The Hellfire Club

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 Jeffrey 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