“Yeah.”
“You went to bed with a woman you hardly know and don’t remember much about it?”
He sighed. “Yeah.”
“Talk about a plot for a novel,” she said sourly.
“Well, let’s compare stories, Deva, since you seem to think mine is so ridiculous. You got a kid who hangs garlic on a door to ward off evil spirits, right?”
She cleared her throat. “Yes. But – ”
“You’re paranoid about the town and about Jim Klein, right?”
“Yes. But – ”
“You’re convinced that something, well, terrible or evil is going on, right?”
“Okay, Jay,” she acquiesced. “Okay. You’re right. So I got a little jealous. I’m sorry.”
Jay laughed softly in the confines of the closed car.
“Let’s get out of here and find a place to eat. Then I think we should try to figure out exactly what’s going on.”
* * *
Kelly was astonished at the length of the prayers the kids said before sitting down to eat the pizza. They prayed that God would not let them be taken and possessed by Satan and his followers. They prayed for the lost souls of what they called the Little People. And they all said a short prayer for Kelly’s soul.
“You guys are really serious, aren’t you?” Kelly asked.
“You’ll see,” Ange told her. “Soon.”
The pizza was eaten quickly. Then the kids polished off a container of ice cream for dessert. Later they all helped clean the kitchen. “Let’s go,” Jenny said. “Stay with us, Kelly. Don’t leave the group. That’s the only way you’ll be safe.”
“Where are we going?”
“To see Father Pat. But first, we got to get there.”
As soon as Kelly stepped out of the house, into the darkness, she could sense that something was wrong. She didn’t know what it was, but it was there. It was – thick, she concluded.
“All of a sudden I feel sort of dirty,” she said.
“It’s gonna get worse. Kelly, if you feel like doing something real stupid, fight it. Tell us, and we’ll help you fight it. But don’t give in to it.”
“Whatever you say.”
The kids pedaled through the thick ink of night. They had not gone a block before they saw a boy, maybe fifteen, sitting on his front porch. Spotting them, he stood up and unzipped his jeans, exposing himself.
Kelly stopped on the side of the street and stared as the boy began to stroke his flesh.
Oh, go on! A soft voice urged the girl. You know you want to see it, touch it . . .
Jenny slapped her across the face, almost knocking Kelly off the bike.
“I told you to fight it!” Jenny’s voice was sharp. “It’s a boy playing with himself, that’s all. You give in to this, and you’re gonna end up like most of the girls in this town. Raped and brutalized and finally not able to control your own mind. You want that?”
Kelly rubbed the side of her face. “No. Of course, I don’t.”
“Then come on.”
They rode hard through the evil-tinged velvet. When they slid to a stop in front of the rectory, Kelly could no longer feel the thickness of evil.
“What happened?” she asked.
“Father Pat will explain. Come on.”
“I feel like somebody’s watching me.”
“They are,” Ken said. “It’s them.”
* * *
“Deva, just for a time, let’s don’t discuss what we saw, or think we saw, or anything about Victory, Okay?”
“We’re going to have to talk about it, Jay.”
“But not now.”
“All right,” she said, smiling.
The food was very good, and over coffee, Jay asked, “Where did you finish college, Deva?”
“I didn’t.”
“But back at the house you said – ”
“I said ’after college,’ Jay. I didn’t say I finished.”
“Hard to believe. You were the whiz kid of Victory High.”
“Maybe that’s the reason I didn’t finish. Too much was always expected of me. And, like you, Jay, I was always rejecting what others considered to be the norm and the ’right thing to do.’ ”
He nodded his head in agreement.
“But, Jay, we each paid in our own way for our rebelliousness.”
“Did we, Deva? That’s a very interesting thing to say.”
“Weren’t we almost always alone in many of the things we did?”
“Well, that’s true.” He paused, thinking for a moment. “Say it all, Deva.”
“I think we’re going to be alone now, facing whatever is happening in Victory.”
“I hate to touch a sore spot, but don’t forget Amy.”
“I don’t have any hard feelings toward Amy. I like her. And I think Jim Klein is solid, too.”
“There is something else, Deva. It isn’t written in stone that any of us have to stay in Victory.”
“Thinking about leaving?”
“I gave it some thought, yes. Are you going to say that you haven’t thought of the same?”
“Many times over the past two or three months. Jenny says we can’t leave.”
“Why?”
“At first I didn’t pay any attention to her, Jay. She has a very active imagination and is a very, very bright kid.”
“Like someone else I know.” He touched her hand.
“Yeah. Anyway, I don’t attend any church, Jay. You know how I feel about religion. So I never took or made Jenny go.”
“Neither do I make Kelly go. But Kelly was baptized in the Catholic church.”
“Then they’ll become friends when Jenny learns of that. Jenny is great friends with our local priest, Father Patrick. Father Pat, the kids call him. Jenny told me, oh, several months back, that the town was evil. Well, I passed it off as a kid’s babbling. As soon as school was out for the summer, I asked her if she’d like to leave Victory for the summer. The two of us. Just travel. Would you believe she said no?”
“What was her reason?”
