Free Night Show by Richard Laymon Page A

me.’
    ‘Oh boy,’ Jack muttered.
    ‘Didn’t know I was that famous. He called me “the queen of horror makeup effects.” ’
    ‘He probably read the Fangoria article.’
    ‘You’re right. I hadn’t . . . that’d explain how he recognised me, too.’
    Jack shook his head, scowling into his drink. ‘So, he followed us here so he could deliver a sample of his work . . .’
    ‘And to prove how scary he is.’
    ‘The bastard sounds like a mental case.’
    ‘He really flew off the handle when I told him to get lost.’
    ‘Did he say who he is?’
    ‘Sure. He’s the Chill Master. I tried to get his name and address, but . . . Ready for this? He’s coming over tonight for his head.’
    ‘Good.’
    ‘Jack . . .’
    ‘He’ll have to trade in his hearse for a wheelchair.’
    ‘Let’s just leave the head out for him, and go to a movie or something.’
    Jack shook his head.
    ‘He’s just a harmless nut.’
    ‘He’s a menace, Dani.’
    ‘All he did . . .’
    ‘Do you realise all he did?’
    ‘He scared the hell out of me last night, and . . .’
    ‘How did he get your telephone number?’
    ‘I don’t . . .’
    ‘You’re not in the book. It’s unlisted, so he didn’t get it from an operator.’
    ‘Then how?’ she asked, her voice a shaky whisper.
    ‘It’s on the phone labels.’
    ‘Huh?’
    ‘He read it off one of your phones. He’s been inside the house.’

10
     
    ‘H OW ABOUT here?’ Heather asked.
    ‘Let’s go one more,’ Steve said. The movie theater wasn’t crowded, so he thought it would be bad manners to settle down right in front of the couple already seated. They stepped to the next row. ‘Is this all right?’ he asked.
    ‘Fine.’
    ‘Do you want the aisle?’
    ‘It doesn’t matter.’
    Steve preferred the aisle seat so he could stretch out his legs. If he took it, though, a stranger might sit down on the other side of Heather. He wouldn’t like that. Heather wouldn’t, either. Since both the seats in front of them were vacant, the view would be fine from either position.
    He stepped into the row, giving the aisle seat to Heather. She smoothed her skirt against the backs of her legs and sat down. The skirt left her knees bare. She was wearing no nylons.
    ‘Which show’s first?’ she asked.
    ‘ Eyes of the Maniac , I think.’
    She drew up her shoulders and made herself shiver.
    ‘Hope it’s not too gory for you.’
    ‘The gorier, the better,’ she said.
    He gave Heather one of the Pepsis and a straw.
    ‘Did you see the one where the girl got scalped?’ she asked.
    ‘Yeah.’
    ‘A real gross-out.’ She tore off an end of the straw’s wrapper, slid the thin paper sheath down a bit, and twisted the other end. ‘I used to shoot these, did you?’
    ‘Yeah.’
    ‘It’s so juvenile, though.’
    Steve shrugged.
    With a laugh, she blew the wrapper at him. It streaked past his cheek and landed on the next seat.
    He held out his own straw. ‘Try again?’
    ‘Why not? You’re only sixteen once, as Dad always says.’ She aimed at Steve and puffed. He shut his eyes. The wrapper tapped his eyelid and fell. ‘Oh no . You all right?’
    ‘Sure.’
    She lowered her head and gazed at him from under her curtain of brown bangs, sheepish but grinning. ‘Sor-ry.’
    ‘I can take it.’
    She gave his straw back. He jabbed it through the X on the plastic top of his Pepsi. The tip had a pink smear from Heather’s lipstick. He put his mouth on it.
    Where her mouth had been.
    It gave him a warm feeling. Almost like a kiss. He’d never kissed Heather, but tonight, when he took her home, he would try.
    He sucked in a sip of Pepsi. When he slid the straw from his mouth, he could taste her lipstick.
    Would she let him kiss her? It was their first date, and . . . yeah, she would. She must like him all right or she wouldn’t be here.
    She reached for a handful of popcorn, making the tub push down slightly on his lap. The feel of it made him want to squirm.
    He took some