Jill Sheppard sat alone in the room waiting for death to strike. Because she had set her watch carefully, she knew that death was now exactly six minutes away. It was now five minutes before midnight. At one minute after midnight, the population of the world would be reduced by one.
There was not the vague timing of death by sickness or accident. Only fate operates that way, or God, if there is a God, Jill told herself. This death would be more precise because it had been decreed by the state and would be carried out by the state.
A minute ago or a month ago or a lifetime ago, the all powerful state had made a God-like decision that would snuff out a life just six minutes from now.
Drawing itself up to its full political, fallible, height, it said:
"You, Jill Sheppard will become a widow at one minute after midnight on some terrible night. Your two lovely children will no longer have a father after that time. The love this good man had for you will be burned to nothingness; the love you feel for him will become love for a ghost, a thing that was but no longer is."
There were other things the state could have said. It could have said...."This is an election year ... we needed a victim ... A young flower of Southern womanhood has been murdered and we must have revenge ... Don't fight, this isn't anything personal ... We couldn't kill one of us, we needed an outsider ... You were an outsider, you shouldn't have come here ... Go away, Jill ... When we kill your husband, don't stay here, you will embarrass us ... You just don't understand our way of life ... Go away so that we can live without shame."
The state didn't say those things though. The things it said were neat and precise and completely legal. The law is like that, it can deprive a man of his life, deprive a woman of her husband, a children of their father, and still make it seem somehow right and just.
There are only two minutes to go now, Jill.
Try to understand how important the state is. Try to be reasonable. Your husband is only one man, you are only one woman, your children are too young to understand. See how many people the state represents.....See Mac die ... see Jill cry ... see the nice big state ... the nice big, strong state is always right ... see Mac die ... see Jill cry ... they are very, very funny ... ha ... ha ... ha....
It is midnight now, Jill. There is just one minute to go. Why do you cry, Jill? Do you not love the state? Did you love one man more than the state? You are not patriotic Jill.
We are very humane when we kill ... We do not only kill your man ... we partially cook him ... We use nice strong straps to hold him in the nice comfortable chair so he will not fly out when the current hits him ... He could be bruised that way ... We are nice people, Jill ... Like us Jill ... See Jill like us ... See us kill Jill's husband....
It is one minute after midnight, Jill ... Your man is dying now ... It is too bad, Jill ... We are wrong, of course, but it is so nice and neat ... Try to understand, Jill ... Jill is unreasonable ... She will not understand....
See Jill cry ... See Jill scream ... Jill screams very loudly ... Jill screams as if her heart is breaking ... Poor Jill ... Why does Jill scream for her man? ... He is dead ... Why does she scream for her children? ... They do not know ... Why does Jill not scream for herself? ... Jill loves the man we are killing....
Foolish Jill ... Stop screaming, Jill ... Your screams make us nervous, Jill ... We are very just and very fair and very humane ... We kill very nicely, Jill ... Why do you scream, Jill ... It is an ugly sound ... We do not like ugliness ... We like only nice things like killing your husband ... Do not scream, Jill ... Cry, do not scream ... Walk do not run....
Very well, Jill, you may scream ... Louder, Jill ... Scream hard ... See how kind we are, Jill? ... We permit you to scream even though we do not like it ... The state is very kind, Jill ... see the very kind state ... hear the screaming Jill ... Scream Jill scream....
Your husband is dead now, Jill.
Scream Jill scream. He cannot hear you. He is dead.
* * *
Jill was only vaguely aware of a weight on the edge of the bed. She felt the strong, gentle hand on her back and shoulders.
It was Bob Darrow, she knew. He would not hold her, because he knew that that was a right reserved for her husband. He could only sit beside her and cry with her and let her know she was not alone.
Gentle, understanding Bob. He had gone along with her request 'to be alone during those terrible moments while Mac was dying so that her spirit could join his in that lonely chair.
Now that it was over, now that death had come and gone, he would sit silently beside her in the quiet room in his brother's house and watch while she cried. It was all he could do, so he would do it.
Later, Jill knew, if she wanted to talk, he would listen. He wouldn't tell her not to cry, wouldn't tell her to forget and forgive. He would just be there to do what he could as he had been from the beginning.
Sleep, she knew would be the answer to many things, many hurts, but it would not come. There was a stronger hurt and even though it brought a strange numbness with it, it would not permit sleep.
Instead, she could only think, only retrace the weird steps of an unkind fate that had killed a good man and left her and their children without his love and his strength and his goodness.
Perhaps, she thought, if I go over it all again, I can find some reason, some consolation to justify the legal murder of a good man. Jill didn't really want to go over it again, she had done it too often, but there was no defense against it.
Her mind picked her up then and took her back to the beginning. She would have to be a reluctant spectator once again and see it all happen while she watched and cried.
CHAPTER TWO
The news hadn't come easily. Mac had gone to the Southern branch office two weeks before Jill was due to deliver what they hoped would be their son.
When she went to the hospital, her sister phoned Mac to give him the news. When she gave him Jill's message that she was all right and he should stay to work out the problems, he had laughed.
"To hell with business, I'll be on the next plane out of here. I want to shake hands with my son and kiss my wife."
He got the next plane to New York. By the time he arrived at the hospital, Jill had dried the tears of a painful delivery and was smiling proudly at having produced a healthy son according to order.
Mac stayed for a little more than twenty-four hours. It was time enough to tell Jill how much he loved her and how proud he was. It was even time enough for a small, loving argument.
Jill wanted to call the boy MacDonald, after his father. Mac resisted the idea.
"That's really a hell of a name to give an innocent kid." He argued.
"But it's your name, darling, and that makes it very beautiful."
They argued in their usual way, with kisses and smiles and gentle words. When it ended, they had found a compromise. Their son would be named Mark MacDonald.-Mac flew back South then, confident that his wife and son were safe and healthy. There had also been time to see their three year old daughter Karen. If all went well, he would be back in three weeks to enjoy the love of his family.
All did not go well. Mac got back to the job on Friday morning. His phone call later that day reported that he and Carl were going to the island for the weekend to work things out.
When Jill didn't hear from him on Monday morning, she was not too worried. It wasn't like Mac not to call, but, she reasoned, he had a lot of things to think about. He would call when he got a chance.
Jill was reading the paper that afternoon when she went into a state of shock. As news stories went, it was not a big one. In fact, it had been relegated to page four.
It told of an eighteen year old girl being the victim of a rape slayer. Police had arrested a suspect. He was a businessman from New York named MacDonald Sheppard. He was being held without bail.
The story went on to state that evidence given by his business partner, J. Carl Cardwell, prominent local businessman, indicated that Sheppard had been alone on the island with the girl when she met her death.
There was a little more to the story, but Jill could not read it. She had screamed for a few seconds before a worried nurse called a doctor. He gave her a needle and she fell asleep. Jill awoke later to find herself in the middle of hell. Somewhere, down in the abyss, her husband was being tortured.
She fought back to health because her husband needed her. Her sister would care for the children while she went South to be with her husband. Her body wasn't strong yet, but her mind was strong enough to carry it. Her love was even stronger.
The jail was dark and ugly and Mac looked small and alone when she saw him, but in that first quick glance, her heart sang a song of happiness as she knew for sure that what she had believed all along was right. Her husband had not committed the crime. He was not guilty.
She had seen him cry before, but his tears had been sweet gentle things which spoke of love and tenderness. Her love then was so strong that it should have been able to melt the glass between them and free her man to come into her arms, but jails do not melt so easily.
They spoke in hushed whispers through the phones to which they were restricted. His eyes showed relief at her faith in him. He told her to go back home to the new baby, told her that he could work it out since he was not guilty, but she refused. He knew she would.
He told the whole story then. Told how Carl's niece had come to the island to be cook and housekeeper for them. How she was a bright, beautiful girl with a ready smile and a good sense of humor. How he had left the island at noon that day to get the fateful papers.
Their car, he told her, was parked on the dirt road at the back side of the island so that he did not have to go into the village on his way out.
He had returned at six o'clock and Carl met him on the shore. There were other figures they needed, Carl told him, a new bid for partial ownership that he had not yet reported. Mac should go back to the island and take it easy while he took his turn to go into town.
Although he couldn't understand how it could be, Mac had gone along with the idea. Mac dropped him back on the island and left with the one boat. When he reached the cottage, there was no sign of Velma, but he was not too concerned at the time. It was a fairly big island.
When darkness began to fall and she still did not appear, Mac had begun to worry. He began to walk around looking for her. He found her.
She was dead. Her body was covered by a torn bra just below her throat. Except for that, she was naked. There was a lot of blood and bad bruises on her throat and breasts. After the shock and sickness passed, he ran back to the shore to wait for Carl, but he did not appear. All through the night, he waited, but there was no sign of his friend.
In We early hours of the morning, the police came. He showed them the body and they arrested him. As they dragged him away, they refused to listen to what he told them. They were busy saying things of their own, ugly things about a beast who would rape and murder-an innocent girl. He tried to tell them what had happened, but they wouldn't listen.
Only then did he realize that Carl had violated and killed his own niece. Only then did he realize that it had been carefully planned so that he would be blamed for the crime.
Of course he could explain it to the police and it would be understood. He explained, but they didn't want to understand.
When they threw him into the cell, there were ugly, painful bruises, but they were not too important. Bruises would heal in time. What terrified him was the complete belief of the police that he had killed and raped the girl. He asked for a doctor to check him, but they swore at him and told him about how he would fry for killing an innocent girl.
At that moment, he knew he was in serious trouble. Carl came to visit him later, but it was a different Carl. The eyes were cold with hatred, the voice was carefully controlled, it was the voice of a stranger. He said words about how he would try to help in any way he could.
The eyes also said I am guilty, but surely you don't expect me to admit it. He spoke of lawyers and defense and friendship in spite of everything and Mac felt the bottom fall out of his world.
He began then to sense the end of his world. There was something about the way his friend and partner spoke that told him he would pay with his life for the crime Carl had committed. He thought of Jill, to whom he had been true since they first discovered their love; thought of their children and knew he would never see them again.
If he were to be executed for Carl's crime, he could take it, he knew, but the thought of his wife and children living with the stigma of what the law would say about him was too much.
A lawyer came to see him then. He was a young man, eager and good looking. At first, the lawyer looked at him with distaste as if it was a job to be done. They talked for a long time.
Before their conversation ended, the lawyer's look had changed from hate to pity.
"My God," the young man said, "I believe you really are innocent."
"Is that so bad?" Mac asked.
"It's worse than that. They've built such a case around you, that I don't think any law yer in the country could save you. They've already declared you guilty. That's why they gave me the case."
"But I am innocent. That girl was alive and healthy and happy when I left the island. When I got back, she was dead. I hate to say this, but only Carl could have killed her and she was his niece. He loved her."
"I'm afraid you're right." The lawyer answered. "He loved her in a very sick way. His love carried him away and he has made you look guilty. Let's try to find some way to prove it."
"But I don't have to prove it. I'm innocent. Doesn't the law say a man is innocent until proved guilty?"
"Only in the books, Mac." The lawyer hung his head as though ashamed of his profession. "It doesn't really work that way."
They talked for a long time after that, but nothing changed. The lawyer kept looking for a way out, but Mac could not provide it. All he could tell was the truth and that was not enough.
Before their conversation ended, Mac knew he would be convicted. In time, he realized that he would be executed for Carl's crime. When he became sure of that, he tried to convince Jill that she should go back home to the children. He wasn't really surprised when she refused.
Each time they talked, he held his tears back so that she would not see them. She would need strength, he knew, and it was his job to give it to her. When she left, he smiled. Lat er, in the solitude of his cell, he would cry the tears he couldn't let her see.
In the long, empty hours of the night, Mac would admit to himself that not all the tears were for Jill and the kids. Some were for him too. Life is a good thing, he told himself. I don't want to end it. I want to live in love with my wife; I want to watch my kids grow up; I want to see and hold my wife's beautiful body; I want to grow old with her and them.
"Are you up there somewhere, God?" he said aloud. "Then get me out of this. Do your job. I don't deserve this, my family doesn't. Do something."
The bare cell remained silent and Mac knew then that the God to whom he had prayed was not going to do anything about it. He was on his own and knowledge of innocence was not going to be enough.
The trial was a legal farce. Because it was election year, the D.A. handled it himself. A flower of Southern Womanhood (with her whole life ahead of her) had been brutally ravished and slain.
This ugly outsider, this Northerner was the ravisher. If we do not convict and punish him, then we do not believe in all the things we say we hold dear. Who will be next if we set this man free? Your daughter? My daughter? We must protect society from wild animals.
While he spouted his emotional death call, the kindly old judge kept nodding his head as if in congratulation. Each time the prosecutor strayed too far from the path of law, Mac's lawyer would object. Each time, the judge would look at him with disdain.
"Quiet, boy. This here man has a right to say his piece." Implied in the message was the warning...."that there animal has no rights. If you want to live in this nice little town, don't fight too hard. We're gonna fry him, boy, don't fight too much, just enough to make it look good."
The jury stopped just short of applause. With the guidance of the D.A. and the judge, it was their role to uphold the sanctity of Southern womanhood. Not one of them would convict an innocent man knowingly, but it was obvious that this man was not innocent. They had daughters and wives and sisters. What else could they do?
It took eighteen minutes to bring in a verdict. "Guilty as charged."
"... die in the electric chair."
Jill screamed then, but what else could she do? After all, she is his wife. You can't expect her to be fair about it.
Mac's lawyer appealed the conviction of course, but he was only going through the motions and he knew it. The D.A.'s office had produced amazingly little evidence. In fact, other than their claim that Mac was alone on the island with the girl at the time of her death, there was no evidence.
The medical examiner had placed the time of her death at a time when Carl was back in town and Mac was on the island. That alone was enough to tie a circumstantial noose around the defendant's neck.
His report had not been filed though until Mac had been arrested and Carl had given his story.
"Well now," the kindly old doctor drawled, "I suppose I rightly shoulda filed that report sooner, but you know how things go. We all just put things off. Anyway, I examined that poor girl soon as I could and there was no doubt about the time of her death. I've gotta tell you," he looked directly at the defendant, "the man who killed that poor innocent girl had to be a real animal. He's not fit to live in our decent, God fearing society!"
"Objection," Mac's lawyer roared.
"Easy now, boy," the judge frowned at him, "I won't have you shouting in my court. All right clerk, strike out that business of the doc's about him being an animal and all that."
There was no point in telling the jury to forget it. It was just what they were thinking anyway. Doc had only made it a little more official.
And then there was Carl's statement for the defense. If Mac hadn't already been guilty in the minds of the jury, he would have been by the time Carl finished speaking on his behalf.
J. Carl Cardwell was a picture of prosperity and dignity as he took the stand to defend the character of his friend and business associate.
In glowing tones, he told of Mac's character and personality before going into specifics.
"Why he really loved that poor niece of mine and she liked him too. Trusted him just like a father. They used to go on long walks together around the island talking their heads off.
"No sir, I can't believe Mac would do a thing like that. Not even upset as he was about the new baby and all that. No, even when I saw that poor girl's body all naked and abused like it was, I refused to believe my friend could do it."
Mac's lawyer tried to dismiss the witness, but Carl would not be stopped.
"I realize that in saying my friend is not guilty of this terrible crime, I could be putting myself under suspicion because if he didn't kill her, maybe some will say I did, but I don't mind. Maybe," he finished weakly, "there was another man on the island. Just because we didn't find any trace of another man doesn't mean there couldn't have been one."
Something about the way he said it convinced all who heard that he didn't really believe it himself. He was just trying to help his friend by clouding the issue with some vague reference to a mystery man on the island on the day of the killing.
Mac's lawyer saw their last chance go up in smoke then.
"Mr. Cardwell, in addition to being friends, you and the defendant are partners in a business worth a couple of million dollars, aren't you?"
"That's right."
"What happens to the defendant's share of the business if he dies?"
"Well, our agreement says that the business goes to the survivor with certain arrangements for the estate of the deceased."
"Then if the defendant should die, you would stand to make a pretty big financial gain, wouldn't you?"
"Now look here, that's a real mean thing to suggest. I don't want to make money that way. In fact, I intend to look after his widow."
The lawyer's mouth fell open at the man's easy admission that he expected Mac to die. He turned away and dismissed the witness.
The prosecutor took over then to tie up any possible loose ends.
"You and Mac are real good friends, aren't you?"
"Yes, we are. Best of friends."
"You'd do anything you could to help him, wouldn't you?"
"Yes, I would. Anything in my power."
"If he were in trouble, you'd even lie to help him wouldn't you? Remember, you're under oath."
Carl paused and stared toward the ceiling as if summoning up strength to answer.