“She said we had to stay and fight the good fight against evil. Well ... hey, that’s when I really began to perk up and smell the coffee. I went out to her clubhouse shortly after that. Jay, I’ve got to show it to you. You’ve never seen anything like it. You’ll see.”
“It’s hard to hide things from a kid, Deva. I’ve learned that much from Kelly. And we, as adults, have a tendency to underrate their astuteness.”
“What are you trying to say, Jay?”
“I’m not sure. But I’m going to get to the bottom of this. Deva, I do not believe that the devil has taken over Victory. I’m sorry, I just don’t believe that.”
“Explain the little man who attacked Kelly and cut Jim’s hand.”
“Well, I can’t, any more than I can explain away those ... little creatures I almost hit today.”
“Can you explain any of it?”
“No, I can’t. Deva, do you think, believe, that the devil has made Victory his headquarters, so to speak?”
Deva suddenly giggled.
“What’s so funny?”
“Those two couples that were sitting at the next table. They were listening for the past couple of minutes. They all just jumped up and left. It was so funny; their expressions.”
“Maybe they’ve got more sense than we have, Deva. Think about that.”
She touched his hand. “Jay, you’re still my friend?”
“All the way. You know that without asking.”
“No, Jay, no!” Her voice was low but sharp. “Don’t accept anything in Victory at face value. Don’t make that mistake. Promise me you won’t.”
“All right. If that will make you feel better. I promise.” He glanced at his watch.
“Don’t worry about the kids, Jay. They’re all over at Father Pat’s. Bet on that.”
“This Father Pat must be a hell of a guy.”
“Oh, he is. He’s also blind.”
7
“Let me touch your face, child,” the priest said. “Then I’ll know what you look like.”
Kelly let the priest touch her face. His fingers were astonishingly gentle as they traced her features. Finished, he leaned back in his chair and smiled. Some classical piece of music was playing softly in the background.
“Has Jenny been giving you a bad time of it, Kelly?”
“Well, sort of. But that’s all over, now.”
“I had to be sure, Father Pat,” Jenny said.
“But of course,” the priest said, smiling. “Tell me about yourself, Kelly. I know only that you’re from New York City.”
“Jenny told you?”
“No, your accent. I lived in New York City for a long time. I can still see it.”
“See it?”
Father Pat laughed. “Oh, yes, Kelly. Blind people see. We just see things in a different manner, that’s all.”
The priest waved them all to seats. He picked up a tiny bell and rang it softly.
A side door opened, and the roughest-looking man Kelly had ever seen walked in. Had she met him on a dark street, she would have been terrified.
His face was wide and cruel looking, his shoulders broad and his hands huge. He might have been anywhere between forty and sixty.
“This is Eric,” Father Pat said. “He’s been my friend for thirty years. He is my chauffeur, the church handyman, you name it.”
“And bodyguard,” Eric said, smiling. He winked at Kelly and she returned the smile.
“Yes.” Father Pat smiled. “Let us not forget that. Well, Kelly, what do you think about Victory?”
“I think it’s the weirdest place I have ever seen in my life. I was attacked by a toy man today!” She blurted the last, and then wondered if she’d made a mistake.
But no one changed expression. Ken yawned.
“Were you now?” Father Pat’s voice was soft. “And where did this take place?”
“At my daddy’s house. I guess it’s his house. Aunt Cary’s big old place.”
“On Sixth Street.”
“Yes, sir. How’d you know that?”
“How many houses on that street, Kelly?” the priest asked instead of answering.
“Well, I never counted them. Ah ... well, there’s six on our side, six on the other side, and then the street makes that funny little turnaround, and there’s six right there. Eighteen.”
“You’re very observant.”
“Thank you. Have you ever seen one of these little people ... ah, stupid question, wasn’t it? Sorry.”
Everyone laughed. Father Pat said. “No need to apologize, Kelly. That’s a common expression. No, Kelly, I have not. But I’ve heard a great deal about them.” He looked at Jenny.
But the girl remained silent.
“I got a question.” Kelly broke the silence.
“Go ahead.” To Eric: “Get me a cross, will you, Eric?”
The tough-looking man nodded and left the room.
“If things are so bad in this town, why hasn’t someone done something about it?”
“A good question. What has been taking place in this town, Kelly, has been occurring for a long, long time. But it only surfaced a short time ago. And whom would you suggest we call for help?”
“Well, I don’t know. How can I answer that when I don’t even know what is going on?”
Father Pat smiled. “You are not only very pretty, but very intelligent. Sometimes, too often, the two do not go together.”
Eric entered the room and handed the priest three crosses and chains.
“I only requested one, Eric.”
“The girl’s parents,” Eric replied shortly.
“You’ll have to get used to Eric, Kelly,” Father Pat said. “He’s a man of few words. Thank you, Eric, you’re right, of course. If they will wear them.”
Kelly bowed her head as the priest prayed and blessed the gold crosses. He slipped one around her neck. Put the others in her pocket.
“Is this gonna protect me?” she asked.
“It will help as you try.” He felt his watch. “It’s time for our TV program, Eric.”
