Chapter 5

Barnabas whistled the tune of "Mack the Knife" softly. Things were going smoothly for a change. Julia had told him that Eileen would soon be discharged. and Redwolf had stopped complaining...

On the other hand, maybe that was ominous. Maybe Xavier was about to fire him. Well, he could not bring himself to care about it.

If only Phillip would get better.

He knew that he wasn't getting any better. And Julia did not want him to handle the case.

But it made no senses. Granted that he had misjudged badly in sending Phillip to play the sax in public. But still there were things that he could do. If Julia's attempt at therapy was successful, she would have a case in keeping him away. But she was stuck, and he could help her.

Yet she stubbornly refused to let him help in any way.

Then there was a knock at the door, and he had to abandon his musings.

For a few seconds he waited for somebody to open the door. Louella, Phillip, anybody. Then he remembered that there was no one with him and that he had to learn to do those little chores by himself. With a sight, he got up and went to the door.

It was Frank Torrance, looking haggard.

"Anything wrong? he asked.

Frank nodded as he let him inside.

"You want anything? Some brandy?"

"No." Frank said vehemently "If I wanted booze I'd be in the Blue Whale. And the other bars. I am making the rounds lately, you know?"

Making the rounds. Barnabas did not need much imagination to know what me meant. "Your drinking is getting out of control?"

"Yes. Yesterday at the office I couldn't wait to finish so I could go out and have a stiff one." he waited for Barnabas' reaction. "And thinking about the stuff is one of the danger signs.

Barnabas nodded.

"So I calculated how many hours I spent in bars. Sure, I have excuses for it. This town does not have much in the way of entertainment. It is easier to have a social life in the bars. But when you begin swallowing booze like water...

"And you want me to help you?"

"No. I just want to talk to you... about her. About Angelique."

"You blame yourself for what happened to her?" Barnabas asked gently.

"It was my fault."

"Tom Jennings killed her."

"I still believe it was my fault. She caught me and Megan together in bed. That's why she tried to go away. That's why she wasn't missed."

"It wasn't because of you. It was because of me. We had a bit argument, she and I. Real bad. I got close to forcing liquor down her throat" he looked away, wondering if he would tell the rest of it. "I knew that she was a former alcoholic. Or close enough to it. Then I told her to leave Collinsport and forget that I ever existed. If someone set her up for Tom Jennings, it was me."

"It started with me. I never gave her what she wanted. That's why she kept after you."

"Frank" Barnabas laid his hand on the other man's arm. "you could not have known what would happen. Nobody did. If we had, we would have done something about Tom Jennings."

"I arranged for her to catch me and Megan in bed. I wanted to hurt her. And because of that..."

"Frank, don't blame yourself for more than you are actually responsible. You played a mean trick on her. But you didn't deliver her to Tom Jennings. She was on his hit list, and even without your help, or mine, he would have managed to get to her."

Frank shook his head, unconvinced.

"Do you think that Chris will keep quiet?" Roxanne asked Megan.

"I ordered him to. He has too much sense to disobey a direct order from me."

"I would like to do more work with him." Julia ventured.

"Later, when this thing is over. If it is over." Megan shrugged "If we make it, you can analyze him at your leisure. If not..."

"Do you think that he could begin to give some basic training to David and Sandy?"

"He could."

"What about Barnabas?" Megan asked pointedly.

"What has Barnabas got to do with it?"

"You still want to keep him out of it?"

"You said yourself that he isn't reliable."

"But he knows enough to keep out of the way when told to do so."

"I don't want him involved."

"Then you can't have David and Sandy."

"Why?"

"Because he's bitten both of them, and if you train them as you want, he'll know."

"I just don't want him."

"Why? Because he hurt you once and you can't forgive him?"

"He didn't just hurt me. He ruined my life."

"He ruined mine, too. But that's no reason not to have a working relationship with him. I do."

"I can't forgive him."

"Then don't. But leave your personal feelings out of it until the job is done. Can you behave like a professional in this one?"

"I don't want Barnabas and it is final."

Delia found Derek curled up on the bed.

"You got here early." she said, patting him on the cheek.

"Delia" he whined 'Please"

"What's wrong?"

"Don't do... don't do anything to me tonight. Just le me be."

"What happened to you?"

"I...I don't know. I feel like crying and I don't know why."

"Is it me? Have I done anything?"

Derek shook his head "it isn't you."

"It is." Delia closed her fists. "I knew it would come to this. I have these... tastes. I should stick to people with similar...inclinations. But there aren't that many SM freaks in this town. You didn't complain much, so I took it for granted that you didn't mind."

"I don't...it has nothing to do with you."

"What else could it be?"

"I... I don't know... Delia, please, hold me..."

"I never wanted to hurt you."

"Hold me, please. If feels so... lonely."

Delia extended her hands tentatively "You don't mind my touching you?"

"Just hold me."

He rested his head on her lap while her hands ran soothingly over his back.

"I am sorry" he managed to say "I didn't mean..."

He put his arms around her waist, drawing her closer still.. "I need you, Delia."

"I need you too. Not just for...this."

She took his chin in her hand and made him look up. There was pain in his eyes and it hurt her to see them. SM was supposed to be fun. It was not meant to hurt people for real... had she overstepped? She did not dare to kiss him, for then she would be pushing her tongue into his mouth and then it would all start again...

What could have hurt him so? If it was not her, then what?

It was dark.

That was all she could know. It was dark and she was lost.

But where was she? How had she gotten there?

She tried to push but there was nothing to push against. She had no body of her own to push with...

Who was she?

Then she remembered. Taft, Nicholas, Derek, Vicky, Uncle Roger... the burning while she was tied to the table. The snake's mouth opening over her head.

It couldn't be true! It couldn't!

She screamed, but had no mouth, no lungs, no way to make a sound. There was no exit, no way to escape...

Then unconsciousness claimed her.

Amy wondered if there was such a condition as a telephone finger. She certainly was getting it. Nobody had told her that a political campaign would be like this...

"Hey, Amy!" Burt said to her. "There is a reporter here. Says she knows you."

"She knows me?" Amy looked up and met Oriana's eyes.

"Yes. I do know her."

"You want to talk to her?"

"Yes."

They embraced effusively "You look very well, Amy." Oriana said.

"Much better than I did in Collinsport? I bet." Amy laughed. "Tell me, when you saw me in the Old House, did you think I would end up here?"

"No." Oriana acknowledged "but then, the first time I saw Barnabas in the Old House I never expected him to turn the way he did. Is he here, too, by any chance?"

"No. He stayed at Collinsport. He likes Anderson, but is afraid that he might bring about a Reagan win. As far as he is concerned, we are stuck with Carter."

"Well, I think you candidate has a chance." Oriana laughed "But that might be wishful thinking of my part. If he wins, I get the While House beat, while if he loses, it is back to the daily grind."

"Then publish glowing reports."

"I will. How about the rest there?"

"Chris is still in Wyncliffe" Amy said softly "Barnabas says that it is only a question of time until he is good as new."

"Good! And Barnabas, is he back with Iris, by any chance?"

"Yes, they are giving it another try."

"Rats!"

"You have the hots for him?"

"Yes. Just my luck. Well, there are other men in the world... None like him, though..."