"Yes, I guess I would if it would help."
"Did you have much trouble with trespassers on the island?"
"None at all."
The judge delivered his summation to the jury then. It was brief and surprisingly fair. He knew his people well enough to know the jury would bring in a guilty verdict anyway, there was no point in saying anything that would make unfavorable reading in a transcript of the trial if the case went to appeal.
Although he did recess the court when the jury went out, the judge didn't leave the bench. Ten minutes later, he looked at his watch and frowned in the direction of the jury room door. What, he wondered, is taking them so long. His glance made that obvious.
When they brought in their decision, he congratulated the jurors on having done their job well and went on to pronounce sentence of death.
Jill's cry had been the only real sound in the room.
The appeals had been denied as everyone knew they would be. The plea to the Governor for clemency was turned down. It was an election year, after all.
Mac Sheppard died in the electric chair. Justice was served.
* * *
Jill sat up then and was surprised to find her eyes dry.
"Thanks for everything, Bob."
"No thanks needed, Jill. I didn't do enough."
"You did a lot more than the people who are paid to see that justice is done. You believed in him, you found Carl's key case in the area where she was killed. It wasn't your fault that the court wouldn't be influenced by it."
"I still want to help in any way I can, Jill."
"I know, Bob, and I appreciate it. The rest is up to me, now."
"The rest?" He looked puzzled.
"I'm going to fight now." Her look of determination under-lined the words. "Carl Card well and the law murdered my husband and destroyed his reputation and character. I'm going to get Cardwell and expose both him and the law."
"How are you going to go about it?" The man looked apprehensive.
"You heard Carl say he wanted to take care of me? I'm going to let him do it. I'm going to become a part of his family. I have only woman's weapons, but I'll use them all in any way I have to."
"I don't follow you, Jill. Do you really think you're going to get him to admit he killed his niece?"
"Yes, Bob. He destroyed my family. I'll destroy his if I have to, but I'll make him admit that he raped and murdered his own niece and sent Mac to the electric chair for it. While I'm doing it, you may stop liking and respecting me, but it's something I have to do. I'm going to do it."
"Don't worry, Jill. I could never stop liking or respecting you, no matter what you do. This isn't the time to talk about it, so I'll save it for later. You do what you have to do and I'll be around to help in any way I can."
"Do you think what I'm doing is wrong? Should I just forget it and pick up the pieces?"
"No. If you were just looking for revenge, I might try to talk you out of it. I think you're justified in what you're trying to do. I only hope you don't get hurt. The man you're stalking is a murderer and the job you've cut out for yourself is a tough one. Try it your way. I won't ask questions or make judgments. Just shout when you need me."
"You're a very good man, Bob."
"Thank you madam. I come from a long line of good men. It's my duty to maintain the reputation."
"This may sound strange in view of everything, but I can sleep now, I think."
"Glad to hear it." Bob got up and walked out of the room.
The hurt, Jill feared, would return, but for now, it had been replaced by determination.
CHAPTER THREE
"Thank you for the money, Carl, it will help. I'm afraid the defense used up most of our savings."
"Don't mention it, Jill. As long as I own the business, any share of profit that would have gone to Mac goes to you. I know he would have done the same if things had worked out the other way."
"Yes, I guess he would have if things had worked out the other way, Carl."
The plays on words were making it difficult for Jill to carry on with the act, but she reminded herself of what she was doing and concen trated on sounding like the bereaved widow, thankful for handouts from a friend. Above all, she warned herself, I must never let him find out what I'm doing until I have what I want.
"When do you plan on leaving?" The man asked the question in a way that indicated he hoped she would be leaving soon.
Knowing that he had committed the murder for which her husband died, Jill could understand how her presence must be a continuing reminder to him.
"Well, I must move out of the place where I'm staying. They have been awfully kind, but they just don't have the room. Strange as it sounds, I think I want to stay in town for a while though."
"That does surprise me." He looked puzzled. "After what happened here, I'd think you would want to get away as fast as you can."
"In one way, I do, Carl. And yet, it would seem like running, as if I were ashamed. Maybe it's crazy, but I want to stay here for a while. I want to show these people that I believe in my husband's innocence."
As she crossed her legs, Jill saw his eyes follow the movement. She wondered how often he had looked at his niece that way before he got carried away to the point of raping and murdering her.
"I guess you know everybody in this town, Carl," she recrossed her legs with studied carelessness, "perhaps you could suggest a place I could stay for a while."
"Why bless you, Jill. You don't think, I'd let you stay with just anybody at all, do you?
We have lots of room here and this is where you stay."
"That's so kind of you, but I don't want to be in the way."
"That's just a part of Southern hospitality, little girl. This is your home as long as you want it to be."
"I know I should decline, Carl, but I just can't bring myself to do it. This is such a lovely home." Jill reached under her skirt to scratch an imaginary itch on her thigh. She guessed that he could see the top of one nylon.
Did you call her 'little girl,' just before you raped her? Jill asked the question silently. What did you say when you tore off her bra to expose those firm, young breasts? Did you say all the gentlemanly things while you were shredding her tight little panties?
Did you say soothing words to her while you were parting her thighs to expose the flower of her virginity to your animal cravings? Did she scream much while you were raping her or did you kill her first and then rape her dead body?
I've got to stop this, Jill warned herself. If I keep saying these things to myself, the hate will begin to show in my voice. I must not let that happen. I must not do a single thing to make him suspicious. Show him a little more thigh, he likes that. The inner voice advised her.
That's it, left over right, raise it slowly, bring the skirt up nice and high, hold for a minute, make sure the skirt rides up a little. Don't let him know you are aware of his hungry glance.
She knew that Carl had seen enough to be hooked into insisting that she stay with them indefinitely. She turned off the show then. In a little while, he drove her to the house to pick up her belongings.
In the car, he patted her on the knee lightly as he insisted that she feel like one of the family.
Go ahead and pat, you sick bastard, but you are not going to get what you expect. I intend to make sure that you keep on hoping. It's a part of destroying you, tearing you apart until you get weak enough to tell the truth about the murder for which my husband died.
"It's going to be so difficult to adjust to not being a wife."
"I can understand that, Jill. You're a healthy young woman. Feel free to talk to me about any of your problems."
"Thank you, I'll remember that." Again Jill was unable to resist the game of saying things under her breath.
I'll bet you get your kicks that way, you sick man. I'll "bet I could drive you right out of your skull telling you that I'm getting hot and hungry for a man between my thighs. I have this terrible gnawing here, Carl, may I please take my panties down and show you? Would you please do something about it?
Of course, my dear child, her mind played his reply. Here let me slip them down for you. My, you are a pretty little girl. You feel all nice and smooth and warm. I'll show you how to make those bad feelings go away. Take off all the rest of your clothes and I'll make you feel good all over. Don't you laugh at me, though.
Is that how it happened, you beast? Did you try to talk her into taking her shorts down for you? Did you try to get your hand inside her panties? Did you take your clothes off Did she see your fat old belly and laugh at you? Is that why you killed her? Because she laughed at you?
When they arrived back at Carl's house, his wife was there. The woman tried to make Jill feel at home, but there was a nervousness about her. Could she, Jill wondered, know or suspect the real story about the rape murder? Does she know that her husband is a rapist and murderer of young girls? How must it be to live with that?
It was pure hell to see my husband getting ready to die, but how much worse must it be to know that a husband has raped and killed a girl and permitted another man to die for it. Your sorrow is greater than mine, Lucy. I wonder if you'll help me put him in the electric chair for the two murders of which he is guilty?
Just before dinner, the two children came in. They were hardly children. Amanda, at nineteen was all woman with a body calculated to turn heads. The fact that she was aware of it, made her even more attractive. Jackson, a year younger, was more man than boy.
Despite the fact that all concentrated on making the guest comfortable, nerves were on edge all through the meal. Before they finished eating, Jill found the direction she was looking for.
As a close knit family unit, they were unassailable. If she was to get Carl, she would have to upset the entire family. She would have to plant suspicion and doubt and guilt among them.
Jackson would be easy. In spite of his size and physical maturity, he looked uncomfortable in her presence. Jill guessed that he was either completely inexperienced sexually, or terribly unsure of himself.
As she decided to start the campaign by seducing him, she felt a twinge of guilt. After all, she told herself, it is his father I'm after, why hurt him?
She remembered her infant son at home then and the guilt feeling passed. That baby has been deprived of a father, why should I show more pity to this boy? If I am going to break this family down, I have to sow discord, I have to destroy the family. So be it. You, Jackson, will be first. You will taste the things your father is panting for right now.
But how about the others? How could she get to Lucy and Amanda? Jill remembered her college days. Living in an all female atmosphere, the girls had drifted casually, without knowing it, into forbidden areas of sexual gratification without male help.
Initiation had been a logical starting point. The ceremony involved the classic spankings. The froshies were understandably nervous about being undressed. When they reached bra and panties, they frequently needed the help of others.
Anxious, nervous palms slapped at nude buttocks then. The girls who held the pained victim found illogical places to grasp, felt the excitement of naked skin.
The rite of initiation drifted away from sim pie spanking into the area of forbidden touches. Soon the seniors too, were nude. The ceremony became more complex.
"Unworthy one, because I am very kind, I shall give you a choice. Bend over the chair for another spanking on your bare bottom or pay the price another way ... kneel before me ... more ... moremoremore."
"Welcome to the sorority, sister of the soft skin."
Later, in the privacy of rooms, aroused feelings grew again. Spanked skin was soothed with creams and oils; lush young bodies were bared more willingly this time; touches were more gentle, kisses more ardent.
Special ceremonies would be held then with classic Greek terminology to cover games played by women long before Greece was.
Even before marriage, Jill gave up the girl games. There had been no shame, it was a part of growing up. When some of the sorority girls who clung to the game into womanhood asked Jill to join them, she declined.
There was no condemnation in her attitude, it was just that they were the games of awakening womanhood without men. She had her man now and did not need it.
Looking back a few years, Jill recalled a reunion at her home involving eight of the old sorority. While she and one other refused to participate, the others relived the old initiation routine.
The buttocks were slightly older now, but still sleek and firm as they arched to receive the ceremonial spanks. The breasts were a lit tie fuller as they joggled, but the tips still showed arousal as the game progressed.
While Jill and the other non-participant poured drinks, the game moved on to the same old conclusion. This time, there were six women locked in a writing, naked chain of heated bodies on the rug.
Although Jill was forced to admit that the sight of the writhing nudity did arouse her, she felt no urge to take part in their game.
Just thinking of it, Jill felt a twinge of passion and pressed her knees together under the table. Looking at the lush figure of the woman-girl, she sensed that she could be directed into the strange world of lesbos.
In order to break down the man, it would be necessary to corrupt the entire family. She knew she would have to build up tensions which could not be withstood. I have already paid my price, Mac has paid his, they will pay theirs, she told herself.
How about Lucy, she wondered? The woman wore a vague look of hunger. It could be, Jill told herself, that a man sick enough to rape and kill his own niece would not be man enough to satisfy his wife. Perhaps the same game that she would use on Amanda would work on the woman.
At thirty-eight, Lucy still had a good body. She was light of breast and buttock, but it was a good figure. If she played it just right, Jill told herself, the woman too could be drawn into the evil net she was planning to bring Carl to justice.
If Jill had been another woman, she would wonder what Mac would think of all this, what he would say about women, his woman, using her body as a weapon. But being Jill, it did not pose a problem. In life, she had loved her husband and he had loved her.
Death had ended all of that for them. To her, death was the end of everything. Life after death, to Jill, was a ploy used by clergymen to keep the collection baskets nicely filled.
The meal ended finally and they adjourned to the big recreation room. Jill could feel the tension like a charge of electricity. She knew then that her plan, vague as it was, would work. Somewhere along the way, she would find the direction it needed.
Raising her nylon sheathed leg with just the right touch of abandon, she crossed it over the other. This time, Carl was not alone in watching what she offered. Jackson glued his eyes to her thighs too. The wife and mother may not have noticed, but Amanda did.
All through the evening, Jill divided her attention between keeping conversation alive and planning the first moves of her weird campaign.
Has anyone else, she wondered, ever set out to seduce an entire family? The thought made it difficult to concentrate on conversation, but she managed somehow.
As the evening wore on, Amanda was the first to leave the group. When she excused herself, Jill rose to bid her good night. As they exchanged smiles, Jill felt a tingle of excitement with the certain knowledge that she would be able to get to the girl.
Jackson, she knew, was already in the bag. Amanda was almost as sure. That left only Lucy, proud, beautiful wife of the prosperous, dignified rapist. There would be a way to get her too. It was just a matter of time and concentration before she too came into the web.
That left Carl as the only holdout and that was the way Jill wanted it. Let him wait and want, she thought, it was important to her plan that he stay that way. Let him sweat, let him feel the tension build around him, let him think he was going to make out, but each time he came close, the door would be slammed shut just ahead of him.
Mac had lost and I have lost, Carl, Jill swore under her breath, but you have not won. You stand to be a very big loser before I finish with you.
CHAPTER FOUR
With school vacation having just begun, Jill was assured of the whole family being around for a while. There was no time for being complacent though. A job had to be done, she set out to do it.
She was up early next morning and hurried to the guest bathroom wearing only a filmy negligee. As she bathed, she heard footsteps in the hall outside. The steps stopped at the room next door. She heard a key fitted into a lock and a moment later, the sound of a door closing.
Remembering the tour of the house she had been given the previous day, Jill knew it was Carl's den. Among the family, it was called the inner sanctum because the door was always kept locked and none were permitted to enter.
At the time, Jill wondered that the family accepted it as a joke. She had determined then that she would see the inside of the mystery room. Now she was even more determined.
Why, she asked herself, would a man rush from his bedroom into his locked study on a working morning before even going to the bathroom or having a cup of coffee?
Filing the question, she went on with her bath. The water was hot, the tub comfortable, the appointments of the brightly lighted room invited relaxation. She relaxed. As she did, Jill noticed that there was even a small suction fan in the ceiling to draw the steam out of the room.
Forcing herself to leave the luxury of the tub, Jill stepped out and reached for a big, rough towel. As she dried her body, she watched herself in the full length mirror and liked what she saw.
At twenty-six, her body was even better than it had been at nineteen when she married. Two babies had done no damage at all. Her body was just a little more rounded, her breasts, belly and thighs, firm and smooth, her buttocks retained a sleek hardness which permitted her to avoid girdles except when wearing a tight-fitting dress.
She thought of the man in the room next to her and smiled as she thought of how he would love to see her as she was at the moment.
My God, she thought, as the smile vanished, what if that mirror is one of those trick things that serves as a window from the other side.
Oh come on, she scolded herself, the man may be sick, but don't look for ghosts and devils everywhere. Dropping the towel, Jill slipped her negligee on again and walked back to her bedroom.
She left her door open about two inches so that she would be able to check on the other occupants of the house. A minute later, she heard Lucy tap on the door of the den to notify her husband that breakfast was almost ready. The woman went downstairs then, her husband was close behind. Only Amanda and Jackson remained upstairs with her.
Hearing a door open, Jill pressed her face to the narrow slit at the hinged side of her door and saw the young man walk down the hall to the bathroom. Easing her door open a little more, she dropped the negligee and selected bra, panties, nylons and a garter belt. She began dressing slowly after adjusting a small mirror on the bureau so that it would give her a picture of the partially opened door.
When she heard the bathroom door again, Jill turned her back toward her door and began fussing with a suspender. Her body was twisted in such a way that the admirably filled bra and nylon bikini panties in matching pale blue were displayed to best advantage to anyone who looked from the doorway.
Her eyes never left the small mirror. She saw Jackson stop, then draw his body behind the protection of the wall, she could still see a portion of his face though. She had provided a show and was smiling to herself as she watched her appreciative audience of one.
Letting go of the suspender, Jill raised one leg at a time to smooth out the already smooth nylon, her hands moving in a caressing motion along the firm thigh. When both nylons had been attended to, she bent a little from the waist, smoothed out pretended wrinkles from the skin tight panties, straightened up and walked across the room.
Show's over, sonny boy, Jill said under ,her breath. I think you got enough to make you properly receptive for my next move.
She guessed that Jackson would stay in his room for a long time. What he had been permitted to see would have a tremendous impact on him, especially if, as she suspected, he was completely inexperienced with women.
Cheer up Jackson, she smiled, I am going to use you, but you will be more than well paid for your part in the scheme of things. She finished dressing and went downstairs.
"Good morning," Jill greeted her hosts cheerfully.
"Your timing is just magnificent, Jill," Lucy replied. "Everything is still warm and you just missed prayers."
"Good for me." Jill laughed with her. "I always did prefer eating to praying."