“I’d rather watch the PBS station,” Eric said with a frown. “You shouldn’t be watching ”The Equalizer,” Pat. It’s too violent.”
Father Pat laughed. “This from a man who spent his early years in the French Foreign Legion. Come, Eric, let’s see what McCall is up to tonight. You look after our newest enlistee, Jenny.”
“Yes, sir.”
They filed out into the warm and evil night and stood by their bikes for a moment.
“Whole lot more of them tonight, Jenny,” Ange noted.
“It’s going to happen soon,” the girl said softly. “Very soon.”
“What?” Kelly asked, annoyance in the question.
“If any of us knew, we could do something about it,” Jenny replied.
“Let’s go to the cops!”
They all laughed at that, Robert saying, “They’re all part of it. All but one, we think.”
“Jim Klein?”
“Yeah. You’ve met him,” Jenny said. “What do you think about him?”
“I think he’s nice.”
“But can he be trusted?”
No one had anything to say about that.
“If we stay together,” Jenny told Kelly, “we’re pretty safe. They won’t risk really harming us. At least not yet.”
“Who is they?” Kelly demanded.
“Everybody. Everybody in this whole stinking, dirty, evil town.”
* * *
“Don’t look around,” Deva urged. “It’s Coach Banks. He’s just leaving.”
“Why shouldn’t I greet him?” Jay whispered.
“Because he still hates you.”
“Oh, come on, Deva! That was twenty years ago.”
“I’m not kidding. He still blames you and still talks about you. He blames you for the team losing the state championship that year.”
“He’s the one who kicked me off the team. Besides, I wasn’t that good a ball handler.”
“You were better than you thought. You just wouldn’t take it seriously.”
“I still don’t.”
“You were the glue that held the team together, Jay. You never knew that the other kids looked up to you, did you?”
“No. And it comes as a shock to hear it now.”
“Well, they did. That’s why I said that we both paid for our rebelliousness. You were the town rebel ... in your own quiet way. You never would take any crap off of anybody . . . including the coach. You always marched to the beat of another drummer.”
“Is Banks still coaching?”
“No. He’s the administrator at the hospital.”
“Banks! The man’s an idiot.”
“It’s a strange hospital, Jay. Your Aunt Cary built it. It’s a huge place. It’s totally out of proportion for the population.”
“You’ve been in there? The hospital, I mean?”
“Hell, no! People who go in there ... well, they come out – if they come out – changed.”
“Mind-boggling,” Jay muttered. “But the place has to be accredited by the state.”
“Oh, I’m sure it is. It’s a huge complex, Jay. A place for the mentally ill; a nursing home; a privately funded research center.”
“Researching what?”
“I don’t know. Hush-hush.”
“And let me guess who is ’privately funding’ the place. Money from Aunt Cary’s estate.”
“Right.”
“What do you mean that people who go in there come out changed?”
“Just that. They’re different. I don’t mean that they come out as zombies. But they’re different. You can see it in their eyes and tell it when they speak.”
With a sigh, Jay said, “It’s been a long and very confusing day, Deva. You ready to head back?”
When they got to the car, they discovered that all four tires were flat. Someone had taken a
n ice pick and jabbed holes in all of them.
A piece of paper was under a wiper blade, driver’s side. Cussing, Jay pulled the paper free and read it.
“What’s it say?” Deva asked.
“Welcome home, punk.”
“Banks.”
“I’d bet on it.”
Deva shook her head in disgust. “I thought he spotted me in there. But your back was to him. I guess he recognized you. He did a double take when he saw me.”
“How old is Banks?”
“Well, not much older than us. Victory was his first job out of college. Why?”
“If I can prove he did this, I’m going to do something I should have done twenty years ago.”
“What?”
“Kick his goddamned ass!”
* * *
“A rebellion has started,” the man said. “It must be crushed and done so quickly.”
The men who sat around the long table nodded their heads in agreement. This was a night conference of dark evil, but quite different from the scene that most might envision. These men wore no hoods or robes; there was only one indication of what the meeting truly represented: a single cross, hanging upside down on a far wall. The men wore business suits or tailored sports jackets.
“Bruno Dixon?” The name was tossed out.
The spokesman shook his head. “Bruno Dixon is a fat fool with a special gift. He can do nothing. It is up to us.”
“Why was Jay Clute even notified of Cary’s death?”
“Because it’s the law,” a new voice added. “I never dreamed the bastard would bring his kid or plan to spend the summer. Besides, there are powers that wished him here.”
And no one among them wanted to question the wish of those dark powers.
“And why are the toys suddenly rebelling?” yet another voice asked.
“Because of the meddling of that damned blind priest, that’s why,” the spokesman said. “And that bunch of nosy kids.”
“We all know who Jim Klein really is. Why don’t we dispose of him?”
“Kill a cop? Don’t be a fool. Let him prowl; he can’t prove anything. The state will pull him out of here before long. If the chief doesn’t fuck up and do something totally stupid.”
“Can we entice Jay?”
The spokesman laughed. “But of course. His daughter will see to that.”
“Lucky bastard. Bruno is foaming at the mouth thinking about that little girl.”
Toy Cemetery Page 6
