Haunted (40 page)

With heavy heart, Elizabeth asked me to help her arrange for her daughter's assassination. I agreed. After delivering her safely back to Baudey House, I took my leave to prepare for what was to come.

In San Luis Obispo, I hired two men known to me to be trustworthy in their own ways, and we laid the plans. The next day, I took Elizabeth for another ride and, when we were alone, told her the plan. The two men would allow themselves to be lured into the dungeon and, once below, would dispatch first Christabel and then the Erzuli effigy. One of the other women would then have to release the latch and let the men free. Mariette Cantori, very young but very trusted by Elizabeth, agreed to do this. If the Erzuli doll was not in the dungeon, it would be upstairs in the locked case in Christabel's bedroom. In either case, it would all be over in one night. Christabel 's torture chamber would become her tomb.

The night arrived and, honoring Elizabeth's wishes, I stayed away from the house. Prior to this night, Elizabeth instructed me as to her last will and testament, in case anything should happen to her, and also to the removal and storage of the dolls, should the assassination attempt fail. In that case, she asked me to leave this letter with the dolls, in case they should some day be found.

I spent the evening in Barnacle Bob's, whiling away the hours, wishing I could be there to help Elizabeth. But she insisted that bringing my presence to her daughter's attention could easily spell disaster for me. She might quickly fashion a doll--a simple cloth effigy might not satisfy her artistic eye, but it would hold my soul prisoner just as well as the ornate ones--and Elizabeth was adamant that I not let this happen.

At last, with dawn approaching, I rode out to Baudey House and found a scene of carnage so terrible that I, a veteran of three wars, nearly passed out. I saw no sign of Elizabeth or Christabel and so I went up to Christabel's bedroom in the west wing and examined the remaining dolls. Most of them were undamaged and I destroyed these immediately so that no souls would be trapped within. The damaged ones, almost all with drops of blood upon them, I knew held freshly harvested souls trapped within them. These are the dolls that you, my reader, now possess. The effigy of Elizabeth, thank God, was undamaged except for the broken legs. She, at least, had not been captured. Not knowing whether Christabel was still alive, I took this effigy with me to protect it.

Seeing no sign of the men I had hired, I went to the third floor, as Elizabeth had previously directed, and entered a room in the east wing, that overlooks the terrace. There, with heavy heart, I found the mutilated body of poor Mariette Cantori, obviously killed while trying to complete her mission. Nearby, I found the latch that opened the secret door to the dungeon.

Every part of the plan had gone awry, for there, as the door slid open, I saw her.

Christabel was on the stairs, and she must have been about to open the door herself. I believe I screamed like a woman, so horrified and surprised was I, for the girl was naked and covered in blood, drenched in it, reeking of death. Her hair was clotted with the stuff and it hung in red plaits over her bloody shoulders and breasts. In her hand, she held a heart. Looking at me with her brilliant dark eyes, she murmured foreign words and I realized she was casting her spell upon me.

I forced myself to look away, though I did not want to. I swear to you, dear reader, that I wanted her at that moment, both physically and with my heart, such was the magic that she used on me. I would have done anything for her, but something helped me fend her off, and now I believe that Elizabeth herself was my guardian angel: I shall tell you why in a moment.

Angry at my resistance, Christabel put the human heart to her mouth and bit into it. Strengthened by my guardian angel, I took that moment to draw my blade and throw it at the girl's eye. My aim was true and the dagger, a gift of the Navy for bravery in 1898 during the Spanish-American War, sank into her eye. Snarling like an animal, she tried to pull it out, but it had done its job and she toppled and fell down into the darkness beyond.

Filled with fear, I proceeded downstairs. Bodies were everywhere; bodies dead of torture, and worse. To my surprise, Elizabeth's body was not among them.

There, I also found a cabinet filled with more ensouled dolls, just as Elizabeth had described, though the Erzuli icon was not among them. But I could feel the cold presence of Christabel swirling around me, laughing, smelling so strongly of her favorite perfume, that accursed
jasmine that I nearly vomited.

Feeling that I might faint at any moment, repeatedly attacked by Christabel's spirit, I'm sorry to say that I left the dolls and hurried upstairs. I nailed the dungeon gateway closed, then entered the tower and blasted the other dungeon entrance with dynamite Elizabeth had placed there for that purpose. That entrance shall never be opened, and the well-hidden third floor passage shall be revealed only if you, my reader, decide to do so.

It was 7:00A.M. when I was done and I hurried from the house after hiding the doll of Elizabeth safely in the wardrobe in her old second floor bedroom, also as she had instructed. (There are hiding places all over the house, in cabinets and furniture, and I often wonder just how many more dolls may be secreted in these places.)

As I made to leave, I noticed the surrey down by the lighthouse and, with heavy heart, I galloped toward it. I found a note from my goddaughter upon the empty seat. Elizabeth had escaped and taken her own life so that Christabel could not rule her in death. At the end of the note was a pointed message that surprised me. It said, "If my effigy is safe, I may have learned enough of the magic to be able to inhabit it in a manner similar to that in which my daughter intends to use the Erzuli figure. Though I could not be as strong as her, I vow to stay and protect you and those who follow from her evil influences. I shall do this until she is destroyed and until the souls already entrapped by her are freed. I shall stay until Ezra and I are united again, in death, if not in life."

And that was that. In due course, I inherited the house, as I knew I would, and I slept in Elizabeth's bedroom, which often smelled faintly of her favorite lavender sachet. I turned the place into a veterans' home, but Elizabeth was not strong enough to protect the entire house.

Tragedy after tragedy befell us and many men told me of a succubus who visited them at night, though not many of them considered that part such a tragedy.