"We do not laugh at prayer in this house." Although Carl stared at his wife as he intoned the words of scolding, it was obvious they were intended for Jill as well as Lucy.
The storm passed and Jill ate with an excellent appetite for the first time in a very long time. During the meal, Carl explained the deep religious conviction with which his family was trained.
It was obvious that while Carl discussed the subject with a fervor bordering on the fanatic, his family went along with it out of fear rather than faith.
"I'm surprised that you don't try to find solace in prayer, Jill." Carl made no effort to hide his disapproval.
"I've never been a religious person, Carl. I hear a lot about some Christian God who looks after everybody on earth, but I'm not very impressed with the evidence I've seen."
Jill decided she was playing a dangerous game and warned herself off.
"I must say though, Carl," she added to smooth things over, "your system seems to have worked excellently with your family."
"Indeed it has, Jill." He beamed proudly. "I can absolutely assure you that those children have never been touched by carnal lust."
"But isn't that difficult in our society?" Jill asked with a great show of being impressed.
"Goodness and purity are always difficult. There are pagans and communists who constantly strive to corrupt the young, but a strong home life with prayer and discipline can rise above all that."
"But surely discipline becomes more difficult as they get older."
"Discipline never changes in this house." He pointed proudly toward a shelf behind the kitchen door. From it, hung a broad, old fashioned razor strop.
"That strap has been polished smooth from regular applications of discipline. All who come under my care know that every fault is punished by the pain of the strap."
Without warning, Lucy's face was covered with a hot, painful blush. It told Jill that she too submitted to the strap. Jill tried to ease the woman's obvious discomfort by looking away.
Carl's eyes gleamed as if he were transfixed. The man saw himself as an avenging angel, an instrument of God or, she shuddered, a god himself.
Does that, she asked herself, explain his killing the girl? Had he been carried away in a fit of passion to the point of raping her? Then, seeing her nude, abused body, did he convict her of sin and execute her?
She was sure he had killed once. Had there been others? Would there be more killing by this insane man? If he knew of her suspicion, would he find a logical reason in his sick mind to put her to death as punishment for sin?
Strangely, the thought didn't bother her. If anything, it infused an added air of excitement to the already dangerous game she was playing.
As if suddenly returned to the world, Carl glared at the wall clock. "It's twenty minutes after eight and Amanda is not at the table."
"Don't be harsh with her, Carl. All the strain of studying has made her tired. She probably fell asleep again. I'll go call her." Lucy began to rise from the table.
"Stay." The one word froze the woman and caused her to drop back to her chair.
"Laziness and sloth are sins which must not be encouraged. You two," he looked from his wife to his son who had just walked into the room, "be ready to leave in fifteen minutes. Why are you late for breakfast?" He glared at Jackson.
"I'm sorry dad. I was a bit sick this morning but I feel all right now."
"You do look a bit pale at that. Drink a cup of coffee and go get the car ready."
"I don't feel like coffee right now, dad, I'll go get the car now."
The boy shuffled out of the room nervously without once looking toward Jill. She could understand his paleness and nervousness.
Finding the atmosphere too tense for comfortable conversation, Jill excused herself and returned to her room. The heat of the morning as well as the tension at the table had caused her to perspire beyond the point of comfort. In her room, Jill removed the dress and half slip she had worn and looked around for something else to wear.
At that moment, she heard Carl walk heavily along the hall. Listening, she heard him push open the door of Amanda's room and storm inside without closing the door behind him. She opened her door slightly to hear the lecture she anticipated.
Poor Amanda, she thought, as the man's voice raised angrily, the whole household will hear her being scolded for the sin of falling asleep and missing prayers.
While many of his words were lost, some reached her clearly.
"Sin of laziness ... prayers ... punished ... sins of the flesh ... remove it ... bare naked ... turn over...."
The sound filled the house like a shot and was followed by a high pitched shriek of protest. The man, Jill realized, had actually forced this nineteen year old woman to strip so that he could beat her nude body with the wicked looking strap.
As the sound of strapping went on, intermingled with cries and pleas for mercy, Jill stood rooted to the spot. She was unable to believe that a woman of Amanda's age would submit to it.
From time to time, between slaps of the strap, the man's voice could be heard above the other sounds from the room.
"Evils of the body ... slap ... punish ... slap ... wash away sins ... slap ... beat the devil from your body...."
Jill was sorry she hadn't kept count, but she knew the girl must have received forty or fifty slaps of the belt by the time the sound ended.
"Kneel." She heard the curt command. It was followed by two voices in a more subdued tone. Jill realized that the two were kneeling to pray as a climax to the cruel strapping.
In a little while, the man walked out of the room to rejoin his family downstairs. From the room across the hall, Jill heard the continuing sobbing of the beaten girl.
Looking out her window, she saw Carl ushering his wife and son into the family car. A moment later, it pulled out of the driveway with Carl at the wheel, the other two sitting upright in the back seat.
Throwing her negligee on, Jill scooped up a jar of cold cream from her bureau and hurried across the hall. Amanda lay naked on the bed, her body wracked with sobs, her full buttocks and upper thighs laced with bright red marks.
Moving to the bed, Jill stroked the girl's back and spoke soothingly. As she turned, Amanda's eyes were filled with surprise and terror.
"Don't worry, dear," Jill soothed, "they've all gone. We're alone in the house. I'll see if I can make this feel better for you."
Jill's hands were soft and comforting as they smoothed the rich cream over the silken skin of the younger woman's tortured buttocks and thighs. As she massaged the tender skin, her voice was soft and comforting, her gentle hands even more so.
After a little while, the sobbing stopped as Amanda gladly surrendered her body to the tender ministrations. Jill's hands had covered the most obviously exposed marks and moved in search of the others where the strap had found its way between madly threshing thighs.
Amanda offered no resistance as her thighs parted to permit the soothing cream to relieve some of the burn the strap had planted on her sensitive skin.
Jill's hands continued to move with insinuating tenderness. When she felt the sleek body tremble under her knowing touch, she realized that Amanda's emotions now had nothing to do with pain, the body was responding with wild abandon.
Slowly, Jill's hand moved along the soft inner thigh until there was no more thigh and still it moved, pressed gently, stroked.
Under her, she heard sounds of labored breathing, saw the still hot buttocks arch upward in greedy invitation. Jill's lips still moved as she cooed gentle, comforting words, her face moved down slowly until light kisses bathed hot receptive skin.
Still the body under her arched hungrily, her arms wrapped around the young woman, her hands held the firm thighs widely parted, her face moved quickly, found, held.
Moments later, Jill heard the screaming sigh of completion and held tightly until it finished. Only then did she toss aside her negligee, draw the limp, satisfied form into her arms and lie beside her.
"Was it nice, Amanda?" she whispered as she kissed the young woman's ear.
"I never knew about that. It was the most wonderful feeling I ever had. Tell me about it. Explain it to me."
Moving quietly, Jill slipped off her bra and panties and began her whispered explanation of the human body and its needs and wants and appetites.
Amanda's hands were eager as Jill guided them on an erotic tour. In a little while, the last remnant of shyness passed. As they sat on the bed together, they compared beauties proudly and played exciting little games as passion slowly mounted to new heights.
"Do you like it that way too, Jill?"
"Mmm, I love it Amanda. Aren't you afraid?"
"No. I want to try. Will you help me?" Jill drew the young face to hers and held the smooth cheeks as they kissed passionately.
Their mouths still clinging, they fell to the bed together.
When the kiss ended, Jill guided the younger woman's lips to the warm swells of her breasts. The girl learned quickly and grew anxious to taste other joys.
With Jill's hands guiding her, Amanda moved the trail of wet kisses over the silken swell of belly and into the triangle of foliage.
"Now, Amanda?" Jill asked breathlessly.
"Yes, Jill, now."
As Amanda watched in rapt fascination, the tapered thighs raised and drifted apart to reveal the luscious, forbidden goal. Her face fell into the sleek nest the thighs formed. Her mouth moved unerringly until it found the soft warmth. Her hands caressed unseen slopes as her mouth pressed harder and harder as if to devour this strange, new sweetness.
When it was over, they talked again. Jill told tales of sorority initiations, of strange games with stranger forfeits for winners and losers.
There were many things to be learned and explained and demonstrated; there were passions to be built and satisfied. When they dressed hurriedly at noon to prepare for the return of the tyrant, they had achieved a wonderful new relationship.
Jill wasn't sure how she would be able to use this to break the man, but she was content to figure that out later. One down, she whispered to herself, and two to go.
Back in her room, Jill reconfirmed her decision to disrupt the family's way of life entirely. She hoped the remainder of the task would be as enjoyable as the first step had been.
It had been many years since the exploratory days of college, she had forgotten how much fun it could be. Her body reminded her now as she planned the next step.
CHAPTER FIVE
"Bob, the more I see of that man, the more convinced I become that he's insane."
"I think you're right, Jill, but don't ever try to tell that to the people of this town."
They had finished lunch in the town's best restaurant and were lingering over drinks. Jill had told him of Carl's attitude in the home, the strapping of Amanda and the implication that his wife too submitted her bared posterior for his avenging discipline.
"I suppose that shocked you, Jill, but anyone in town could have told you that. He boasts about how strict he is with his family and en courages other fathers to buy a razor strop."
"And yet they don't think he's crazy?"
"You're talking about the town's most admired and respected citizen, also the richest. A few times when Carl decided his whole family needed punishment, he brought the minister along to read the Bible while they undressed one at a time and had their butts laced with the strap."
"My God, Bob, are you sure of that?"
"The minister told me."
"But what did he think of it?"
"Well, let's put it this way. Amanda is a very well built young woman, Lucy isn't bad either. You guess what a man would think watching them strip naked, then bend over and kick their legs while the old man strapped them."
"Surely he didn't admit enjoying it."
"Of course not, that would be like admitting to sin. He spoke in glowing terms about what a fine, stern man Carl is. He said all the right churchy words, but he described the strappings in careful detail that made it obvious he remembered it very clearly. By the time he finished, he was getting short of breath and his eyes were gleaming. I've seen the same thing at stag parties when the entertainment was particularly strong."
"I'm afraid I don't think much of your minister."
"He's not my minister, thanks, I don't use one. What really counts though, is that Carl thinks a lot of him. If his attitude ever changes, we get a new minister. Carl's changed three in the five years I've been back in town on the paper."
"He has that kind of power?"
"And then some. He owns this town and the town does what he wants it to do; the mayor, the police chief, the minister, they're all the same to him. He makes and breaks them like toys. You have a tough job ahead of you, Jill."
"What you just said doesn't make it tougher. It can make the job a lot easier. A man who has climbed that far has a lot to lose, he can fall a long way. I'll get him."
"Son of a gun, I know it's crazy, but you almost have me convinced. It's like betting on David against Goliath."
"Just watch, David won once, it can happen again. For a starter, Bob, how about giving me those keys you found on the island. You did have copies made, didn't you?"
"I sure did, and I took the trouble of having the job done out of town, but I don't like the idea of you getting in too deep. You could get yourself killed and I wouldn't like that very much."
"Thanks, Bob. But you will give them to me won't you? You know how important they could be."
"The more important they are, Jill, the more likely it is to be dangerous." As he spoke, he pulled them from his pocket and dropped them to the table.
Jill opened her purse and dropped them in. As long as one of them would unlock the mysterious den, that was all she wanted. That room, she sensed, contained something important.
"Bob," she changed the subject, "tell me everything you know about Velma. Was she really the innocent flower the D.A. painted her, or was there more about her that didn't come out?"
"I don't really know that much. Her mother was Carl's sister. He didn't approve of her marriage, so he refused to help them when things were tough. Velma's father ekes out a living doing casual labor. Carl may toss the odd job his way but not much more. After Velma's mother died a few years ago, Carl tried to get her to live with his family. She refused, wanted to stay with her father."
"How did Carl take that?"
"I'm not sure. He still kept the girl in clothes and pocket money and she visited more often. I think there was a deal made with her father."
"What about her way of life, you know, virgin or tramp?"
"People wouldn't talk much after her death, but the picture I got was closer to virgin with a bit of tease thrown in. You know, very short shorts, a lot of bottom wiggling, all that."
"That's hardly consistent with Carl who won't even let his wife and daughter wear decent lingerie because he says they're sinful."
"Did I ever say he was consistent?" Bob gave her a wry smile.
"No, I guess you didn't at that. When I'm finished, Bob, we'll know a lot more about him. So will this whole damn town."
"I believe you." He held up his hands in a gesture of surrender.
"One more thing, how did Velma get along with Jackson and Amanda?"
"I don't know about that. The Cardwell family life is a closely guarded secret."
"That's understandable. I'll check it out with the kids."
"Careful, Jill." Bob's voice showed alarm. "You're fooling with trouble. If Carl ever catches you checking, I'm afraid to guess what he'll do."
"You underestimate me, Bob. I've been laying the groundwork as I go. Within three days those two will show more loyalty to me than to their father. I think I can bring Lucy into that position too."
"Did you ever think of becoming a private eye?"
"No, and I don't think I ever will. There are parts of the work which don't exactly appeal to me. This one job is all I want to do, then I'm going to go home and try to be mother and father to two kids."
In saying that, Jill was thinking of what she had done to Amanda and what she planned for Jackson and possibly Lucy."
As Bob drove her back to the Cardwell place, Jill's mind kept returning to her plans for Amanda and Jackson. Each time guilt tried to creep in, she rejected it. My husband paid with his life, my children have the right to vindication of their father's character. I am going to get that at any price.
Besides, Jill concentrated on holding back the smile that wanted to show, Amanda didn't seem to mind at all. That gal has been held on the leash too long and now that I showed her how to get off, there's going to be no stopping her. I wonder how Jackson, the boy virgin is going to take to the games I have planned for him.
Jill realized with a start that she had slipped too completely into her erotic reverie. She snapped herself out of it and tried to pick up the thread of their earlier conversation.
Waving her thanks to Bob for lunch and the ride, Jill hurried into the house wondering who she would find there.
To her dismay, she found Lucy in the kitchen. There was no sign of the kids.
Jill was surprised at the ease with which they fell into conversation. She was content to keep it light and general for now. Later, when she chose, she could steer their talk into specifics.
Much later, when Jill saw the woman look nervously toward the clock, she took her cue to bow out. She could well imagine that a late dinner would be considered a sin punishable by strapping.
"Can I give you a hand with anything, Lucy?"
"No thanks, Jill. I have everything under control. I did enjoy our chat."
"So did I. We must do it more often."
CHAPTER SIX
Jill woke early again the next morning. Mornings were developing into a regular pattern. The moment she closed the bathroom door behind her, she heard Carl in the hall. Again, he went directly to his den and she heard the door close behind him with a snap of the lock.
She wondered when she would see the room and hoped that one of her precious keys would fit.
Minutes after leaving the bathroom, she heard Carl go downstairs. Lucy was already there preparing breakfast. Slipping into bra and panties, Jill was content that pink would be a nice change of pace for Jackson today.
Her door was open the usual couple of inches and she was just beginning to slip her nylons on when she heard a sound in the hall. Her small mirror confirmed that he was in position for his regular morning show.
With her back to the door, Jill took her time about fitting the nylons to the suspenders. When they were in place, she started to slip her panties down, then, as if changing her mind, pulled them back into place around her buttocks. She had shown him just a little more than usual, a slight hint of what lay under the panties.
To her relief, he appeared at the table on time this morning. Amanda was already at her place when Jill arrived. She wondered if the avenging angel would find some other reason to use the strap again.
Jill sat silently while the others prayed. Carl frowned angrily, but said nothing as he launched into what threatened to be a full reading of the Bible, both Old and New Testament. Fortunately, she thought, Lucy was familiar with the routine and had left the food in the warming oven.
While they ate, the patriarch planned the day for his family.
"Lucy, I believe this is your day for charitable work among the poor and the sick, isn't it?"
"Yes, Carl, it is. There seem to be more all the time."
"People are poor," he intoned, "because they are too lazy to work. They are sick because they drink liquor and soften their bodies through sinful living,"
"Why do you help them then, Carl?" Jill asked. "I mean if you feel that way about them."
"We help them because it is our Christian duty to help all, even the sinners and the lazy ones."
Jill said nothing more. This, obviously was no time for argument. She hoped he wouldn't put both Amanda and Jackson to work in the plant today. If he does though, she consoled herself, it will give me the house to myself. It could be my chance to explore the mystery room.
"You, Amanda, will come to the plant with me. There is work to be done there and things to keep your mind occupied."
"What about me, dad?" Jackson asked.
"The grounds are due for attention. I am sure you will find enough to keep yourself occupied."
"Yes sir," the young man responded prompt "Can I do anything to help, Carl?" Jill asked.
