Hell House Part 11

Abruptly Florence pulled the blankets to her chin. Despite her will, a sob convulsed her throat; she tried in vain to check it. "Don't fight it," Barrett told her. Florence sobbed again, tears spilling down her cheeks.

Edith stared at Florence as she cried. For the first time since they'd met, the medium seemed vulnerable, and Edith felt a rush of sympathy. "Is there anything I can do?" she asked.

Florence shook her head. "I'll be all right."

Edith glanced aside as Fischer entered the room and joined them by the bed. "What happened?" he asked.

Florence hesitated before drawing down the covers briefly. Edith tried not to look, but couldn't help herself. Her breath shook as she saw the bites on Florence Tanner's b.r.e.a.s.t.s again.

"He's punishing me," Florence said.

Edith's face went blank. She glanced at Lionel, who was looking at the medium without expression.

"I found him last night," Florence told him. "Daniel Belasco."

There was heavy silence. Barrett looked embarra.s.sed. Florence managed a smile. "No, I'm not imagining it." She laid a hand on her b.r.e.a.s.t.s. "Did I imagine these?"

Barrett gestured inconclusively.

"His body is in the wine cellar."

Edith could see how awkward Lionel felt. She knew that he wanted to be sympathetic but didn't know what to say that wouldn't hurt her further.

"Will you help exhume the body?" Florence asked.

"I would, but after last night, I'm afraid I'm in no condition for heavy labor."

Florence stared at him in disbelief. "But, Doctor, he's there there. Doesn't that mean anything to you?"

"Miss Tanner-"

Florence turned to Fischer. "Will you help me, then?"

Fischer looked at her in silence. He had had heard her scream, Edith realized abruptly; heard but been afraid to come until Lionel had arrived. Now he was afraid to offer help. It was not surprising. Whenever something violent occurred, Miss Tanner was always there. heard her scream, Edith realized abruptly; heard but been afraid to come until Lionel had arrived. Now he was afraid to offer help. It was not surprising. Whenever something violent occurred, Miss Tanner was always there.

When he didn't answer, Florence clenched her teeth, forcing back a sob. "All right, I'll do it myself." The pain of the bites seemed to overwhelm her, and she closed her eyes.

"I'll help you," Fischer said.

Florence opened her eyes and tried to smile. "Thank you."

Barrett put his hand on Edith's arm and started turning.

"Are you so afraid I might be right, Doctor?" Florence asked him.

Barrett looked at her appraisingly. At last he nodded. "Very well. We'll go downstairs with you. I can't dig, however, if that's what you intend to do."

"Ben and I will do that," Florence told him.

Edith glanced at Fischer. He was standing at the foot of the bed, looking at Florence without expression. Suddenly she felt a shiver plaiting up her back.

Was there really something down there?

12/23 7:29 A.M.

Fischer drove the crowbar edge into the cleft, and, straining, levered out another chunk of brick and mortar. It had taken him more than twenty minutes to gouge away an opening no larger than his fist. His pants and tennis shoes were streaked with mortar stains; there was a film of powder on his hands. He sneezed as mortar dust got up his nostrils. Turning, he withdrew his handkerchief and blew his nose. He looked at Florence, who was watching him with anxious eyes. She forced a smile. "I know it's hard."

Fischer nodded, drawing in a ragged breath. He almost sneezed again, controlled it, then, raising the crowbar, jammed its edge into the breach. It slipped as he began to pry away another clump of brick, and, losing balance, he pitched against the wall. "d.a.m.n!" he muttered. He straightened up, teeth set on edge, and once more drove the crowbar edge into the wall gap.

He jimmied out another piece of brick, which bounced across the floor, then looked at Florence. "This could take all day," he said.

"I know it's hard," she said again. Fischer stretched his back. "Let me do it for a while," she offered. Fischer shook his head and raised the crowbar.

"Before you continue-" Barrett said.

Fischer turned.

"Since this is clearly going to take a long time," Barrett said to Florence. "you won't mind if I go upstairs and get off this leg. It's rather painful."

"Yes, of course," she said. "We'll call you when we've found him."

"Quite." Barrett took hold of Edith's arm and turned for the door. Florence exchanged a look with Fischer as he turned back to the gap in the wall.

He was about to thrust the crowbar when he saw it. "Wait." Barrett and Edith looked around as he picked up his flashlight and shone the beam of light into the opening.

"What is it?" Florence was unable to contain her eagerness.

Fischer squinted through the haze of dust. He blew into the gap, then pointed the flashlight beam again. "Looks like a rope," he answered.

Florence came over, and Fischer handed her the flashlight. "Keep pointing it in there." She nodded quickly. Fischer reached into the opening and clamped his fingers on the dusty rope. He pulled down, but there was no give. He pulled up, felt the rope grow slack, then tauten as he let go. "I think there's a weight on the end of it," he said.

Florence caught her breath. "A counterbalance counterbalance."

Fischer grabbed the crowbar and started jabbing its beveled edge at the sides of the hole, widening it as quickly as he could. After a minute of forceful digging he dropped the crowbar, and before the clanging resonance had faded, had both hands through the opening. Clutching at the rope, he started pulling upward. The resistance was too strong. He braced himself and pulled with all his might, forehead pressed against the wall, eyes closed, teeth gritted. Move, you b.a.s.t.a.r.d, move move, he thought.

