Chapter 8

"Are you sure that I am not an inconvenience?" Vicky asked for the umpteenth time.

"You would do the same for me." Willie grinned widely.

It was difficult to believe that this self-assured man was the Willie she knew. The one who was always darting nervous glances over his shoulder. Willie Loomis was a lout. Willie Loomis sniveled. Willie was just a bum...

Buy the man she was now looking at was none of those things.

"What about your wife? Does she mind?"

"Louella does not mind. You'll like her. We've had our ups and downs, but it is all in the past, now."

"Like with Barnabas?" she couldn't resist asking.

Willie sighed. Probably Vicky had heard the same speech from everybody else, yet he couldn't think of anything better to say.

"All right, Vicky, let's talk about Barnabas. You are still remembering the way he was ten -twelve years ago. I will not pretend that he was right in doing the things he did. Some of them.. Let's say that I am glad those days are over."

"Are they?"

"Is there is one thing that I am sure about is that he would not go back to that."

"But he had that reporter kidnapped, just as he did to Maggie."

"If he had treated Maggie like he treated Oriana, Maggie would have never needed to go to Wyncliffe."

"You used to be afraid all the time."

"Yes. I was. It was scary living with him... living with what he was then."

"But what's the difference between then and now. He still has this... this need."

"But he is in control of himself. That makes all the difference. He's my best friend. I don't think that I would be where I am now if it wasn't for him."

"And what does Louella think of him?"

"She used to be real scared at first. Then she got into trouble and he pulled her out. " his voice became low, as he was ashamed to admit the rest of it. "and... and when she had that other trouble, it was to him that she went. She stayed with him until I was able to get my head together."

Louella greeted them. She was just the type of woman you expected to marry Willie, Vicky thought.

"I hope that you like the room we got for you." she said to Vicky "nothing fancy like at the Old House, but with modern conveniences."

Later, alone at night in her room, she looked out of the window. The trees cast strange shadows out there, and there was no way that she could find the tell-tale silhouette of a small bat.

He wanted her. He would come for her, and they would elope. But he had to kill Burke first... No, Burke was already dead. Killed in that plane accident...

He had lost all of them. Elizabeth was gone. Peter had been hanged. Roger still stayed, a shadow of his former self. She couldn't recognize Carolyn in the bitter mistress of Collinwood. Julia... Willie... they had changed so much.

If Barnabas had changed, then nothing was left.

Barnabas had to stay as he was. She knew that now. He had to love her, need her even to the point...

She laid back on her bed, waiting with half-closed eyes to the fluttering of wings outside.

And so she waited, the covers drawn back from her throat.

But Barnabas did not come for her


"How's the article going?" Barnabas asked Oriana.

"As I said, it practically writes itself. Got plenty of interesting stuff and tie-ups with mass transportation needs, the energy crisis, and how women are devalued in the workplace. One thing worries me, thought" she added.

"The girls being attacked now?"

'How did you know?"

Barnabas nodded, saying nothing.

"Is it you?"

"They were not seriously hurt."

"No, but..."

"And it is a good way to keep the pressure on them."

She looked at him strangely. "Still, why did you have to do it?"

"No comment."

"Do you know what you are doing?"

"I know very well what I am doing. Just write your article and let me do the rest."

"I don't like it."

"Just trust me. It will come out all right."


Iris paced impatiently at the Old House.

"Dusk won't come faster because you are wearing out the carpet.," Oriana said, pounding at her typewriter.

"What do you care? You are getting your story, that's all." Iris said venomously.

"He asked me to write it." Oriana said defensively.

"Do you realize what he is doing?"

"I know. I am worried about it, too."

"Not enough to stop writing about it. Not enough to stop setting him up. As long as you get a good story, you don't care."

'He had decided it before I came here. If I wasn't here, he'd probably do worse to put pressure on the shopping center."

"You should have tried to talk him out of it. Do you realize what could happen to him?" Iris looked at her with hatred "But then, if anything happens, you'll have a better story still."

"I would never do that." Oriana felt her face become flushed. She would not admit, even to herself, how far she was willing to go for a story. No, she would never exploit Barnabas...

Or would she?

"If you loved him as much as you think you do, you'd never lend a hand to this."

"I do love him." Oriana said firmly "and before you put on that jealous act, do I have to remind you about your affair with Phillip?"