"No, Jill, you are our guest. You may spend your day as you wish. You may wish to consider reading the Bible, but I shall not insist. I think it could be rewarding though. There is great comfort in the good book."
"Perhaps I'll try, Carl. I'm sure I'll find something rewarding." Jill kept a straight face while delivering the line even though she had no intention of looking for spiritual uplift.
What was it, she probed her memory, her irreverent friend Jenny had said about uplift?
Oh yes, she swallowed the smile as she recalled the line. "Any uplift my bra can't give me I don't want."
Although she wondered how Carl would react if she quoted the line, Jill had no intention of finding out.
With a great show of charity, Carl offered to drive Lucy into town to commence her rounds and suggested that he would pick her up at the minister's home at five-fifteen.
Ten minutes later, Carl escorted his charges to the car which Jackson had parked in front of the door as usual. She was alone in the house with her quarry and Jill felt a quick trembling in her knees as she prepared to seduce him.
When she saw that his first job involved the breakfast dishes, Jill insisted on helping with them. Although the kitchen was really not small, she did brush against him a few times as they worked around the sink.
With the dishes out of the way and the kitchen neat enough to pass inspection, Jill announced that she was also going to help with the gardening.
"Aw, you don't have to do that," Jackson protested nervously. Jill sensed pangs of conscience about the peeping he had been doing.
"I'd like to do it," she insisted. "I need the exercise. Just relax, Jackson and let's be friends." Her smile was even warmer than her words. She watched him melt.
"Wait for me though." She added, "I have to go up and change into something more comfortable."
She hurried up the stairs. When she heard him following a couple of minutes later, Jill had already shed her blouse and skirt and was bending as she looked for a pair of shorts in the second drawer.
For just a moment, Jill paused, wondering whether she needed to be subtle in her approach. Straightening up, she caught a glimpse of him in the mirror and decided that there was no need for subtlety. He was well and truly hooked.
Reaching back into the drawer, she came out with a halter top to go with the shorts. Her back still turned toward the door, she fumbled with the catch of her bra but was apparently unable to get it open.
"Oh damn," she muttered loudly enough to be heard. For another few seconds, she pretended to fight with it, then made a great show of giving up. Turning slowly, she walked out of range of the door.
Jill allowed time enough for him to get to his room before she called.
"Jackson, I've got troubles. Would you come and give me a hand please?"
She heard him hurrying along the hall toward her room. Just as he started to walk into the room, she turned toward him, her lush breasts seeming to fight for escape from the light bra.
He stopped in the doorway, his mouth open in excitement and shock.
"I'm sorry, Jack, have I shocked you? I really didn't mean to. I can't get this darn brassiere unfastened."
The young man had removed his shirt so that he was bare from the waist up. Jill ad mired the athletic development of his chest and upper arms.
"Come to think of it, Jack, I'm more dressed than you and I'm not shocked so why should you be?"
"Aw, I'm not shocked, not really...." He fumbled for words. "It's just that ... well ... I never...."
"Here, Jack. Do you mind if I call you Jack? I'll turn my back if that will make it easier for you."
Jill smiled at him through the mirror as he walked slowly, nervously toward her. As his hands reached for the catch of the bra, she took a deep breath and held it to justify her story of having trouble with it. When she could hold no longer, she let it go. Only then did his shaking fingers manage to achieve the task. She turned to face him.
"Surely, Jackson, a handsome young man like you isn't going to tell me that you've never seen a woman in bra and panties before?"
"Well ... I guess ... I mean ... no, I never did." He hung his head as if in shame.
"I'm sorry, Jack. I didn't mean to offend you."
"Oh, you didn't offend me. Gee, you're so beautiful, I've never seen anything like it."
"That's a wonderful compliment, Jack. A woman likes to hear that from a man, especially a handsome young one."
He shuffled nervously, perspiration rolling down his face and chest. Jill kept her warmest smile turned on to help him.
"You must have played games with girls somewhere along the line."
"Oh yeah." He smiled ruefully. "Once, when I was just a little kid, I was playing with a girl out in the summer house. We had all our clothes off when my father caught us. Boy did we get it."
"Oooh," Jill sympathized. "I'll bet that took your mind off girls for a while."
"It sure did. To tell the truth, that's the only time I ever saw a girl. Dad keeps a pretty close eye on us and I guess I'm kind of shy."
"That's a shame, Jack. You see, I think the human body is a beautiful thing. I don't believe there should be any shame attached to it. Do you?"
"No. I agree with you. Boy, you sure shouldn't ever be ashamed."
"You keep saying the nicest things, Jack. You're very good for a woman's morale."
Jackson was smiling a little more easily now, but he was still having difficulty finding words. Jill wasn't concerned though, the rest, she knew, would be easy.
"Since we seem to agree on all the important things, Jack, why don't you stay while I finish changing. I don't mind if you don't."
"Do you mean it, Jill?" She noticed it was the first time he had used her name. He was, she knew, accepting her evaluation of him as a man. "
Jill knew she could cash in right then, but it wouldn't be effective enough. She wanted to win him completely so that he would accept her as friend and confidant. The way to do that, she decided was to play it out for a while.
"Sure I mean it. I think life was meant to be enjoyed. I hate to see people walking around with long faces. If we can give pleasure to each other without hurting anyone, why shouldn't we?"
"Boy, Jill, you sure see things the same way I do."
"I can see that, Jack. You know, you think you're shy and backward and all that, but you're really not. It's just that you've never really had a chance."
"You're sure right about never having a chance. Dad won't even let me go away to college for fear I'll learn about sin and all that jazz."
"Well, some people consider everything enjoyable a sin. I'm glad I don't and I suspect we agree on that."
With their wonderful new accord on philosophy, Jackson was able to look more boldly at Jill. The unfastened bra, hanging loosely, pulled at his eyes.
"Well, Jack," she smiled, "since you unfastened this for me, I may as well let you do all the work and take it off for me. Would you like to?"
He couldn't find his voice, but his eyes flashed an emphatic yes. Jill reached for his hands and raised them so that his palms rested against the loose covering. When she pressed his hands against her, he understood what she was suggesting.
After a while, when he could stand the waiting no longer, he pulled the bra away to bare the proud, white globes. Already aroused, they pressed back against his hands as he caressed them.
Jill felt the urgency building in him and knew she must guide him along. Grasping his hands, she moved them to the nylon panties. Again they clutched and pressed and reveled in the wonder of a whole new world.
In a few seconds, she asked him to remove them. He fell to his knees as he stripped the web of nylon down to expose the swells of her buttocks, the strange sight of woman belly, the long sleek thighs.
Her hands moved quickly, firmly then and his trousers dropped. His shorts followed them quickly and he gasped as he felt the touch of her hand.
"You're a big man, Jack. A big strong man. You want to do it, don't you?"
"Yes ... yes ... I want to." His voice broke as passion and nervous tears fought within it.
Jill guided him to the bed and drew him into a close embrace, their bodies pressing together along their full length. She felt the urgent excitement of the young man and rubbed her belly against him to make it even stronger.
Her thighs parted then and he fell gladly into their exotic embrace. She reached for him, guided his manhood into its first joyous taste of the softness and warmth of woman.
Instinct taught him what to do and Jill taught him the rest, but he could not make it last long enough. A series of spasms rocked his body and he collapsed against her, his hips still twitching. She held him closely until it was over.
"I want to do it again, Jill," he gasped, "but...."
"Of course you can't right now, Jack, your body has to get geared for it first. Tell you what," there was a smile in her voice, "you get dressed and go attack the grounds. Stay outside until eleven o'clock, then come back in and see what happens then."
"You mean it?" His eyes glowed with excitement.
"Of course I do, but if your father kills you for not getting your work done, you won't be much good to anyone."
Jackson was actually laughing as he jumped out of bed and pulled his clothes on hurriedly.
"What are you going to do, Jill?"
"First," she joined him in laughter, "I'm going to rest for a while if I'm to be able to play games again. After that, I may even be able to keep my promise and help you with the chores."
"Don't worry about that." He was all man now. "You just rest and leave it to me. I'll be back at eleven sharp."
Jill smiled as he hurried out the door. There was a clatter as he bounded down the steps and Jill held her breath hoping he hadn't killed himself. She heard the door slam then and in a little while, she heard the roar of the power motor.
Jill got up and began dressing then. Looking out the window, she saw Jackson pushing the mower at breakneck speed.
Ah, youth. She shrugged.
* * *
Dressed now, Jill dug the ring of keys out of her purse and started down the hall. Only when she tried to fit the key into the lock of the study door did she realize how nervous she was.
Four keys had failed to work and there were only two left. Jill felt a cold sweat break out then. She had been so sure that one of them would do the trick, would show her what was hidden in this mystery room.
The second to last key turned in the lock and the door pushed open ahead of her. Jill breathed deeply as she fumbled for the light switch.
The first thing she saw was a sheet of black velvet on the far wall. Beside it was a movie camera on a tripod. Other cameras were on the table in front of the sheet.
Against the back wall, opposite the table, she saw a movie projector. The idea of a black screen for movies was too much for her to grasp.
Looking above the black sheet, she saw a rolled movie screen. She noticed the cords hanging down one side of the velvet then. She pulled one and nothing happened. Pulling the other, she watched as the drape moved aside. Her breath froze in her throat at what she saw then.
Behind the drape was a window. It looked directly into the guest bathroom. Jill realized then that the full length mirror in the bathroom was in fact a one way mirror. Each morning when Carl hurried into his study while she bathed, he was watching her. More than that, the significance of the photographic equipment came to her then.
Not only had she been watched in the supposed privacy of her bath, she had been photo graphed. Stopping to locate the approximate position of the wall mirror in her bedroom, Jill found a closet against the wall. Opening the door, she found another window. This one led into her bedroom. She shivered as she realized the extent of the sickness of this avenging angel.
One wall of the room was lined with a cupboard consisting of dozens of drawers. As she checked them, she found each was locked. With that discovery came the bitter taste of defeat. It was obvious that none of the keys on the ring would fit the small locks.
It was easy enough to conjecture that the drawers contained photographs taken through the one way windows into the guest bedroom and bathroom, but guessing wasn't enough. Jill wanted proof positive, wanted a clearer insight into the mind of the sick man.
She turned her attention to his desk then. It was a big, modern metal one with a center drawer lock which locked all drawers.
Examining the lock, Jill selected the smallest key on her ring and tried it. It turned. She slid the drawer open and began examining the contents of the drawer carefully so as not to leave signs of its having been rifled. She found no keys.
Jill was convinced that the keys to the drawers must be somewhere in the room. There were too many to be carried around. She turned her attention back to the center drawer.
As she pushed the paper clip box aside for what must have been the fifth time, her hand tightened around it. Picking it up, she shook it. The sound told her the oversize box did not contain paper clips.
Opening it hurriedly, Jill found two big bunches of keys. Picking them up, she saw that the man had made her job easier since each key had a number pasted on it. A quick check of the drawers showed that the numbers matched.
Jill checked her watch and saw that it was five to ten. There would be plenty of time to examine the drawers if Jackson stuck to his eleven o'clock appointment.
The first drawer contained a roll of movie film. There would not be time this morning, she realized, to set up the projector and view films. That would have to wait for a day when she had more time.
The next eight drawers all contained movie film. The tenth and eleventh was empty, but the twelfth produced a thick manila envelope. Clipped to it was a smaller envelope. Opening the small one, she found it contained negatives. Without bothering to try reading the negs, she opened the larger envelope expecting to find the matching prints there. She did.
The first picture showed an attractive young woman standing fully clothed in the guest bedroom. In the next picture, her dress had been removed. Each following shot showed her wearing one less item of clothing until three in a row showed her nude in various positions.
There was a change of pace in the next one. This showed the unknown star in the bathroom wearing a robe. In the next picture, the robe had been removed and she was nude again.
"The filthy bastard!" Jill said aloud as she looked at the next shot showing the woman seated. The next showed her partially raised from the seat preparing to stand. The rest showed her bathing and drying herself.
The next drawer provided another pack of prints and negatives. The woman was different, but the poses were much the same.
As she hurried through the rest of the drawers, she found little variety except that in each case it was a different female. Mostly they were teenagers. Jill could only guess that Carl encouraged his daughter to bring friends to stay at the house so that he could photograph them.
Jill found herself in drawer thirty-two. Even though she expected it, the sight of her face looking back at her from the picture came as something of a shock. The parts of her anatomy that looked back at her as she leafed through the rest of the pictures were even more shocking.
A terrible feeling of oppression swept over her as she realized that as long as she stayed in this house, she would be spied at and photographed. Jill decided to postpone her bathroom trips until the man was out of the house as much as possible. Even that offered little consolation though since he had the pictures already.
When the next few drawers were empty, Jill was not surprised. It figured that he would fill the drawers in chronological order and since Jill was the current occupant of the guest room, that should be all.
Just to be sure though, she checked the last drawer. To her surprise, she found the familiar envelope in it.
Opening it, she found a difference. The first picture showed a man and woman. Although dressed in street clothes, the woman held a wedding gown as if in the act of unpacking it.
The rest of the pictures showed the newlyweds undressing for bed. When Jill reached a picture that showed them both naked and obviously prepared for classic honeymoon activity, she guessed what the next few would show.
She was wrong. She had reached the end of the pack and saw the first picture again. Just to make sure she hadn't permitted them to get out of order, she checked through the entire pile but it only confirmed that he had stopped using the camera at that point.
Moving backward through the drawers then, Jill found eight more containing photographs of couples in the guest room. In each case, the pictures stopped short of showing the participants in the act of normal sexual activity.
They confirmed that while Carl liked to peep at naked bodies, he drew the line short of the marriage act. Jill wondered at the quirk of reasoning which permitted peeping at the most intimate acts of the body, but found evil in a man and woman making love.
Jill saw that it was almost eleven and time for her encore with Jackson. Making sure that everything was in order, she locked the door and hurried back to her room.
Hurrying, she slipped into black nylon bra and panties to provide him with a new thrill.
As an afterthought, Jill added a garter belt, long dark nylons and black pumps. She ran to the window then.
Making sure she could not be seen from the street, she called to him and smiled at his reaction as he saw her. It seemed like only seconds later he was running into her room.
Jill allowed him to admire and play with her for a long time before she undressed him and invited him to remove her bra and panties.
Promising him something different this time, Jill knelt on the bed and invited him to kneel behind her.
"Notice how many things your hands can do this way," she smiled over her shoulder as she spoke.
Jackson had noticed. His hands seemed to be everywhere. They coursed over her arched hips, under her body, around and over the pendulous globes. When his hands returned to their starting point, they fumbled for just a few seconds before she felt him taking her again.
He worked like a veteran this time and made it last a long, wonderful time before he collapsed against her.
Later, as they dressed, Jill repeated her offer to help, but he refused. Implied in his smiling rejection of her offer to help was the strong suggestion that she had handled her woman's work with exquisite efficiency.
"All right then, Jack, I'll get dressed and whip up a quick lunch for us."
"Do you have to? Get dressed, I mean."
"You mean you like this uniform for the kitchen?"
"I'd like that uniform anywhere."
Jill's uniform of the moment consisted of bra, panties, garter belt and nylons. She added the high heeled shoes and headed for the kitchen. Jackson followed close behind, his eyes devouring her.
After they had eaten, Jack wanted to fondle her again. She reminded him of the chores he still had to do and gave her promise that there would be other times. He hurried outside then while Jill ran up the stairs to the mystery room.
Because she had operated home movie projectors before, this one posed no problem. Within minutes, she flicked the switch to roll the first film.
As the screen came to life, a reluctant looking Amanda walked into the guest bedroom with a man. Both were fully dressed, but the man carried the familiar razor strop. As Jill continued to watch horrified, the girl on the screen undressed until she was naked.
With obvious nervousness which showed on the screen, she walked to an armchair which had been placed in the middle of the floor. As the man's lips moved to indicate speech, she slowly bent her nude body over and gripped the arms of the chair with her hands. Her upturned buttocks and widely spread legs faced directly at the camera. As the film rolled on, it showed what must have been an extremely painful strapping.
When, near the end of the film, the girl was permitted to stand, she clapped her hands over her blazing buttocks and turned to show her tear stained face to the camera.
Repacking the film after rewinding it, Jill was horrified that a man could take such a movie of his own daughter. But why should I be so shocked? She asked herself. He is the same man who raped and murdered his niece and delivered my husband to the electric chair for his crime.
Jill had to know what the other films contained. The second film showed Lucy in the bedroom undressing and being strapped by the same man. The next two showed a girl of Amanda's age in various stages of undress and complete nudity. Jill suspected it was Velma. She decided to have either Amanda or Jackson confirm that for her when the time was right.
