The Delilah Complex

Sixty-Five

Nicky stood in the doorway, blocking my way, but he wasn’t looking at me. His mouth was open and he was as pale as the men lying before him. Except some of their paleness-that dead look we’d all seen in the photographs- was paint. I’d seen the palette and the brushes upstairs. Daphne was an artist. She had used her talents to create the impression of death, disguising their flesh tones with a light gray paint before she took their photos.

As Nicky took in the scene, I knew, because I had just been through the process, that his brain was trying to understand and accept what he was seeing. It was clear from his reaction that he was not involved in this abomination.

“We have to call the police,” I said. “Now. Quickly. Can you get me to a phone?”

He didn’t move. A vein on his temple throbbed to the beat of some atonal tune.

“Did Daphne do this?” His voice wavered with the question.

“I don’t know.”

“How…” His voice broke.

He was still in my way. “Nicky, we need to call the police. Please, let me go upstairs, let me call an ambulance. The police.”

He was not listening. “My wife. Did she do this?”

“I don’t know, Nicky.”

“Are they dead?”

“No, but every one of them is in danger. We are in danger. You and I. Daphne is, too. Please, we need to go upstairs and call the police.”

“Do you know where she is?”

“No.”

“You know she did this, don’t you?”

I nodded my head.

“And you know why she did this, don’t you?”

I hadn’t been able to imagine why anyone would have done it when I’d first arrived in the dungeon. As I was bending over those living cadavers and listening to their hearts, it was impossible to guess. But now, seeing Nicky’s sad, sick eyes, I did.

“Yes,” I said as I tried to get past him.

“It was to scare me away from the society, once and for all. To make me think that if I kept going I would be next.”

“Nicky!” I yelled at him. “Stop. Not now. We can talk about all of this once I call the police.” But we didn’t get anywhere. Daphne had found us.

“Nicky?” Her voice was strong and certain and commanding. “What do you think you are doing down here?”