"Whatever else I did, I did not set up Barnabas to be killed."

By the time dusk and Barnabas arrived, they were on the verge of physically attacking each other.

"Barnabas! Iris ran to him. "What are you doing to yourself?"

Barnabas hugged her. "Don't worry about me."

"Do you realize the danger you are in?"

"Please, don't talk" he held her close "Just be here. Let me hold you."

Iris pulled back, angry "What do you mean? You are killing yourself and I am supposed to be warmly supportive?"

"Iris, please..."

"You are cutting your own throat and I am supposed to say nothing about it? For how long can you go on attacking those girls before they start digging out the old stories? And when things get to hot for you, what do you think that Maggie will do? Do you think that she'll let you wreck her chance for the Senate? What about Davenport? Do you think that he'll let you ruin him? What about the Chamber of Commerce? For how long will they allow you to scare the tourists away?"

"But how can you be so sure it is me?" Barnabas asked, mildly.

"You've been in a state about that shopping center. You even got her" she pointed to Oriana "writing about it. You yourself kept complaining than the official route was too slow."

"That still isn't enough evidence."

"It is enough for me. And it is going to be enough for Maggie. Do you want to find out how far she'll go in protecting herself?"

"Iris." he pleaded "this isn't easy for me. I wish you could be more understanding."

"Sure, I'll be more understanding. And what good will my understanding do when they stake you? No, I don't understand any of it. In one hundred years I will not understand it."

He looked at her sadly "I need your support" he said.

"You are cutting your own throat and I won't be a party to it."

Angrily she left, slamming the door.

"I guess that everyone will be dropping in with the same message" he mused.

Oriana laid her hand on his arm "Can I help?" she said softly/

He turned around "Do you think this is crazy?"

'I know what you are trying to do. And I admire you for it."

He put his hand over hers and looked her straight in the eyes.

"Do you mean that? You think that I am doing the right thing?"

"Something has to be done. She began kneading his arm "It is a shame that you are the only one with guts in this business."

His smile widened. "Do you mind if I ask you something?"

"Ask anything"

"I had forgotten how... how terrible it could be. It is getting to me. And tonight I want to go back to normal. I want to be kind and gentle about it, the way it should always be... I don't think that it would make much of a difference if some nights I don't show up."

"It might be better if you kept an erratic pattern."

'Yes..." he took her chin and made her look up. "Do you mind if... If I use you tonight?"

It was good to hold her in his arms and feel her trust. It was good that she did not fear him, not what he was doing to her.

She ran her hands through his hair. Maybe not tonight, but she would take her to bed. He had to. Iris had left him after a fight and he was lonely again. Lonely and emotionally exhausted.

She would give him the support he needed. She would never question him. She would hold him close and tell him that he was right.

And what if Iris was right? What if she was setting him up to be killed?

No, it wouldn't happen. He would be careful and she would help him.


There was something about Vicky that disturbed him, Willie decided. Maybe it was the way she looked at him. Maybe it was the kind of questions she asked.

"Do you remember Jason McGuire?" she asked him while she was shelling peas.

"Yeah."

"I wonder what happened to him."

Willie went white. He stuttered. Just as he used to do back then. Vicky smiled inwardly as she recognized the old Willie.

She actually was enjoying his discomfort... it couldn't be, but she was enjoying herself.

Willie shook his head. He must not allow himself to think these things. Vicky was just very confused. It wasn't her fault that she said the wrong thing every now and then.

"Did you kill him?"

"No!"

"You might have done it. Arguing about money."

"I didn't Barnabas did."

Vicky's face changed. Consternation. Fear... and quiet triumph.

"It was self-defense... I was there... Jason had broken in and was ready to... to hurt him. And then it was arranged."

"Arranged?"

"The Leviathan. Jason knew too much of their plans for Carolyn."

Vicky paled visibly at the mention of the Leviathan, but went on.

"But you said Barnabas did it."

"They had ways to arrange it. They made him get too close to Barnabas. Jason took the bait and... and that was the end of him."

"Still it was Barnabas who did it."

Why did she have that satisfied, smug smile? It wasn't his imagination.. She was amusing herself at his expense...

And her eyes penetrated him, stripping him of all pretense. He would never be Mr. Loomis to her. Just Willie, the oaf.