The other films were composites of various young women in the bathroom. They confirmed Carl's derangement. There was some surprise when Jill saw that she had not been included in any of the films.
I wonder, J. Carl Cardwell, Jill mused, how you would react to finding an extra film in your collection showing me with Amanda or Jackson or, better still, both together?
It was a thought, but Jill decided to give it a lot more thought before doing anything about it.
What have I really achieved? Jill asked herself when she returned to her bedroom. I have introduced Amanda and Jackson to the wonderful world of sex, I have won their loyalty in the process, but how am I going to use this to destroy Carl?
That was something still to be figured out.
CHAPTER SEVEN
When Jill indicated how important it was that she talk to him about new developments in the case, Bob arranged to take the next day off. When he picked her up, he informed her that he had a picnic lunch packed and that they would do their talking in the quiet of the countryside where they had the combined advantage of privacy and warm summer sunshine.
"Besides, Jill," he added, "you need a respite from all this. Bring a bathing suit with you and well make it a real holiday."
"But I don't have one with me, Bob. Re member, when I packed to come down here, I wasn't really planning on a vacation."
"Sorry, Jill. Borrow one from Amanda or we'll pick one up at a store on the way."
"I doubt that Amanda would have one," Jill replied. "After all, her father would surely consider such attire to be sinful."
In town, they stopped in front of a ladies specialty store. Bob tried to give her the money to buy the suit.
"After all, Jill, it is my picnic."
"You've supplied everything else, Bob, I'm buying this and I don't want any argument. Don't worry, I'll select something nice and sedate befitting a woman of my advanced years."
"You do and I'll call off the picnic. I don't insist on the briefest bikini in the store, but I do want you to get something appropriate for a lovely young woman with a figure to be proud of."
"I promise at least some kind of a compromise. Shall I put it on in the store, or is there somewhere to change where we're going?"
"If you don't mind changing in the bushes and if you feel you can trust me, I think it would be simpler to change after we get there."
"If there's one person in the whole world I trust, Bob," she squeezed his arm, "it's you."
"You're safe lady." Bob decided to keep things light for now. "At thirty-one, I'm old and incapable. Besides," his voice became more gentle as he was unable to play the scene as lightly as he had planned, "your trust and respect happen to be very important to me."
The situation was becoming slightly tense, but Jill saved the day by ducking out of the car. Two minutes later, she was back, empty handed.
"Don't tell me they didn't have a suit to fit as lovely a figure as yours," Bob greeted her.
"I'm sure they did." Jill fought to hold back the tears. "Apparently I'm persona non grata in this town though. I was informed very curtly that they have nothing in my size. I see what you mean about Carl and this town. Can it be that he wants to get rid of me but just doesn't have the guts to say it?"
"It could be, but this is one time it isn't going to work. Come on, we're going back in."
"Please, Bob, it isn't worth it. Let them go."
"You surprise me, Jill. I thought you were a fighter, not a quitter."
"I don't want you to think that about me, Bob. I'll go in with you."
He hurried out of the car and held her door open for her.
"I'll apologize later for what I said," Bob whispered just before they reached the door.
"Thanks, you don't need to. I see already you were right. I have to beat more than just Carl, I have to show this whole damn town."
Seconds after they walked into the store, it was clear that the staff was prepared to ignore them. Bob was ready for it.
Unslinging his camera from his shoulder, he began taking pictures around the store.
"Mister Darrow," a haughty woman in her mid-fifties glared as she addressed him, "I have not given you permission to take pictures in my store."
"I'm aware of that, Mrs. Masters," Bob replied coolly as he snapped another picture. "I'm doing a feature on a town which executes a man for murder without being too fussy about proof, then persecutes his wife. Would you care to make a statement?"
"I have no idea what you're talking about," the would-be duchess replied.
Taking a pad of paper from his pocket, Bob began making notes. The woman's composure began to break.
"Oh, Bob," Jill picked up a two piece suit from a box on the counter, "I'm sure this would fit me." She held up a two piece suit in lemon yellow latex.
"Looks fine to me." He turned to the woman who hovered nervously at his elbow, "Is it for sale, Mrs. Masters? There seems to be a price tag on it. Hold it up, Jill, I want a picture of it. Turn the price tag so it shows."
"Obviously it's for sale." The woman took it roughly from Jill's grasp. "The price is nine ninety-eight."
"Wrap it, please," Jill spoke softly, "I'll take it."
Glaring angrily, the woman wrapped the package roughly and handed it to Jill.
Passing the bag to Bob, Jill extracted a ten-dollar bill from her purse and turned to leave.
"Keep the change," Jill tossed over her shoulder as they moved toward the door. "It's twice as much as the service was worth, but I try to be charitable."
They laughed as Bob helped her into the car. "Chalk up one for the forces of true liberalism." Bob bowed her into the seat. "Next stop, picnicsville."
A moment later, he sat beside her and guided the car into the quiet street. They were still laughing a few minutes later when they approached the town limits. The sound of a police siren behind them jarred them into a more somber mood.
As the police car pulled alongside, Bob eased his car to the curb.
"Going a little fast, weren't you, boy?" The policeman stood beside the car as he spoke, his hand hovered near the gun on his hip.
"Come off it, Jeff, I was two miles under the limit and you know it. Since when did you get brave enough to start pushing the press around?"
"As I see it, boy, you were ten miles over the limit and I'm giving you a ticket for it. Maybe I should give you another one for the company you keep."
"Give me the ticket, chief. I'll be glad to pay. Oh, by the way, watch the front page. Next time I see you drinking in Stumpy's, you get your picture on page one."
"Don't threaten me, boy. You're just a lousy reporter. I can arrest you ten times a day if you try to give me a hard time."
"Jeff," Bob grinned arrogantly, "you may be the police chief, but we both know who owns you. Now give me the ticket and stop trying to sound like a man. A man has guts and you don't qualify."
"Boy," the chief's face flared near purple, "I'm not even going to bother giving you a ticket. I'm gonna get you better. I'm gonna get you real good."
The policeman turned then and went back to his car. Bob and Jill drove on, but the party mood had been spoiled.
"It isn't worth it, Bob. This town killed one innocent man. I'm leaving here before they get you too. Perhaps you should get out as well."
"No deal, Jill. If a little girl like you can get up on her hind legs and fight, then so can I. For years I've been satisfied with just being cynical about the way Carl runs the town. I realize now that isn't enough. If I have guts, I have to fight too."
"How can you fight that, Bob? He has the badge and the witnesses and the courts. They took my husband from me, Bob, don't let them take you too."
For a minute, Bob drove on without speaking. Jill's words had given him some special status. It became more important to him than a fight with the chief of police.
"A minute ago, Jill, I was prepared to take on this town single handed to prove to you that I'm a man. What you just said changed that. When I get back to town, I'll make my peace with Jeff. He doesn't want a fight any more than I do. On that basis, can we try to get back into our picnic mood for the rest of the day?"
"Of course we can, Bob, but with one thing to be cleared up. You don't have to do a single thing to prove yourself to me. Okay?"
"Okay, lady. Off to the picnic we go."
During the next twenty minutes as they drove along the relatively quiet highway, the tension melted. By the time Bob guided the car into the rutted road beside the river, they had recaptured much of the earlier mood. After five minutes of bouncing and exchanging comments on the road, he steered into a grassy clearing and pulled the car to a stop.
When they selected the best spot overlooking the slowly moving river, Bob delivered the picnic hamper and blanket.
"As of now, Bob Darrow," Jill announced, "your share has been done and mine begins."
Ignoring his protests, Jill unpacked the hamper and arranged the lunch on the blanket. She made one concession when she passed him the bottle of wine to open.
They sat down to eat then and what had been billed as a picnic turned out to be an outdoor banquet. They gorged on lobster, fried chicken and dry white wine. They looked at the crisp French bread and old cheese and decided to save it for later along with the bottle of red wine.
For a little while, they were silent. It was more than enough to enjoy the beauty of the day and the serenity of the setting. When his hand fell over hers, it was more by accident than design. He left it there and both seemed pleased with the contact, neither wanted more.
Bob finally broke the silence.
"You mentioned things you wanted to tell me, Jill. What say we discuss them now and save the rest of the day for things like swimming and laughing and the other luxuries of life?"
"Sounds like a good idea, Bob. I don't really want to spoil our wonderful day by introducing ugliness, but I really must talk to you about them."
"Talk, Jill." He rolled over so that he faced her as they both lay on the blanket. "I'm a good listener and if I can say or do anything to help, you can count on me."
Jill began then to tell him of her find in Carl's mystery room. In the beginning, it was difficult, but the gentle pressure of his hand on hers told her that he understood and gave her the courage she needed. It became easier then to tell him all about the pictures and movies including those of herself and, surprisingly more difficult, the movies of his own daughter threshing nude while another man strapped her.
When she finished, Bob refilled her glass and waited while she drank thirstily. She thanked him with her eyes and he understood.
"That's about it, Bob. I suppose I felt like a very smart detective, but now that I have all this evidence, I don't know what to do with it."
"Frankly, neither do I, but let's take a close look, maybe we'll come up with something."
"How about just turning it over to the police?"
"No, Jill. I'm afraid you know that would serve no purpose. It would tell them that Carl is a dirty old man, but what good would that do? It would also give them some very interesting pictures to pass around among their friends."
"It would also," Jill helped shoot down her own idea, "tip Carl to the fact that I'm still working on the murder and his guilt."
"Right. Now let's keep exploring."
"Oh, Bob, it's so hopeless. I'm just not equipped for this kind of work."
"Don't knock yourself, Jill. You've come up with a hell of a lot already."
"Yes, but how am I going to use it? How about going over the head of the local police?" Even as she said it, Jill's tone indicated that she didn't see any hope there either.
"Still no dice. Peeping at women and taking their pictures in the John may be dirty pool, but it's not a federal offense."
"I guess I knew that, Bob. I also guess I'm clutching at straws."
"Don't knock it, it's better than giving up. When you started this, you mentioned something about working on Carl from inside. That may still be our answer."
"I know you're right and thanks for the vote of confidence. I feel I'm making progress there, Bob, but again I'm working without a sense of direction."
"That may not be as bad as it seems. Couldn't it be that you'll just keep going along in the dark for a while and all of a sudden everything will fall into place? I'm not going to ask what you're doing, because I trust your intelligence. I trust too, that you will shout when you see you need help."
"Now you make me feel guilty."
"Guilty? What are you, some kind of nut?"
"Maybe, but some of the things I'm doing to...."
"That's enough." He cut her off. "The Marquis of Queensbury rules only apply to boxing. What you're involved in is no game. Use everyone and everything you can and don't look back."
"I like the way you make rules."
"Having already said I wouldn't interfere, I am now about to. From what you've seen of the family, do you see Lucy as being the weak link?"
"I don't follow you, Bob. A woman would have to be strong to tolerate Carl all these years."
"Perhaps, but I still see a haunted look in her eyes when she lets her guard down."
"Why didn't I see that? I stopped in the kitchen to chat with her the other day. She surprised me by talking as if she hadn't spoken to a soul in years. My God, Bob, I've been a fool not to have followed it up."
"So? There's still time."
"Yes, but I've been a fool concentrating on other areas when she was so ready to talk."
"Don't neglect those other areas. You can never tell where you're going to score. Hey," he looked at her quizzically, "what in hell's so funny?"
"Well, you have to admit, it sounded like you were suggesting I could make out with Lucy in a particular way." Why not, she added under her breath, I've done all right with her kids.
"Don't knock it, Jill. I'm not suggesting you play drop the hot panties with her, but if it seems like the thing to do at any time and you decide to go ahead, don't expect me to condemn you."
"Yon Robert is an extremely broadminded man, methinks."
"'Yon Robert wants you to win. In this case I'll go along with the end justifying any means."
"You know something, Bob? I don't have any idea how I'm going to go about it, but I know I'm going to win."
CHAPTER EIGHT
Jill arrived home from the picnic feeling better than she had in a long time. Her buoyant mood receded somewhat during dinner while Carl played his patriarch role like Moses in a DeMille movie.
His voice boomed as he expressed disapproval of his family's posture, eating habits and conversation. There was an increasing tendency for Amanda and Jackson to include Jill in their conversation. Each time they did, he glowered disapproval.
It was as if he were saying, "I have this family completely under my thumb. I have kept them in obedient darkness all these years. You are an outsider and I fear you will show them light. Go away."
When he did speak to Jill, his voice was less harsh, but he came close to confirming her thoughts.
"Are you making progress with your plans to resume life with your family, Jill? Life must go on, you know."
"Yes, Carl, I'm really making more progress than I expected. I'll be going back north quite soon now. I've enjoyed my stay here, but I realize a house guest who stays on is really an imposition on a household."
"Not at all, my dear. We have enjoyed having you with us and we shall remember you warmly after you leave."
"Thank you, Carl." Warmly is really an understatement, Jill went on silently, your pictures will keep you more than warm and the kids will have some swinging memories of their own.
As soon as politeness permitted, Jill excused herself and went to her room. When she closed the door behind her, memories of the picnic with Bob returned and brought a warm glow back with them.
For just a moment, Jill wondered at the Tightness of her feelings. I loved Mac and was happy with him. Is it possible then that I can make room in my heart for another man so soon?
Yes, she answered her own question. The Mac she loved was alive and warm. Respect his memory, but don't try to live in love with a ghost. Memories and respect can endure beyond death, but you must not love dead clay.
She read for a while then and was preparing for bed when the silence of the house was shattered by the sound of the wide strap striking naked flesh. Faintly. Jill heard a high pitched sound of pain and protest and assumed that Amanda was getting it again.
Hearing someone come upstairs, Jill turned out her light and moved to the door, opening it just a crack. A gasp of surprise almost escaped her throat when she saw Amanda walk down the hall to her room.
It was Lucy whose bottom was bouncing under the strap which still filled the house with its loud cracking sounds. Can't he even permit her the dignity of being beaten when the son and daughter are not around to hear? Jill asked herself. It was a foolish question, she knew. In this house, J. Carl Cardwell sets all standards and they may be as sick as the man who establishes them, but they are adhered to under pain of very real punishment.
In a little while, the sounds stopped. As Jill listened, she heard Lucy come upstairs and move into her room. A minute later, Carl followed, but instead of going to his room, Jill heard him go to his den. She left her light turned off and drew the blind so that the room was totally dark. If nothing else, she could at least spoil his fun for the time being.
Just before dropping into sleep, Jill decided that tomorrow morning would be the ideal time for a nice long chat with Lucy. With the pain and shame of the beating still fresh, she should be ready to welcome understanding and friendly conversation with another woman.
When Jill went into the guest bathroom in the morning, she kept her robe on while she washed her hands, splashed water on her face and determined to postpone other functions for a while. She found a perverse joy in frustrating the man who made a morning ritual of peeping at her.
She was sure it was going to be a good day when Carl announced that there was work at the plant for both Amanda and Jackson.
As soon as the three left, Jill hurried upstairs to the bathroom. Frustrating that bastard is one thing, she breathed a sigh of relief, but it can lead to explosion if carried too far.
Jill hurried downstairs. Lucy was just clearing the breakfast dishes. Ignoring the woman's protests, Jill insisted on helping with the dishes.
There was a feeling of dismay when Lucy refused to be drawn into conversation. There was nothing unfriendly about her attitude. She kept her head down and just seemed unable to talk as she fought tears.
"Why do you put up with it, Lucy?" Jill decided to make her play.
Lucy dropped the plate she was holding and dissolved into tears. Now or never, Jill thought as she put her arm around the woman and led her out of the kitchen.
They sat together on the couch and Lucy cried for a long time while Jill held her, offering comfort as to a child whose heart was breaking. When the crying subsided, Jill offered her a handkerchief.
"I'm sorry, Jill. I don't know what's wrong with me this morning."
"Yes you do, Lucy, and so do I. You're trapped in a marriage to a man who is completely insane and you don't know where to turn."
"How can you say that? You hardly know Carl."
"A lot of things I'm going to say to you will come as a great shock, one of them is that in many ways, I know him better than you do. I haven't been here as a house guest just because I like that man's hospitality."
"I've wondered why you stayed here, Jill. This is such an unhappy house. I still don't understand it."
"I'll tell you, Lucy, because I think I can trust you. I'm here to prove that Carl is a terribly sick and dangerous man."
"I can understand why you think he's sick, but maybe he's not. He's so terribly religious, he doesn't think the way other people do. It's as if God has appointed him to do His work."
"Before we've finished talking, Lucy, I'm going to prove to you that all these years, you've been married to an insane man. I'm going to show you that your life and the life of your children are in danger. Terrible danger."
Jill saw the woman's face go chalky white. It was as if she believed what she heard and didn't want to. Jill knew she had hit her hard.
