Andrew Neiderman - Deficiency

"Did he mention the Martins?" Terri interjected.

She shook her head.

"He didn't mention a name, just that."

"That's how he came to Kristin Martin," she muttered, "and the fire...." She looked at Garret. "He probably set that. He must have harmed the old lady too and was just covering his tracks."

Darlene's eyes brightened even more with fear as she looked from Terri to Garret Stanley and then back to Terri, who could see the confusion in the woman's face. Was Terri a conspirator or what?

"You didn't have to pull a gun on her to get her to tell you all that, Dr. Stanley," she chastised.

Doctor? He was a doctor, too, Darlene thought. What was going on?

"You're talking too much," he told Terri.

Terri tried staring him down, but out of the corner of her eye, she saw that Darlene Stone was losing it fast.

"Just finish and let me take her back," she said.

He turned to Darlene.

"You spoke with this Paula Gilbert, didn't you? I mean afterward, when she was found in the parking lot."

She looked at Terri and Terri saw that her eyes were full of questions, the first one being, how did he know?

"Yes," she said nodding. "For just a few minutes."

"I want to hear every word she said. Talk!" he ordered.

"I told it all to the police."

"Tell it again," he said waving the pistol.

She gasped and continued.

"She said he hurt her while they made love. She said it felt like he was sucking out her blood. When he was finished with her, he left her naked in the rear and drove back to the restaurant. She said he was very happy, singing. She thought it was all just a nightmare because she was going in and out of consciousness. She remembered waking up when he was transferring her back to her own car. He told her she should go home now, that he was going home now."

"Going home now?"

"Yes."

"What did he say about that? What did he say about home?" Darlene shook her head.

"That's ail I remember she said."

"You're lying," he said after a moment. "Someone told you not to say anything else, anything about home, right?"

"No," she said shaking her head. "No one." He sat back and thought a moment.

"Does that mean he's going back to where he was created?" Terri asked. Garret looked at her sharply.

"I told you you were talking too much."

"Created?" Darlene couldn't help saying. "Who are you? Aren't we talking about you?" she asked after a surge of some courage.

Garret nodded at Terri.

"Satisfied now, Doctor?" He looked down and thought aloud. "He was definitely replenished. It's just not lasting as long. Arrogant...."

"If he is as intelligent as you claim he is," Terri asked, "why doesn't he try to hide his victim? Why bring her back to her car? Why leave Kristin in her car?" He looked up at her and then at Darlene.

"She just told you."

"She just told me? I don't understand."

"He wants to go home. Don't you see? Home? I'm his home. He's deliberately leaving a trail for me now. Maybe he doesn't even realize it himself. It's part of the great mystery here," he said, his eyes lighting with excitement. "Cellular affinity, I'd call it, a driving, almost primeval need to reunite. Maybe," he added smiling, "that's the soul the critics are so worried we would eliminate. Very complicated, but very fascinating, wouldn't you agree, Doctor?"

"No," she said. "I'm not fascinated. I'm more disgusted."

"That's disappointing, Doctor, tragically disappointing.

"What is this all about?" Darlene Stone demanded. Her confusion and fear had merged and become frustration and indignation.

Garret smiled at her. The coldness and calmness in the man's eyes splintered her wall of bravado. She wrapped her arms about herself protectively, looking like she wished she could shrink and disappear.

"What's it all about? Just everything -- life, health, immortality, God, man, you name it. In the end I suppose it's about power. Everything eventually is," he said a little sadly.

His cell phone rang, shattering the deep silence that had followed his words.

"Excuse me," he said and took it out of his inside pocket. He snapped it open and said, "Yes?"

Terri looked at Darlene and gave her what she thought was her best look of assurance, urging her to remain calm. Darlene squirmed and bit down on her lower lip. Terri could see she was tottering on the verge of hysteria.

"When was this?" he asked whoever called. "Okay. Just give it to me. You nearly messed this up. I'll handle it from here," Garret said into his phone. He listened and then just closed the phone. "So," he said gesturing at the degenerating tourist house. "Another monument to a bygone era, eh?"

"Can I drive back to the tavern now?" Terri asked him. "We've kept her from work long enough, don't you think?"

"Not just yet. There's more to discuss."

"What? She's obviously told you everything she knows."

"Oh, people don't realize what they do and don't know," he said smiling. "Let's change the setting. Maybe that will stimulate the memory. Get out," he ordered.

"Both of you."

"Why?" Terri demanded without moving.

"We never stop asking that. Do you realize that, Doctor?" Garret asked her.

"When we're very little, we're always coming at our parents with why this, why that? Why, why, why? Some parents get to hate it. Some think it's cute for a while and then get tired of it and before we know it, we have to go elsewhere for the answers, but to the day we die, that is the primary question on our lips. Why?"

"I want to go back," Darlene said simply, so simply in fact it sounded like the most obvious thing to do.

"We all want to go back. Life is a journey home. Maybe that was what he meant when he told that to Paula Gilbert, eh, Doctor?"

"Please," she said. "I've helped you. You're frightening Darlene, and you're frightening me, I might add."

"And what would we be without fear, Doctor? Fear protects us. It's our ability to foresee bad things happening to us that keeps us cautious, careful. Animals have it instinctively. We did, but we've lost the edge, I'm afraid as we evolved and became civilized." He stopped smiling. "Get out," he ordered again, but more sternly. "Now," he screamed at Darlene, pointing the gun at her as well. She jumped, turned, and opened the door.

He got out on his side and turned to Terri, who hesitated, asking herself, what had she done?

Seeing she had little choice, she opened her door and stepped out of the car.

"What are you doing?" she asked him in the tone of voice to make him think about it.

"Let's go look at that old house. I'm interested in historical sites," he said.

"I told Dr. Templeman I was going with you. I told him who you were," she said, relying on her powers of convincing people to have hope where there was very little. Was she as good a bluffer as she thought she was?

"I doubt that, but even if you did, Doctor, you're with a mad schizophrenic. That's all anyone would think."

"Why are you doing this?" she asked, changing her tone now to one of pleading.

"It's only going to add to the mess, to the questions and to further investigations."

"The house," he said. He pointed the pistol at Darlene who gasped. Terri put her arm around her.

"Walk to the house. Don't panic. Just do whatever I tell you to do." Darlene couldn't speak. Don't panic? she thought. Easily said. Her throat was closed with panic. Her body felt numb, cold. It was as if she had already been killed and she was in the process of leaving it behind.

"Open the door," Garret ordered when they stepped on the porch. The floorboards creaked so loudly, Terri thought they might just crack beneath them. She tried the door. Amazingly, despite the broken windows, the crumbling wood siding and shutters, the door was locked. She tried the handle and then turned to Garret.