Free Friday Night in Beast House by Richard Laymon Page B

gone. The padlock.’
    ‘Gone?’
    ‘Yeah. And I’m pretty sure it was there this morning. So somebody must’ve taken it off while I was down in the hole.’
    ‘The door isn’t locked at all?’
    ‘It opens. I opened it, just to see.’
    ‘Did you go through?’
    ‘The tunnel? No. I got out of the there.’
    ‘But if goes to the Kutch house.’
    ‘I know.’
    ‘Nobody ever gets to see the Kutch house. This is the chance of a lifetime.’
    ‘Yeah, a chance to die.’
    ‘Oh, don’t be that way. Nobody’s going to die.’
    ‘That’s because we’re getting out of here. Turning away, he pulled at Alison’s hand.
    She jerked her hand from his grip. ‘Not me,’ she said. ‘I’m not leaving till I’ve checked the place out.’
    ‘The padlock’s off .’
    ‘Right. Meaning we can go through the tunnel.’
    ‘Maybe someone already came through. From the other side. Doesn’t that scare you? We oughta get out of here right now. We’re lucky we haven’t already gotten…’
    ‘Nobody’s stopping you.’
    ‘What do you mean?’
    ‘You can go.’
    ‘I can’t leave you here.’
    ‘Well, I’m not going.’ She sounded so calm.
    ‘But…’
    ‘Okay, so the padlock’s off. Did you get chased or anything?’
    ‘No.’
    ‘See anything? Hear anything?’
    ‘No.’
    ‘So as far as you know—except for the padlock being off—the house is as safe as ever.’
    ‘But the padlock…’
    ‘Did you actually see it today?’
    ‘No, but I’m pretty sure it was there.’
    ‘But you didn’t see it with your own eyes. So maybe it wasn’t there. When was the last time you actually saw it?’
    ‘I guess maybe… early July.’
    ‘I did the tour last month,’ she admitted. ‘I saw it then. So that’s the last time we can be sure it was on the door. A month ago. So maybe it’s been gone for weeks .’
    ‘I don’t think so. That door’s always locked.’
    ‘Okay. Maybe it is and maybe it isn’t. But even if someone took the lock of today, it doesn’t mean they’re in the house right now .’
    ‘I guess not,’ he admitted.
    ‘Come on. Let’s take a look around.’
    ‘I don’t think we should. Really.’
    ‘I do. Really.’
    ‘Alison…’
    ‘Mark. Come on. It took a lot of guts to do what you did today. You don’t want to bail out now, do you?’
    ‘Not really. But…’
    ‘Then don’t. Come on.’ She took his hand and led him through the kitchen.
    ‘Not the cellar,’ he whispered.
    ‘Of course, the cellar.’
    ‘Why don’t we go through the rest of the house first? Don’t you want to wander around and see all the exhibits? I thought that was supposed to be the main idea.’
    ‘It was. But this is our chance to see inside the Kutch house. Maybe out only chance ever.’
    ‘I think it’s a really bad idea.’
    In an oddly chipper voice, Alison said, ‘I don’t,’ and led him into the pantry.
    She suddenly stopped.
    ‘What?’ Mark whispered.
    ‘My God, it’s dark in here.’
    ‘Even darker in the cellar.’
    ‘Do you have something?’ Alison asked.
    ‘A couple of candles.’
    ‘Good. I meant to bring a flashlight. Glad you came prepared.’
    ‘Thanks.’ He let go of Alison’s hand, reached over to his right hip and slid open the zipper of his pack. When he tried to put his hand in, the headphones got in his way. He took them out. ‘Can you hold these?’
    Alison found them in the darkness and took them.
    ‘Thanks.’
    He put his hand into the pack.
    ‘Headphones?’ Alison asked.
    ‘To make me look like a tourist.’
    ‘Hmm. Smarter than the av-uh-ridge bear.’
    Cellophane crinkled softly.
    ‘What’s that?’ she asked.
    ‘Wrappers. I had my lunch in here. I’ve also got an empty Pepsi can.’
    His fingertips found the match book. He took it out, opened its flap and plucked out a match. He struck it across the score and tiny sparks leaped around the match head, but it didn’t catch.
    He tried again.
    The match flared.
    ‘Now we’re cookin’, Alison