I often wished I had the sort of mind that could communicate with the spirits because I have often wondered if Elizabeth's strength might increase if the doll was destroyed. I dare not try, since it might just as well destroy her as empower her.

As I write this I make ready to depart. I closed the house a few months ago. Most of my boarders have died or moved away and my health is not what it once was. Though it distresses me to leave Elizabeth alone in this cursed house, I can stand the atmosphere here no longer. Surely, I tell myself, she understands.

I have failed to locate the Erzuli effigy, though I have tried and tried. The one place I did not search well was the dungeon, for I hadn't the heart to return to that hell hole after the brief search I conducted on the night I murdered Christabel.

If you, the finder of these notes, wish to remain here, (though I would not advise it), you must try to find the Erzuli icon and destroy it. It is the only way to weaken Christabel's hold on Baudey House and to release the innocent souls trapped within this place.

While you live within these walls, protect yourself at all times. Do not be seduced by the demon's wiles. Having failed to save the souls of Elizabeth, Ezra, and the others, I can only tell you now that, as long as I am living, and in the eternity thereafter, I will pray for those who are imprisoned and for those who would free them. May God have mercy on your soul.

Maxwell Patton, Commodore, U.S. Navy, Retired

5 September, 1921

A tapping on the window brought David back to the real world. Looking up, he saw Keith Shayrock staring in at him through the glass. He waved and, in a blue haze, tried to stand up and almost tripped over his own feet. His mind reeled from what he had read. He crossed to the file cabinet and, after a brief glance at the schematic Patton had made to show the location of the secret entry to the dungeon, locked the missive inside, then went to answer the door.

Beings of Light Church: 8:23P.M.

"Look, Minnie," that hussy Theo Pelinore said. She stood in front of the stained glass window of the Beings of Light Church, like she was a saint or something. St. Hussy of the Open Thighs. "You had it coming. You weren't careful. I told you to be careful, but you didn't listen, did you? You never listen because you're never quiet long enough to hear-"

"But he was rude, just so rude. He just pushed me out of his office like--just never mind what." Minnie's outrage washed over her, tightening her face, narrowing her eyes. "He has dirty books in there, books with people's things in them. He's wicked. Wicked and--"

"He's a perfectly fine man and he caught you going through his office, Minnie. You blew it. Why can't you admit it?" The hussy stared at her like she was trying to set fire to her with her eyes. "There's nothing you can do about it now."

"But you're paying me to watch him for you-"

"Not any more, and it's your own fault. He won't let you back in there, and I don't blame him."

Minnie stepped closer. "Hussy!"

Gleefully, Minnie saw that a fleck of her spit hit Theo's cheek. The hussy didn't wipe it away, but drew herself up to full height. "Be quiet, you dried up old twat."

Minnie lunged.

"Sisters, please," Reverend Alice soothed, inserting herself between them. "Please, this is a sacred place!"

Both women harrumphed, still glaring at each other.

"Any minute now, our members will start walking in," Reverend Alice said quickly. "You two can't be at each other's throats. After all, we did agree that the others shouldn't be told that Minnie's been monitoring the house for us, at least until we knew what type of spiritual aid the spirits within are craving."

Theo and Minnie stood like pit bulls, each waiting for the other to move. Minnie wanted to tear her throat out. How dare she call her that word. If she only knew what Minnie had in her purse, well, she'd be kissing her feet, just to see it.

"Alice," Theo said coolly, "We let Minnie back into the church with the understanding that she was working for us. Now that her work is over, I think we should ask her to leave. For good."

"I was a member here before you, you... you hussy! I was a member of the Inner Circle."

"Minnie, that was before we were truly organized, and the inner circle was nothing but a small group trying to put together an organization," Alice placated. "There's no more inner circle--we're not a secretive organization anymore. We've evolved. Now, we have a channeling circle and we do keep it closed so that those who channel Spiros are protected that’s the only reason we keep the circle closed." She paused, smiling. "I'm sure you understand."

Minnie nodded sourly.

Alice turned her gaze on Theo. "Theodora, everyone should be welcome here. After all, it is a church."

"In theory, yes," Theo said slowly. "But you know why she was ousted before, Alice. She twisted everything we said and made the town hate us. We can't function with her here." Theo crossed her arms with finality.

"Theo, I'm only proposing that we allow her to attend the open meetings on Sunday mornings, just as anyone else can. I know you did what you thought was best at the time, Theo, but now we're a real church, and no church can deny anyone the right to worship."

Theo didn't answer and Alice turned her gentle smile back on Minnie Willard. "You're welcome here Sunday mornings, Minnie. We just can't grant you membership in the channeling circle."

"But--"

"Tonight, we're having a channeling session, so you'll have to leave now."

"But I can tell them things--"

Theo drew herself to full height. "You just can't stomach the thought that there are secrets you don't know--"

"Wait." Alice put her hand on Theo's arm. "Anger won't help. Minnie, out of fifty-three faithful members, only a handful have earned their way into the channeling circle. Remember, we agreed you would report only to me or to Theo, so why don't you go on home? Tomorrow I'll call you and you can tell me everything you've found out about Body House."

"But I came here tonight to tell the Inner Circle." No matter what Reverend Alice claimed, Minnie knew the Inner Circle still existed.

Alice started to look like she was going to lose her temper too. "We're not an inner circle, or a secret cabal or anything like that, Minnie, so please don't call us that. It gives a false impression." Alice paused, looking at Theo. "Since her work at Body House is done, if Minnie wants to briefly address the group before we get started, I don't really see anything wrong with that, do you, Theo?"

"Alice, all she'll do is go on about books she believes to be pornographic, and-- "

"I won't say a word about those filthy books that that pervert child molester has in his office. I have information." She looked from Theo and Alice, her eyes narrowed and bright. "That's what you wanted, isn't it? Information?"