Suddenly the rope lurched upward, slamming the edge of his right wrist against the jagged brick edge. Fischer jerked his hands back. He was examining his wrist when a rumbling noise began inside the wall. He looked up, startled.

A section of wall was. .h.i.tching slowly to the right. Fischer braced himself for what they'd see-or wouldn't see. He was conscious of Florence standing beside him tensely as the wall section creaked and shuddered to the side.

Edith made a gagging noise and turned away. Fischer's lips pulled back in a grimace. Florence's sigh of relief fell strangely on his ears.

Shackled to the wall inside the narrow pa.s.sage were the mummified remains of a man.

Barrett murmured, "Shades of Poe."

"I told you he was here," Florence said.

Fischer stared at the grayish, parchmentlike features of the corpse. Its eyes were like dark, hardened berries, its lips drawn back and frozen in a soundless scream. Obviously, he'd been tied behind the wall while still alive.

"Well, Doctor?" Florence asked.

Barrett drew in a faltering breath. "Well, what?" he asked. "I see the mummy of a man. How do you know it's Daniel Belasco?"

"I know know," she said.

"Beyond a doubt? Beyond the slightest doubt?"

"Yes." She looked incredulous.

Barrett smiled. "I think more proof than that is called for."

Florence stared at him. "You're right," she said abruptly.

Turning to the opening, she reached out for the left hand of the shackled figure. Fischer watched her remove a ring. "Here." She held it out to Barrett.

Barrett hesitated before taking it. Fischer glanced at Edith. She was staring at her husband with a look of apprehension. He looked at Barrett. The physicist was handing back the ring, a forced smile on his lips. "Very good," he said.

"Do you believe me now?"

"I'll think it over."

"Think it over?" Florence gaped at him. "Are you telling me-?"

"I'm telling you nothing," Barrett cut her off. "I'm saying that I need more time to digest this information and work out my interpretation of it. I must advise you, however, not to presume that one cadaver with a ring can reverse the scientific convictions of a lifetime."

"Doctor, I'm not trying trying to reverse your convictions. All I'm asking is that we work together. Can't you see that both of us can be right?" to reverse your convictions. All I'm asking is that we work together. Can't you see that both of us can be right?"

Barrett shook his head. "I'm sorry, no. That I cannot see; and never will." He turned abruptly, limping toward the corridor. "My dear?" he said.

Edith looked at Florence for a moment, then turned to follow her husband across the room. Fischer took the ring from Florence. It was made of gold, with an oval crest.

Across the crest, in scroll-like letters, were the initials "D. B."

12/23 8:16 A.M.

They had eaten in silence for almost twenty minutes now. Barrett pushed aside his plate and drew his cup of coffee in front of himself. He stared across the table at the EMR indicator. Awkward that they had to take their meals at the same table on which his equipment was placed. Still, there was no help for it, since the dining hall was wrecked.

He glanced at Edith. She was sitting motionless, both hands wrapped around her coffee cup, as if for warmth. She looked like a frightened child.

He thrust aside his thinking on the problem. "Edith?" She looked at him, and Barrett smiled. "Disturbed?"

"Aren't you?"

He shook his head. "No, not at all. Is that why you think I've been quiet?"

Edith seemed to hesitate, as if afraid to bring up points he might not be able to refute. "There was was a figure," she finally said. a figure," she finally said.

"Quite a dreadful one."

Edith gazed at him uneasily.

"Not necessarily the the figure, however," he said. figure, however," he said.

"But the ring."

"D. B. doesn't have have to stand for Daniel Belasco." to stand for Daniel Belasco."

She did not look rea.s.sured.

"It could stand for David Bart," he said. "Donald Bas...o...b.." He smiled. "Doctor Barrett."

"But-"

"On the other hand, it might actually be be Daniel Belasco- a.s.suming such a person existed at all." Daniel Belasco- a.s.suming such a person existed at all."

"Doesn't that prove her story, then?"

"It would appear to."

"I don't understand, then."

"The point is not the evidence or what it seems to prove, but who found who found that evidence." that evidence."

Edith still looked bewildered. Barrett smiled. "My dear," he said, "Miss Tanner is a sensitive of considerable development. Add to that the vast power residuum in this house to which she, as a medium, has access. The result is a loaded psychic situation in which she is enabled to create any number of effects to validate her views. She was responsible for that 'poltergeist' attack on me last night, later claiming its source as Daniel Belasco. Next she became 'aware' of his body and 'discovered' it this morning, thus verifying her story even further. The fact that those may actually be the remains of Daniel Belasco is irrelevant. The point is simply that Miss Tanner is manipulating her power and the power in the house to build a case for herself."

Edith looked at him anxiously. Barrett knew she wanted to believe him but was still thrown off by what had happened. "What about the teeth marks, though?" he said.

She started.

"That is is what you're thinking, isn't it?" what you're thinking, isn't it?"

Her smile was faint. "You must be psychic, too."

Barrett chuckled. "Not a bit. It has to be the only point remaining on which you're still uncertain."

"Isn't it proof?"

"To her it is."

"They were were teeth marks." teeth marks."

"They appeared to be."

"Lionel-" Edith looked more confused than ever. "Are you telling me they weren't weren't teeth marks?" teeth marks?"