She decided to keep hitting. If Lucy once slipped out of her state of numbness, there was a danger that she would shut off her mind. She couldn't let that happen.
"Lucy, who do you think killed Velma?"
"But I don't understand. Your husband ... he was found guilty ... he was...."
"He was executed for a crime he could not have committed. Three people know who raped and killed that girl. I am one, Carl is. another."
"Then who...?"
"Carl raped and murdered her when his sickness became too strong to be controlled. When he realized what he had done, he arranged it so that my husband would be blamed. He killed my husband to cover his own crime. Is that the act of a religious man, or a sane one?"
"You can't say things like that, Jill. He's strange, but he wouldn't do things like that. He's a man of very strong religious convictions. Besides, he couldn't do it. He won't do ... that thing."
"What thing?"
"You know ... the act between man and woman. He says it is sinful and evil and a weakness of the flesh."
"What are you saying, Lucy? How about Amanda and Jackson? Where did they come from? How did they get here?"
"They are not ours. Soon after we married, he brought them home. Their parents had died in an accident. We brought them up as our own."
"Do you know that for sure?"
"That's what he told me. They can't be mine. I have never done that thing."
"My God, Lucy, what are you saying? Do you mean you have been married all these years and have never been with a man?"
The woman hung her head. "That's right. Carl says it is a sinful thing."
"But you should know better than that. Why do you believe him? Doesn't your mind and body tell you differently?"
"I was fifteen when I married Carl. I was brought up in a strict family where such things were never discussed. I don't know, Jill. Tell me."
She was a child begging for the secrets of life. A child who had been married for more than twenty years and did not know the purpose of her body.
"Lucy," Jill's voice was gentle as it would be in talking to a very small, frightened child, "do you mean you are still a virgin?"
"No man has ever ... you know."
"My God! That's impossible."
"Jill, tell me all the things a woman knows." It was a plea from the heart and the stomach. "But don't say Carl killed his niece. He wouldn't do that. He is a righteous man."
"Lucy, we're going to do a lot of talking. I can tell you many things about life and about your husband. Before I can do that though, I am going to have to hurt you. Carl is a sick, evil man. In a few minutes, we shall go upstairs and you will see the proof. It is going to be a great shock to you, you must try to prepare yourself for that."
"What do you mean?"
"I am going to have to destroy everything good you ever believed about your husband. I am going to prove to you that he is terribly sick and evil and has destroyed your whole life because of that sickness. It is going to be ugly and brutal and may make you very sick. Do you think you can stand it?"
The words seemed to have a settling effect on the woman even though Jill feared the opposite before saying them.
"Jill, I don't know what you are going to show me, but I promise I'll be able to take it. All through my married life, I've suspected that something was not right. Because Carl was always so positive, I never really questioned him. You say things about him that I cannot believe, but I am prepared for anything."
"Good. Come with me then and try to stay prepared to see things you couldn't imagine."
Jill kept her arm around the woman as they walked up the stairs together.
"Are we going to his private room?" Lucy asked.
"Yes, we are."
"But we should not. He forbids it. It is a personal room for contemplation. Anyway, it is always locked. You can't get in."
"We can get in, Lucy. It is a room of ugli ness and sickness and evil. It will hurt you to see it, but you must look."
Jill stopped in her room to pick up the keys. The two women walked on to the mystery room. Each was nervous, but for different reasons. Jill was aware that if Lucy cracked under the strain of what she would see, her whole plan to expose Carl could go down the drain. On the other hand, Lucy could become an invaluable ally. She was respected in this town, her word would carry more weight than Jill could ever hope to amass.
Turning the key in the lock, Jill turned to the woman. "Stay strong, Lucy. I've warned you this is going to be a terrible shock. Are you ready?"
Lucy nodded and Jill pushed the door open. She turned the light on.
For just a moment, there was silence as Lucy looked around the room that had always been hidden from her. It didn't occur to her to ask why Jill, a relative stranger, had access to the place she had never been permitted to see.
Jill walked across the room and pulled the string to open the black velvet drape. She turned to see Lucy's reaction as the window appeared.
"Do you recognize that room, Lucy?"
"But that's ... that's the guest bathroom."
"That's right. Many women have used it, haven't they? From here, Carl sits and watches them. Have you noticed that each morning he rushes to this room? I found out that he comes here to look at me in the bathroom. That's why I didn't use it this morning."
"Oh my God!" She turned even paler and Jill feared she would faint. She hurried to hold her.
"No, I'm all right. Show me everything."
"Come on with me." Jill walked across to the closet and pulled the door open to display the window into the bedroom.
"But why, Jill? Why?"
"Because he is very sick, Lucy. Because he is completely insane."
Jill went to the desk then and drew out the keys to the cupboard drawers.
"Sit down a minute, Lucy, I have to get a few things ready. What I'm going to show you will be even worse than you've seen so far."
Trusting to her memory, she selected the roll of movie film that showed the girl she believed to be Velma. Jill prepared the projector, threaded the film and went back across the room to pull the screen into place. She cut the lights, flicked the projector to life and hurried to sit beside the woman.
As she did, the screen brightened and a young woman wearing blouse and shorts walked into the guest bedroom.
"Velma!" Lucy gasped. Jill breathed a sigh of relief.
As they watched, the girl on the screen removed her blouse. Jill reached to hold Lucy's hand. The film rolled and the girl on the screen unfastened her shorts and stepped out of them.
"Carl doesn't permit you and Amanda to wear pretty lingerie, does he?" Jill asked. "He says it's sinful. He bought those things for Velma."
Lucy didn't answer. She watched, frozen, as the girl on the screen unfastened the expensive bra and tossed it aside to reveal her mature breasts. The picture showed her rubbing them absently in the way of a woman who feels the joy of freedom after confinement.
She slipped her little panties off then and the camera held her lovingly. It followed as she walked naked to the bureau, pried boldly as she bent to open a drawer and search for something.
The film must have been spliced then because the scene shifted abruptly to the bathroom where she was dropping her robe to resume nudity.
On the screen, they saw her sit, rise and moved to bend over the tub and adjust the taps. The camera had stayed with her all through her bath and towelling and did not leave until she donned her robe again and walked from the room.
"Carl?" The one word seemed to be all Lucy had left in her.
"Carl," Jill echoed with a note of finality. "There's more?"
"So much more, Lucy. You don't have to look at all of it, but you have to see some."
The film had been rewound. Jill put it back into the can and replaced it in the drawer. From another drawer, she withdrew the film showing Amanda receiving a strapping from the strange man.
As the film ran, a living record of shame and embarrassment, Jill heard Lucy sobbing quietly. She reached for her hand and held it.
"There are others?" Lucy asked when the film ended.
"Yes, many others."
"Am I in them?"
"Yes."
"Like this one?"
"Yes."
"Please don't make me see it. I don't think I could stand that."
"I understand, Lucy."
Jill showed her a few sets of pictures, including those of couples in the guest room. She could see that there was no shock left in the woman now, only the sweeping numbness of knowing something she could not understand.
Deciding she had shown enough for the time being, Jill went back to the desk to replace the keys. Before locking it, she felt a strange lump above the drawer top. Grasping it, she emitted a startled gasp.
"My God!" Her hands froze.
"What is it, Jill? After all this, what could you possibly find that would surprise you?"
Without speaking, Jill lowered the small package to the desk so that both could see. It was a number of photographs.
The top one showed Velma naked, bruised, blood spattered and obviously dead. Beside her, Jill saw Lucy go rigid as a new wave of shock spread over her. When she was able to find the strength, Jill turned the picture over to see the next one.
Again it showed the nude body of the dead girl. She had been moved into a different position. Each picture in the set was a variation of the first. The last was a little more evil than the rest.
In this one, the dead legs had been parted and raised. Jill could only surmise that her feet rested on low hanging tree branches. The camera had been moved in for a close-up shot. Blood stained the upper thighs.
"Lucy, I didn't see these before. Do you realize what they prove?"
"You're right," the woman found a weak voice, "he is terribly evil."
"More than that, Lucy. Don't you see? According to the evidence at the trial, Carl was with the police when they found the body. There was no mention of taking pictures. He wouldn't have dared take such pictures with others around. It means he took them after Velma was killed and before the body was found."
"But ... but ... what does that mean?"
"It means, Lucy, that while Mac was off the island, Carl walked into the woods with her. He had stared at her naked body through the glass in this room, as we know. He got carried away by his passion. He raped her. She may have fought or screamed or threatened to tell, so he had to kill her. After that, he convinced himself that she was evil and he had to kill her. He took the pictures either to prove it to himself or just to add to his collection. I can't know for sure what went on in his sick mind, but I do know this proves that he is the one who raped and murdered Velma. My husband died for that crime."
"What are we going to do, Jill?"
"I'm not sure yet, but if we work together, we can put him somewhere he can't ever do it again. We can save you and the kids from him."
"I'll face him with this when he comes home tonight."
"No!" It was almost a scream. "That's the one thing you mustn't do. This man has killed at least once. Think what he would do if he found out we know. He would have to protect himself. He would kill us all."
"What do we do then, Jill? We can't just forget about it."
"I don't have the answer to that yet. We must try to act as if nothing has happened. We have to try to be completely normal. Give me a little time to figure out what to do."
"But how can we? My God, Jill, this is terrible. I have to stop him. I can't let him beat me or the children again. Not after this."
"Lucy, you have to understand something. Until we're ready to use this information, we have to keep very quiet about it. There are enough of us, we can handle him if we go about it the right way." Even as she tried to convince Lucy, Jill was searching for answers, trying to justify what she was saying.
"But there are only two of us, Jill. We're not strong enough to handle him."
"There will be four, Lucy. I'm going to tell Amanda and Jackson what we know."
"But is that the right thing to do? They're so young and innocent. What will it do to them?"
"They may be stronger than we both think. When Carl gets home tonight, you find a way to keep him downstairs. I'll talk to the kids."
"I don't know if we should do that."
"I'm not too concerned about nice, pleasant things, Lucy. If you should make a slip so that Carl gets even a hint that you know what he is, you're going to be in trouble. So am I. If that happens, we may need any help we can get from Amanda and Jackson."
"But, will they understand? They are so innocent in the ways of life."
"That's something we can discuss another time." Jill didn't allow herself to dwell on the humor of the situation. "Right now, we need all the help we can get. Four of us are stronger than two in case of trouble."
"But is it fair to involve them in this?"
"Fair, Lucy? Has life been fair to them? They are involved anyway. Carl murdered his niece, is an adopted daughter any safer?"
"Not Amanda. He wouldn't do that."
"Wouldn't he? Want to look at the movie again? How often has he sat in this room watching that movie and getting excited? Why does he force her to strip so often to be strapped? She's probably in greater danger than any of us and she has a right to know."
"But shouldn't I be doing something?" Lucy looked completely lost now.
"You sure as hell should. You should be finding the strength you'll need to face that man tonight without weakening and letting him y know what we know. Do you think you can do it?"
"I'll try, Jill."
"That isn't enough. Through all the years of your marriage, he has lived an act and fooled you completely. Prove your are as smart as he by fooling him for a few days while I decide what we have to do."
"I'll do it, Jill. I promise. I won't let him suspect a thing."
"Good. I think you can do it. If you do, Lucy, I can promise a much better life for you and the kids in just a little while."
They walked out of the room then and Jill carefully locked the door behind them. Just before they reached the steps, Lucy stopped and clutched Jill's arm.
"Jill, please tell me all about this thing between men and women. Don't laugh at me. I know I'm very stupid, but I must have missed such a lot. Please tell me all about it."
"How could I laugh at you, Lucy?" Jill wrapped an arm around her. "You aren't stupid at all, you just never had a chance. Come on to my room and we'll have a nice long talk."
The woman hurried alongside her with the eagerness of a girl. Watching her, Jill hoped she could find the wisdom and the delicacy to handle the situation properly.
This girl-woman had slept with a husband for more than twenty years and yet she appeared to understand nothing about sex. There was no doubt that she was a virgin. How could she start explaining these things to her? Would she understand even the most basic words? Would she be revolted by what she heard?
Well, Jill old girl, she told herself as she led the woman into her room, you thought you were a real big time operator when you initiated a couple of teenagers into the joys of sex, let's see how you handle a really rough case.
CHAPTER NINE
With the knowledge of the new and incriminating pictures of Velma's body, Jill was impatient to talk to Bob. She felt hopeful he would find a way to use them so that Mac's character would find in death the vindication which had been denied before.
And yet, her anxiousness would have to wait. Lucy came first in this case. Her cry for knowledge of her body could not be ignored.
A strong Lucy could be a powerful ally, a weak one could break down when faced by her husband and destroy all the progress that had been achieved so far. Jill was too close to victory now to chance throwing it away because of impatience.
"Very well, Lucy," Jill began. "I don't know how easy or difficult this is going to be, but let's get started. I shall try to explain everything as clearly as possible. All I ask from you is that you try to understand. When there is something you don't really understand, stop me and I'll try to explain. Oh yes, one more thing, because of your faulty training, much that I say may shock you. You have now seen some examples of how your husband's mind operates, you must not let his teaching influence your understanding of what I am going to tell you."
"I promise, Jill. I am sure now that everything I was forced to believe was wrong. Help me. Please show me what the truth is."
The woman was so completely child-like that Jill was moved almost to tears. She began unbuttoning her blouse.
"What are you doing?" Lucy asked with a note of shock in her voice.
"Lucy dear, if I were going to explain the workings of a sewing machine, I would show you a sewing machine and the cover would have to be removed first. I am going to explain the functions of the human body. I have to remove the cover."
Jill saw the woman's eyes move over her body as she stepped out of her blouse and skirt to reveal the type of lingerie Lucy had never been permitted to wear. In a few moments, that too was gone except for garter belt and nylons.
"All right, Lucy, now it's your turn."
"You mean undress? Everything?"
"Everything, Lucy. The human body is not something to be ashamed of."
Nervously, she began unbuttoning her dress. There was a slight pause before she found the courage to pull her slip over her head. She was torn then between letting Jill look at the plain cotton bra and panties and displaying her body nude. At a look from Jill, she stripped away the last two garments so that she stood naked.
"You may not know this, Lucy, but you have an absolutely beautiful body."
"It's so hard for me to understand that." She tried to cover as much of herself as she could with hands and arms. "I have always been taught that the body is a sinful thing that should be kept covered at all times."
That much was obvious to Jill. There had been no attempt at flattery. The breasts were generously formed and showed only the slightest trace of sag. Her stomach was rounded just enough to be womanly, there was no trace of excess flesh between it and the breasts. Her thighs and hips were firm and smoothly rounded.
What really startled Jill though, was the absolute whiteness of the skin. It was so white that it was almost luminous. It had obviously never been exposed to light, let alone sun.
"I look so pale." She seemed ashamed as she looked at Jill's well tanned body with the white patches where a two piece bathing suit had covered her.
"Yes, Lucy, you do look pale, but that is only because your body has been hidden from the light. That will change soon and your body will become more beautiful."
Taking Lucy's hand, Jill drew her down to the bed beside her. As their thighs brushed, she felt Lucy go tense.
Deliberately then, Jill placed her hand on Lucy's thigh as she spoke to her.
"Remember Lucy, you promised to relax and forget all the taboos you were taught. I know it won't be easy, but you must try." As she talked, her hand moved smoothly, lightly. She felt the woman begin to relax under the tender massage of flesh never touched by another hand.
"See now? It isn't really that bad, is it?"
"I guess it feels kind of nice. It makes me feel sort of funny."
"Of course it does. I'll explain it as we go along. Now you do the same thing to me."
With a willingness Jill found surprising, Lucy followed instructions. At first, her hand barely touched, then it moved with greater boldness.
"Does your husband kiss you on the mouth, dear?"
"No." Lucy looked ashamed. "He says that leads to immoral thoughts and acts."
Jill smiled. She was still smiling as her arms reached to enfold the nude woman in embrace. Her eyes moved slowly until her lips were close to Lucy's face. Her tongue moved to lick her lips as they opened and pressed against the upturned mouth of the other woman.
Jill's arms tightened then. She felt the woman tense for just a moment as the kiss began, then felt her passionate kiss being returned in full measure.
When Jill permitted her tongue to go in search of added pleasure, she felt an immediate response from her increasingly willing partner.
Just before the kiss ended, Jill drew her arms away and reached with her hands to cup the full white globes which had pressed against hers seconds before.
This time, there was no period of tension as Lucy's body moved to meet her. To her surprise, Jill felt eager hands grasping her own breasts. Lucy had quickly picked up the pulsation of passion.
Speaking softly, Jill explained that while two women could arouse each other to exciting heights of passion, it became even more interesting when it was man and woman together. As she talked, her hands traced exciting paths along the previously untouched body.
