Chapter 2
"Funny thing that happened at the party, wasn't it?" Patterson said.
"I would not call it funny. Not with the results." George answered bitterly.
"I know... She was an escaped mental patient, wasn't she?"
"Yes."
"Doctor Hoffman keeps losing patients, doesn't she? Like when Maggie Evans came back on her own from Wyncliffe. And that was only the start, but a lot of that stuff was after I left. I did not have to be the one to tell her to tighten security at that place of hers. It is not my responsibility anymore."
"I have to deal with it. And it is not that often. The orderly was careless, and I imagine that he will be reprimanded, and might even get fired." An ugly idea came to his head, about Barnabas, but he did not show to Patterson. Plenty of time before sundown to do something abut it. "and Wyncliffe has not had an escape for a long time."
"This one did damage enough." Patterson was cynical enjoying George's evident discomfort. "But the way, what about the other trouble?"
"What other trouble?"
"That cousin of Doctor Hoffman's"
"He got drunk and abusive and had to be hustled off."
"Only that?" Patterson was scornful.
"No more."
Patterson grinned. "Of course, you know the real story, but you won't tell me."
George did not answer.
"After all, Barnabas is a Collins. It is their town. And they never let you forget who owns it. I got plenty of dressing downs from Roger, in my day. Now, Roger is a shadow of his former self, but his niece has the whip hand."
"It is not that." George felt suddenly uncomfortable.
"It does not matter. It is something you have to live with. I did for many years, until I had enough. I tried to stand on my own, and that bitch Elizabeth backed Davenport to run against me and take me down... I should have kept kissing her ring and I would have had the job forever. I take that you kiss the junior bitch's ring, now."
"She... she does not have the influence she once had. The Davenport Center means that she is not the only employer in town, so she has to tread more carefully."
"Yeah... But still you do not dare confront her.,,, Oh, well, I am out of it now. I am retired and investing in a business of my own."
George, who knew whose money had gone into Patterson's ventures did not comment on it. "I hope that you are lucky with it," he permitted himself to say.
"Why? Are you worried you won't see your money again?"
Zoya looked at the hand in the cabinet. With that hand she could defeat Hallie. She had only to use it properly.
The question was, when would she get to use it properly? She knew how to do it, as she had watched others use it. But it would require time, concentration, and most important, solitude..
She had to get it away, as Magda Rakosi had done. Only she was lucky to have Adam as the scapegoat. She had to get Adam to steal the hand for her.
"I know that you hate me now, Julia "Barnabas said to her."
Julia only glared at him.
"All I can tell you is that I knew nothing of it. You know that Megan always keeps me in the dark."
"It was your house where it happened. You provided the opportunity."
"Also the opportunity for Violet to try to kill Iris and Tammy and Joe."
"And you refuse to do anything for him."
"No much that I can do. Megan is acting as his lawyer. She thinks that she may get him off."
"Ha! I can't even visit him."
"You are pregnant. He does not want you there. The risk is too great. Someone may take a nip at you, and then your child would be in danger."
"I want Richard back. I want them to set him free."
"There is nothing that I can do."
"Can't or won't?"
Julia turned her back on him, and he felt the anguish mount in him. If she turned against him... if all their friendship ended here... if he had to watch her fall to pieces, and be unable to help...
There was a burning inside him. Pain, as he had not known, and emptiness that engulfed him. And anger, unreasoning anger.
He moved along, not sure where he wanted to go, what he wanted to do... he just wanted the pain to end.
He found himself facing Jake.
"Are you planning to resign?" he asked her in a deceptively mild way.
"Because I got careless with Mrs. Upton?"
"You did not get careless. You deliberately allowed her to escape, so that she could punish Tammy and Joe for you."
"Hey, man, that's crazy."
"Are you going to tell me that it is not true? Really? Do you know what Mrs. Upton said, just before Sheriff Brant shot her? That she was going to punish Tammy for turning you down. That she and Joe deserved what they were going to get because the way they treated you."
Jake backed down, suddenly scared. He could sense the menace in Barnabas' even if his words were still soft.
"I guess that you are tired of living, then." Barnabas said, moving closer.
"No! I am not!"
"Too bad. Did you not think that I might get angry at that? That I might want an accounting of your? That I would want to kill you?"
"You wouldn't"
"Wouldn't" He lifted Jake by his clothes so that his feet no longer touched the ground. "I have killed better men than you, Jake. If I can live with that knowledge, how much easier would be to live with having killed the man who tried to hurt my daughter? I can kill you and bury you in secret. Everyone would think that you ran way... "He put his hand on Jake's neck. "A man's neck breaks so easily... Shall I show you how easily?"
"Hey, man! You owe me! I stopped Roger from killing you!:
Barnabas stopped for a few seconds, then began pulling his teeth back. Jake screamed.
The door opened and Brant came in.
Barnabas dropped Jake to the floor.
"Jake Ryan, I am arresting you for knowingly aiding and abetting the escape of Mrs. Violet Upton, an act that led to the attempted murder of Mrs. Iris White."
Jake let himself be handcuffed and led outside. Barnabas looked at George, wondering what he had seen, and why he had not commented about it.
George took him outside to his car, where Megan was waiting.
"I was right." he said. "Barnabas went for him."
"Did you say anything to him?'
'No. What needs to be said. I will say tomorrow, when I lecture him. You were right. He needs tough love."
"Yes. I can understand why he feels this way. But he can become a danger to others as well as himself"
George nodded.
"What will you do with Jake?"
"What Barnabas did to Willie Loomis in 1967. Not for me, I know somebody who needs a good caretaker. He is a sensible man and will not be brutal with Jake." she touched him, and Jake flinched. "But he will be on probation for a while. Too bad about you. You could have been a therapist, as you wanted. But you threw it away. Do not bemoan your fate. You could have ended up dead or in jail for what you did. This may be a fresh start for you., if you have learned your lesson."
"You mean to work for one of... one of you?"
"Yes, guarding the coffin for a vampire, and running errands for him. Better than being killed by Barnabas, don't you think? Yes, he will put you under his control for quite a while. You are not trustworthy... and don't protest, you have proven that you are not."
"No! Not thatt!"
Megan shrugged "I guess you want it the hard way." She pulled him to her side, and pulled his head so that his neck was extended. In spite of his screams he bit into him hard. He fought her until she got control of him. Then he calmed down, and sat back whimpering.
"Well... that is done.
