to disentangle his legs from Jeffrey’s. Nora took a step toward him. Jeffrey looked up at Dart and grunted, the first sound he had made since he had come hurtling into the room. The stillness of intense concentration had not left his face. Maria
n sent up insistent waves of sound. Frantic, Nora cocked the cleaver over her shoulder and walked toward the men.

  Dart pulled himself easily to his feet and spun to face her. “Really, Nora.”

  Playful, taunting, the knife punched out at her. It was impossible, she could not do it, he was too fast for her. The knife jumped forward in another parody of a thrust, and Dart came smiling forward. Nora backed away, holding up the cleaver, knowing she could not hit him before he stabbed her. Superior, silvery amusement ran through him. “I expected a little more of you,” he said, and then his eyes enlarged and his body dropped away in front of her with amazing, surreal speed.

  She looked down. His arms around Dart’s ankles, Dart’s heels pressed against his chest, Jeffrey pulled him back another inch.

  In the second of grace Jeffrey had given her, Nora sprinted forward, raised the cleaver high over her shoulder, and slammed it down into one of the tufts of hair on Dart’s back. The fat blade sank two or three inches into his skin, and blood welled up around it. She tugged at the handle, intent on smashing the cleaver into his head. Dart shook himself like a horse and twitched the handle away from her grasp. “Hey, I thought we were friends,” he wheezed. He kicked himself free from Jeffrey’s grip and dragged himself forward. He wheezed again, got his elbows under him, and pulled himself toward her. She stepped back. He looked up at her, eyes alight with ironic pleasure. “I don’t understand this constant rejection.”

  Nora’s heel came down on the barrel of the revolver.

  Marian’s screams floated to the ceiling. Nora wrapped her hands around the grip of the revolver and took two steps forward, her mind a white emptiness. She squatted on the soles of her feet and pressed the barrel against Dart’s forehead.