Her hands forced just a little and the white thighs fell apart. Slowly, her hand moved between them. As it found the source of warmth and passion, it pressed and held as the nude body shivered in delight at this completely new sensation.
"Does it feel good, Lucy?" she whispered.
"Oh yes, Jill, I feel like I want to scream."
"That's normal, Lucy. It's going to get even better and you will scream. Don't be ashamed."
Her massaging hand had done its work well, Jill moved in the bed to carry the woman through the ultimate stage. Her hands held the big soft thighs parted and raised as her face moved down.
"Get ready to scream, Lucy, you're going to love this."
As she finished talking, Jill's cheeks brushed the soft inner thighs and her mouth worked. Lucy did scream, again and again.
There was one final, long drawn scream as Jill clasped the writhing body and rolled with it through its first completion.
Lucy's body returned to something approaching normal in a little while and Jill resumed her description of the various acts of love.
With refreshing eagerness, Lucy drank in every word as her eyes and her hands pleaded for more. Convinced that her student had learned and experienced enough for now, Jill promised a continuation of the lesson at their first opportunity and suggested that they both get dressed. A little while ago, Lucy had been reluctant about undressing to bare her body. Now, she was even more reluctant to replace her clothes.
"We will do it again, Jill? You promise?"
"I promise we shall, Lucy, but a lot depends on you."
"How do you mean?"
"I mean that if Carl finds out anything of what I've told you and shown you today, he'll either kill me or make sure I get out of town fast."
"He won't Jill. I can promise you that. For the first time in my whole life, I'm strong enough to handle him. I'm a new woman now, thanks to you."
"I'm so glad to hear that. So far, all you've learned is the very beginning. I'll see that you learn a whole lot more, Lucy, if you can just keep Carl from getting suspicious."
The smile Lucy flashed then as she fitted her suddenly alive breasts into the cheap cotton bra indicated that from now on, she was going to be a woman. Convinced that because of her lust for knowledge of life the woman would indeed keep their secret, Jill breathed a sigh of relief.
She really became convinced it was one of those perfect days when Amanda and Jackson arrived home at five-twenty with the news that their father would be tied up at the office for at least another two hours.
While the youngsters were upstairs, Jill announced to Lucy that she was going up to talk to them. Things kept going right when the woman smiled. Jill saw then that she had won her complete approval and trust. It buoyed her to know for sure that she had divided the family so that she could count on the support of all three in her all out war against Carl.
Jill met Jackson on the stairs and brought him with her to Amanda's room. From there, all three adjourned to the mystery room.
There were gasps of pure terror as she told them where they were going, but when she told them their mother knew and approved, apprehension turned to anticipation as they looked forward to actually seeing the inner sanctum, the room from which they had always been barred.
Before showing them anything of the room, Jill warned both that they were in for a great shock. As if to solidify the relationship, she reminded both that she had already opened their eyes and minds to one facet of life.
"Now," she added, "I am going to show you things which will prove to you that your father has a sick, twisted mind and that everything he has taught you is wrong and perverted."
She saw them look nervously at each other and knew that at the first opportunity, they would compare notes on the lessons they had received from her.
"Don't be nervous, kids. As soon as you get together, you may feel free to tell each other everything. It will be a secret among the three of us. Okay?"
Their agreement was spontaneous and sincere and the bond of friendship and trust was firmly established.
Jill began with the hidden windows and watched the looks of surprise as they discovered hidden facets in the character of their father.
From there, she showed them the pictures he had taken and went on to set up the projector to show films of couples in the guest bedroom.
Without showing the movies, she told of those which showed both Amanda and her mother being strapped. Amanda paled even more at the knowledge that a film remained as a permanent record of her body being bared and strapped.
"I wonder how many have already looked at that film and laughed at me?" Amanda asked.
"I think we can assume that only your father and I have seen it, dear." Jill tried to reassure her.
"After all," she went on, "you father wants everyone to believe that he is a very religious man. If even one person in this town sees the contents of this room, his whole act is destroyed."
"That helps a little, but it even makes me feel funny to think you saw it, even though you're my friend."
"Don't let that bother you my dear. Remember, I've seen more of you than that. We did play those nice games together."
"Jill!" Amanda looked toward her brother, her eyes opened wide in terror at Jill having made such an admission in his presence.
Jill laughed and patted her reassuringly on the bottom of her skirt.
"Don't worry about your brother. He and I played some pretty wild games too."
The younger ones looked at each other nervously for a moment, then seemed to relax. Jill knew they would compare notes at their first chance.
"Tell you what, kids, if you give me the kind of help I'm going to need in the next few days, the three of us could have a really first class party."
Her suggestion was rewarded by a pair of anxious smiles which indicated Jill would get all the cooperation she could use.
"Now kids," Jill turned suddenly serious, "I have to show you the real shocker."
Walking to the desk, Jill removed the magazine containing the incriminating pictures of Velma.
"Remember that your father went to the island with the police and found Velma's body.
The police stayed right there until they removeed the body. Right?"
"That's right," Jackson replied, obviously wondering what was coming. Amanda echoed agreement.
Opening the magazine then, Jill showed them the pictures one at a time. Amanda went pale and swayed for a moment, but regained her composure.
"It's obvious that these were taken just after the murder and before the police arrived. Only the murderer could have taken them. This is where your mother and I found them, in this drawer."
Jill paused for a moment to let it sink in before going on.
"Your father murdered Velma and blamed my husband for it."
"Mom knows?" Jackson looked surprisingly calm as he faced Jill.
"She does now," Jill replied. "Until today she was as completely fooled as you."
"What are we going to do?" he asked in a coldly level tone.
"What do you suggest, Jackson?"
"I say we turn everything over to the police. He may be my father, but he's a killer. He really murdered two counting your husband."
"That's right. For all we know, there may have been more. What terrifies me is, who will be next. Suppose he finds out we know about him, what would he do to protect his secret?"
"My God!" Amanda gasped. "He'd kill us."
"That's right, dear. That is why we have to remain absolutely silent about all this until we can turn him over to the police. We still do not have enough evidence. It's up to me to get that. I need the two of you to help protect me while I'm getting it."
"You can count on us, Jill." Jill knew he meant it, knew she had his loyalty and Amanda's.
"It's very important that you stand ready to help, Jackson. You're strong. If it comes, to a showdown, you can perhaps save the three of us."
"I will. You needn't be afraid that I'll back down. All of a sudden, I'm not afraid of him anymore."
"I'm glad of that, but for now I want you to act completely normal. I want both of you to act as if you know nothing about this."
"It won't be easy," Amanda spoke up, "but I'll do it. I see how important it is."
"Thanks, Amanda. That also means you will still have to take beatings from him just as always."
"Okay," Amanda nodded her head in assent. Her eyes closed tightly at the thought of the cruel strap again.
Jill wrapped an arm around the girl and held her for a moment.
"Keep remembering that it's almost over. Soon, we'll all be able to start living a normal life. Go down now and talk to your mother."
When they left, Jill made a quick tour of the room to assure herself that all was in order. When she had satisfied herself it was, she reached into her pocket and pulled out a lipstick she had purchased for the purpose. It was a dark, blood red.
She began writing on the mirror carefully. When she finished, she stepped back to look at it. The message, which seemed to be scrawled in blood, would be a terrible shock for Carl when he walked into the room.
"THE WAGES OF SIN IS DEATH. V."
Let's see how you react to that, you bastard. Jill ground out the words silently. You have always used the scriptures as a weapon, now you'll be on the receiving end.
There's nothing to do now but wait, Jill told herself. Wait for Carl to walk into the room and read a message from the grave.
CHAPTER TEN
Jill made a point of being downstairs when Carl returned home. He informed Lucy that he had already eaten and would spend the evening in his study. Jill was relieved to see that none of the family displayed any trace of nervousness.
When he left the room and they heard him walking up the stairs, all three looked at her as if for leadership.
"Come on," she urged them, "into the living room and let's get the television on. It may help when the storm breaks."
While they waited for the picture to appear, all listened for sounds from upstairs. They heard him walk into the room and close the door behind him.
When there was no immediate reaction to be heard, Jill turned up the sound on the set and had the others sit as if interested in the program.
The waiting was pure hell. Jill realized that if it was getting to her, it could do even greater damage to the others. Jill began to hope that the shock had been enough to give the man a heart attack. Just as she began to believe it, she heard the door slam shut and heard heavy, hurried steps.
"Easy now," Jill cautioned the three fellow conspirators. "This is where we find out what kind of actors we are."
Carl was visibly shaken as he stormed into the room. His white face was mute testimony to the impact of the shock he had received. His hands were shaking even though he had balled them into fists.
"Who was in my room?"
They looked at each other in stunned silence until Lucy spoke.
"I don't understand, Carl. If you mean your study, you know none of us could have been in there, it's always locked except when you're there."
"Jill!" He glared at her. "Did you have anything to do with this?"
"Carl, I don't understand what you're talking about. I am a guest in your house and as such. I obey the rules of common courtesy. I expect the same from you."
He opened his mouth as if to speak again, but no words came out. Turning, he started angrily from the room then stopped and faced the group again.
"Jill, may I see your lipstick please?"
"Of course, Carl. I didn't realize you used the stuff, but it's on my dresser. Do you want to help yourself or may I get it for you?"
"Your feeble attempt at humor is singularly unfunny. Will you get it for me please?"
"Of course."
Jill got up and walked up the stairs with an air of unconcern that surprised even her. Her fears that the group would break without her guidance were dispeled when she heard the man following her.
Walking to the dresser, she picked up the lipstick and handed it to him.
"Take your time with it, Carl, at the moment, I'm more interested in the bathroom than in cosmetics."
He grabbed it from her without a word and hurried down the hall. Jill's mind was working fast. If he suspected her, the whole plan could be ruined. It was up to her to allay his suspicion as much as possible.
With that in mind, she carried out her plan of hurrying to the bathroom. At first, she had considered bathing, but that would require more time than she was willing to devote to anything that would keep her away from the group in the living room. They may need her support.
Instead, as she stepped into the bathroom, Jill raised her skirt and slip to her waist and began to lower her panties. She decided that would be enough to make it seem that she knew nothing of the one way mirror.
In a minute, she stood again, acted completely normal, raised her panties and carefully lowered her dress and slip again. She walked casually out of the room and went down to join the group.
They looked relieved to see her, as if they had feared Carl would kill her while she was upstairs with him.
"Jill," Lucy gasped, "what was that about the lipstick?"
Jill saw Amanda and Jackson lean forward obviously waiting for her answer.
"Well," she kept her voice low, "it just could be that he found a message from a ghost scrawled in lipstick on the window which overlooks the guest bathroom."
Their looks were mingled laughter and fear.
"God!" Jackson whispered. "No wonder he's upset. What did it say?"
"It said, 'The wages of sin is death.' It was signed with a V. I guess he got the message all right."
"But if he sees it was written with your lipstick, he'll know it was you." Jackson's mind was obviously working.
"Jill, you shouldn't have done it. He'll kill you." Lucy's concern was sincere.
"Stop worrying. Surely you don't think I'd write it with my own lipstick. I'm getting to be quite a detective, you know."
Jill smiled at the looks of relief on the faces around her. She hoped their renewed confidence would be enough to sustain them through the possible rough times ahead.
When the door bell rang about twenty minutes later, there had still been no sign of Carl.
Amanda hurried to the door. A minute later, she escorted a man into the hall. He set a tradesman's tool kit on the floor while Amanda talked to her mother.
"I'll take him up dear," the woman answered.
After the two had gone upstairs, Amanda told Jackson and Jill that their visitor was a locksmith.
"Well, well," Jill expressed amusement, "I guess we have him worried."
"But Jill," Jackson looked concerned, "if he changes the lock, we won't be able to get in the room again. Are you sure the message was a good idea?"
"If I do say so myself, Jack, I think it was a brilliant idea. You see, he can put ten new locks on that door, but I can still get in any time I want to."
"How are you going to do that? Knock down the door or something?"
"No." Jill teased him with a laugh. "Did you notice the screws holding that one way mirror?"
"No, I didn't. What about them?"
"Well. I told you I'm getting to be quite a detective. For some reason, the heads of those screws are in the guest bathroom. Any time we want to visit the inner sanctum, you, my friend, are going to find a nice screwdriver and remove the pretty little window for us so that it becomes a pretty little door."
"Hey, you really are smart."
"You can't say I didn't tell you."
Lucy returned to the room then to break the bad news that the lock was being changed.
She was dumbfounded when the three only smiled. Amanda told her their newest secret and the woman's eyes shone with admiration.
"Children," Lucy spoke gently, "things are not likely to be very pleasant this evening. Why don't you go to your rooms and stay out of the way for a while?"
"I think your mother's idea is a good one, kids. I'll be up later to say good night."
"I guess you know I sent them up because I want to talk to you?" Lucy asked when they were alone.
"Yes, I thought so."
"It's the children I'm concerned about, Jill. My life had been ruined because I never learned anything. I don't want the same thing to happen to them."
"And you want me to explain it to them?"
"Would you. please?"
"I've already started," Jill smiled.
When Lucy swallowed her surprise, she smiled too.
"The same way you explained it to me?"
"The same way. Remember what I said about the sewing machine?"
"Did they enjoy it?"
"They loved every minute of it and so did I. I really think I should have become a teacher by profession. I'm pretty darn good at it."
"Ooh, Jill, you're more than just good." Lucy's hand moved under Jill's dress and stroked the silken thigh. "You know I want you to teach me more, don't you?"
Jill cupped a breast through the woman's thin dress and lowered her face to kiss her lips lightly.
"You don't need much more teaching, dear, but it will be a pleasure to give you a refresher course." Her hand squeezed and massaged as she smiled into Lucy's eager face.
They moved apart then as the locksmith came down the stairs. Carl was just behind him. Without saying a word, Carl followed him out the door. A minute later, they saw Carl's car turn out of the driveway and roar out into the street.
"The way he's driving, he may kill himself," Lucy said hopefully.
"I'd rather he didn't. I'd love to wring a confession out of him before that happens."
"Jill," Lucy spoke hesitantly, "if you're not too tired, why don't you go say goodnight to the kids and come back and talk with me." Something in the way she said it indicated that her mind was on more than talk.
"I think that's a great idea, Lucy. I'll be back in a couple of minutes. Meanwhile," she winked lasciviously, "why don't you think of something to talk about."
Upstairs, Jill found Amanda's room empty and Jackson's door closed. Smiling, she tapped lightly on his door and walked in. They were sitting sedately on the bed a couple of feet apart, but their look told Jill that they had probably been closer.
"Aren't you two the naughty ones, now," she pretended to scold.
"Honest, Jill," Jackson protested, "we were just talking."
"Well, I guess there's nothing wrong with talking, is there?"
The young faces were wreathed in smiles.
They knew Jill was aware of what they had been talking about and saw that she was not going to scold them.
"Let's see now," Jill looked serious, "there should be room for me to sit between you, but I don't want to get my dress all wrinkled."
With a few quick motions, her dress fell to her feet. On the way to pick it up, she pushed her half slip down and stepped lightly out of it. She wore the white bra and panties as well as a white garter belt and nylons.
"Now," she wedged herself between them, "we should be able to say nice pleasant goodnights. I must say though, you two do look very serious. Do you want me to leave?"
"Oh no!" They both spoke together.
"Then why not undress a little. We'd hear the door if anyone came in and would have lots of time to get back to our rooms."
"Should I close the door?" Jackson asked.
"No, dear. We need that open to hear the front door if it should open."
"But what about Mom?"
"Your mother has become a very understanding woman. I think she has a pretty good idea what we're up to."
She watched as the two exchanged startled glances at the thought that their mother knew and approved of what Jill had in mind.
"I mustn't promise too much this evening, kids. I have to go back down and talk to your mother, but I thought we could say goodnight in a nice friendly way. Be a gentleman Jackson, you undress first."
If he felt nervous about stripping in front of Jill and his sister, he gave no indication. He didn't stop until he was stark naked.
"Now, Amanda, your turn to show us that beautiful body of yours. Is he the first man you've ever seen this way?"
"Yes!" The word emerged as an exclamation.
"It's a pretty exciting sight, isn't it?" Her hand reached out to draw Jackson closer to them. Holding Amanda's hand, she invited her to touch the strong young man.
But now it was Jackson's turn to stare as Amanda stripped off her dress and slip and began working on the fastener of her bra.
Moving quickly, Jill reached to help her. As the catch came free, Jill held the cups of the bra in place for a few seconds as if to heighten the impact of the inevitable unveiling of the girl's twin globes of beauty.
When she felt Jackson was ready to explode with impatience, Jill peeled the cups away one at a time to reveal the stunning magnificence of the immaculate white swells with the cherry pink tips.
"Holy mackerel!" he gasped as if unable to believe what he saw. "They're as big and pretty as yours, Jill. They're beautiful."
"You're a real gentleman, Jackson," Jill congratulated him. "As a matter-of-fact, they are as big as mine, but even more beautiful because they are so young and solid."
As if to demonstrate her point, Jill reached up and cupped one in her hand. Reaching for Jackson's hand, she brought it to the other. He was more than anxious to cooperate.
Under the ardent touch of the two hands, Amanda glowed and her body began to writhe with passion.
"Why don't you take your panties off now, dear and show us the rest of that lovely body?" Jill whispered huskily as her hand squeezed a little before letting go.
Reluctantly, Jackson also released his hold and stared as the young woman stood before them. Bending a little from the waist, she grasped the waistband of the panties and began to slide them over the wide flaring hips.
As they slid downward, the white perfection of the twin mounds came slowly into view. In the subdued light of the room, they seemed to gleam like lovely white moons. Jill heard a gasp from Jackson and knew he could not be restrained much longer.
Amanda bent then to step out of the discarded panties and her full breasts swayed maddeningly. Jill reached for them, cupped them in gentle hands and drew the young woman back to the bed.
Sitting between her companions on the bed then, Jill took time out to give them a warning.
"I want you two to listen carefully to what I have to say. I know there's no point in telling you not to play games together now that you've discovered a whole new world of thrills, but I must warn you about a very great danger. Under no circumstances, Jack, must you do with Amanda the things you do with me."
"Why not, Jill?" the boy sounded broken hearted at the message.
"Because Amanda could have a baby if you did. Later, Amanda, I'll teach you how to guard against this, but for now, you must promise me that you will not do it. Do you promise?"
"Yes, Jill, I promise faithfully." Jill knew she was sincere and turned to extract the same promise from Jackson. She got it.
"Remember now," she cautioned, "all the kisses and touches you like, but not the other thing."
Again, they agreed and Jill appeared satisfied.
"Speaking of kissing," she went on, "it's time for me to kiss you good night and get downstairs. You first, Amanda, do you want me to kiss you good night?"
"I want you to kiss me," the girl replied, "but I don't want you to leave."
"Greedy girl," Jill laughed, "your mother is waiting to talk downstairs, I really have to go."
Amanda raised her lips to be kissed, but Jill surprised her. Instead of kissing her mouth, she pushed the girl down on the bed. Her hands found the strong young thighs and they parted eagerly.
It was a very passionate kiss that Jill pressed on her and it went on for a very long time. When it ended, it was still too soon to suit Amanda, but Jill smiled knowing that Jackson would still be there after she left.
"I guess it's your turn to be kissed good night, Jackson," Jill turned to him.
He wondered what kind of a kiss was in store after seeing what had happened to Amanda. Jill answered the question quickly by pushing him down onto the bed beside the girl. Her head moved down and she delivered an exciting good night kiss.
Getting to her feet then, Jill gathered up her discarded clothes and hurried out of the room. Back in her room, she decided against dressing fully. As a compromise, she pulled her dress over her head, buttoned it, and ignored the rest.
What the heck, she thought, as she started down the hall, clothes are only a nuisance anyway. She noticed that the kids were still together and hoped they would remember their promise.
Downstairs, it became obvious that Lucy had been preoccupied and had not heard her approach. As Jill walked into the room, there was a quick flurry of activity as the woman tried to pull her dress back down.
Smiling to show understanding, Jill knelt before the woman and drew the dress back up. Her hands wrapped around firm buttocks and her face pressed against the woman to remove the terrible hunger. Jill did not move until she heard the low scream.
As Jill drew slowly away, the woman reached for her, her hands working feverishly under her dress.
"Let me do it for you, Jill. Let me make you feel good like I do."
Having aroused three people in the past few minutes, Jill felt the temptation, but she fought it off.
"I don't think it would be safe, Lucy. We don't know when he'll be home. It wouldn't do to have him catch us."
"At least let me kiss you then, dear. You are so lovely, I want to look and kiss."
Jill stood beside the couch and made no objection when she felt the hands tugging her panties partially down. She saw the head disappear under her dress, felt the warm breath as the woman explored. She felt the kiss then and her knees grew weak with the need for satisfaction.
This wouldn't be it though, her hunger was something a woman couldn't satisfy. She thought of Jackson upstairs and the party she had promised, but that too was discarded.
She would go through with it because it was important that she retain his loyalty, but the mere act of being taken by a man was not enough.
It was more than a physical thing she needed. Only the love of a good man could quench the fires which burned under her skin in a million places, but especially in one most sensitive place.
Bob flashed into her mind then and she was surprised to see him there. She had known for a long time that she liked him as a friend, but beyond that, she hadn't thought about him.
Being accustomed to having just one man in her life, it just wasn't that easy to make room for another. And yet, he stayed with her as she gently eased the woman away from her and raised her panties back into place.
"Later, Lucy, when it's safe, we'll go all the way, both of us."
They had both adjusted their clothes and were exchanging understanding smiles when they heard Carl's car move into the driveway.
Jill was about to go upstairs to check on Amanda and Jackson when the scurrying of feet on the upstairs hall floor told her that they too had heard the car.
Without even looking at them, Carl stomped into the house and up the stairs. They heard him go into the study and lock the door behnd him.
The two women went up to bed then. Next morning, Lucy told her that Carl had spent the night in his study and left for the office before she got up.
It's working, Jill told herself. I'll get the bastard yet.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
After breakfast, Jill sent Jackson in search of a screwdriver to remove the window mirror from the guest bedroom.
Convinced that the mysterious return of Velma from her grave was getting to J. Carl Cardwell, Jill made up her mind to get the campaign rolling in high gear. One more message could do it, she told herself.
Even as she did though, she sensed that it could take a lot more than that. Still, no mat ter what was required or how long it took, she was going to get to him.
He had murdered two people and he was going to pay for that with his life. She thought too of how he had ruined his wife's life to the point where she could never catch up. There was still a chance that the children could develop normally, but she wasn't too sure of that either.
For all the evil he had done in his sick role of great avenger, she would make him pay. In fact, Jill told herself, I will be the avenger. I'll set the price and make sure that he pays it in full.
But while Jill wanted to concentrate on the serious work at hand, she knew that three others had entirely different ideas which had nothing to do with work in any form.
As if to confirm her fears, Lucy walked into the room, her eyes glowing with the hungry fires of passion which she made no effort to hide.
"Jill," it was an excited whisper, "are you going to do things with Amanda and Jackson this morning?"
"I don't know, Lucy," Jill stalled. "I know I made them a half promise, but I have so many important things to do. You know why I'm here, Lucy, I must not let myself become so busy with pleasure that I forget the purpose of all I have in mind."
"I know how important this is to you, Jill," the woman persisted, "but it would be such a treat for them and for me too."
"For you, Lucy? I don't understand."
"Well," the woman hesitated nervously, "I thought that maybe you would let me be in the room when you do things with them. You know, like a man and a woman together. I've never seen it you know. Oh please, Jill, you mustn't say no, it would mean so much to me."
The pleading tone of the woman's voice brought tears of pity to Jill's eyes. Carl had destroyed her even more thoroughly than Jill had realized.
Yes, she thought, he raped and murdered Velma, but her suffering ended there. With poor Lucy, he has tortured and twisted her mind until she begs me to let her watch her own stepson making love to me. Surely in this he has committed an even greater crime than either rape or murder.
The sincerity of the woman's plea clawed at her heart, but Jill doubted that she could grant the bizarre request no matter how much it would hurt the woman. There would have to be some other way out, it was going to be up to her to find it.
"Try to understand me, Lucy, I know how much you have missed in life, but you must trust me if I feel that what you are asking may be wrong. You have so many things to learn and I must be careful how I teach these things for fear that I may do you great harm."
"But surely," the woman argued, "there is no harm in what we have done together. It was so nice and it made me feel so good."
"I don't deny that, dear, but to many people, the things we did were wrong. Society says that two women should not make love."
"Do you believe that, Jill?" Lucy seemed horrified by the suggestion.
"No, Lucy, I don't believe it for myself, but you must be careful that your friends never find out. They could make life unbearable for you and for your children."
"Oh, Jill, you're getting me all mixed up with all this talk about right and wrong and society. Please do something for me."
Jill reached for the woman and hugged her. "I will promise to do something for you this morning, Lucy. I honestly don't know what or when, but I won't leave you in misery."
"Oh thank you, Jill," the woman reached to kiss her boldly on the mouth. "This time, you'll let me do it for you, won't you?"
"Yes, Lucy," Jill patted her lightly on the bottom, "I'll let you do it for me. In fact, I think I'll enjoy that very much."
As she looked into the woman's face, Jill saw the look of absolute happiness. She decided to add to it right then.
"I'll tell you what, Lucy, while you're waiting, why don't you go up to my room and pick out a nice set of lingerie to wear. Help yourself to anything and everything you like."
"Are you serious, Jill?" It was as if the woman was not able to believe that she was free to wallow in such exotic luxury, to try on the soft garments as if they were her own.
"Of course I am dear," she patted her on the bottom again, "now run along and help yourself or I'll turn you over my lap and really spank that cute, chubby backside of yours."
As she hurried from the room, Lucy was actually giggling like a schoolgirl. Jill knew that she really could pull the woman over her lap, bare her bottom and spank her.
Her mind moved back to sorority days and she felt the old thrill at the thought of the almost forgotten spanking games. For just a moment, she considered doing it.
She forced herself to reject the thought though. There had been too many spankings in her life for Lucy to see any joy in them. She would submit, but she could not possibly understand or enjoy the act.
Besides, Jill reminded herself, I'm supposed to be concentrating on getting the job done, not looking for kicks like a teenager with a burning itch deep inside my panties.
Her decision was reinforced then as Jackson arrived on the scene bearing a screwdriver and a very happy looking smile.
"What's mom looking so happy about?" he asked.
"That's a little secret between your mother and me," Jill added a note of mystery and smiled at his frank look of puzzlement.
It wasn't difficult for Jill to understand the happy look on the woman's face. For the very first time in her life, her virginal body would know the sweet, seductive kiss of nylon.
"Come on you," she nudged him, "what say we talk less and work more."
Laughing, Jackson followed her out of the room and up the steps.
In the guest room, it required little time or effort to remove the screws and pull the mirror away from the wall to provide an entrance. Jill twisted through the narrow door and Jackson followed close behind her.
Bending, Jill reached under his desk to remove the tube of lipstick she had taped there on her previous visit. After all, she had reasoned, this has to be the safest place in the house to hide it. Carl would surely never think of looking in his own private room for it.
In fact, she encouraged herself, if everything goes according to plan, as it seemed to be doing, he will be absolutely convinced that Velma has actually returned from the grave to write the messages on the glass. In that case, there would be no reason at all for him to even think of looking for lipstick.
"Jill," Jackson interrupted her train of thought, "let me look at some of the pictures please."
She heard the excitement in his voice and didn't have the heart to say no.
Getting the keys out of the desk drawer, she opened one of the drawers and handed him a thick envelope of the precious pictures.
"Be careful, Jack," she cautioned him, "they must stay in exactly the same order." The subject of the set she had given him appeared to be an eighteen or nineteen year old girl and Carl's camera had caught her in every possible pose. Jill knew the pictures would keep him occupied while she wrote her next ghost message for Carl.
Jill was a little angry at herself for not having prepared the message, but the feeling passed. Anything she wrote would serve the purpose, she knew. The only thing that counted was the Carl should believe Velma was reaching back from death to threaten him.
She wrote quickly then and was satisfied with the message she had left for him.
"CONFESS OR JOIN ME IN DEATH.
V."
Jackson looked up from his pictures and read the message.
"Boy, that should really grab him," he enthused.
"I hope you're right, Jack. I want it to grab him so hard that he'll lose control of himself and do what we need to expose him."
"It will, Jill. He's gonna go right out of his skull."
"Then let's not spoil it by being caught in here. Come on, let's get out of here."
On that note, he parted with the pictures willingly and Jill replaced them in the cupboard. Following her usual practice, she checked the room to make sure all was in order before they left.
Back in the bathroom, she watched as Jackson screwed the mirror back into place. It was important, she knew, that there be no trace of their means of entry. Even the slightest clue would destroy her whole plan.
Only when she was completely satisfied that the mirror had been replaced perfectly did she leave the room after asking Jackson to replace the screwdriver where he had found it.
"Aw gee, Jill," he protested mildly, "couldn't we do that later. He's not going to go looking for it."
"Jackson," Jill made her voice just stern enough to get the point across without actually upsetting him, "we have too much at stake here to risk destroying everything by a careless move. You be a good fellow now and make sure you put it back exactly where you found it."
He was not prepared to argue the point. Jill had been too good to him, had given him too much to risk incurring her anger now when it was another emotion he was hoping to arouse in her.
Throwing her a wide smile to show that he was not angry, he ran from the room. Jill congratulated herself on having played it just right.
She hoped she would be able to handle the family as well the rest of the day. Both Lucy and Jackson had made it clear that they favored some rather wild activities in which the whole family would participate. Jill couldn't understand why she was against it, but something told her it would not be a good idea.
She knew she wasn't concerned about the moral aspects of it after all she had been through with them, but whatever the reasoning was, she sensed that she was going to have to play it very cool. Somehow, she would find a way to placate the family.
As she walked into the living room, Jill stopped short as she saw Lucy posing in the middle of the room. She was absolutely stunning.
Her generous breasts were tucked into a tight fitting, pale blue nylon bra which showed an exciting expanse of tops of the two confined globes.
Forcing her eyes downward, Jill saw that the woman more than filled the transparent, pale blue nylon panties with an effect that was nothing less than erotic.
Under them, a slightly darker blue satin garter belt pinched her waist. The suspenders tugged at the fully expanded tops of a pair of nylons whose dark shade made a lovely contrast against the white skin of the upper thighs and the blue of the panties.
"Lucy," Jill enthused, "you look absolutely ravishing. I never dreamed what a difference a few clothes would make."
"Isn't she just yummy, Jill?" Amanda called from across the room.
Jill had not see her there. As she turned, she saw that the girl too had adorned herself in the luxury of her lingerie. In Amanda's case, she had chosen black. It had an effect on her creamy white young body that caused Jill's breath to catch in her throat.
"Well, I must say, you are a couple of real beauties in your lovely outfits."
"I hope you don't mind, Jill," Amanda began to apologize.
"Mind? Of course I don't. I seem to re call telling both of you to help yourselves to anything you wanted. I wonder though how Jackson will react if he barges in here and sees the two of you."
"I can guess," Amanda giggled, "and I like the things I'm guessing."
"Well I'm not sure I do," Jill masked her fears with a smile. "The poor boy may go right out of his mind and start chewing the wallpaper off the walls."
"I don't think that's what he'll do, Jill," Amanda corrected her. "As a matter-of-fact, I guess we're about to find out."
Jackson took about two steps into the room before he froze in his tracks. His mouth fell open and his eyes tried to open as wide.
"For the luvva Pete," he gasped as if he would never be able to find any other words.
Up to that point, he had soon only Lucy. A moment later, Amanda walked across the room to stand beside the woman and Jackson's eyes opened a little wider.
"Oh boy, "he managed to speak again, "what a party this is going to be. Come on Jill, let's see what you got on under that dress."
Looking from one to the other, Jill was unable to control an involuntary shudder. The woman was smiling at her stepson in obvious invitation. She liked the way he was looking at her. Her terribly abused mind couldn't understand the enormity of her desires toward the boy.
"Just a minute, Jackson," Jill had no trouble injecting a tone of severity into her voice, "I think I should have something to say about what goes on around here."
"Aw heck, Jill, don't be a spoil sport," Amanda took up the protest.
Jill looked toward Lucy, but knew she would find little support there either. This was something she was going to have to handle all by herself. At the moment, she didn't have the faintest idea as to how she was going to do it. It was more than clear that the other three didn't want to be handled with reason.
They were all talking at once then and Jill saw that it would be useless to try to interrupt them. The previously quiet room had suddenly turned into bedlam as the three tried to talk her into going along with their plans.
Over their mingled chatter then came a much louder sound. It was a scream of outrage from the doorway where a pale, shaking J. Carl Cardwell stood rooted, his face turning an ashed white for just a moment before purple rage flooded it.
Stricken with chilling terror, Jill saw the man's eyes move from his wife to his daughter and then to her. With each second, his color deepened, his hands shook with rage that was not to be controlled by him or by anyone in the room.
Again his mouth opened as he emitted a roar like nothing Jill had ever heard. It was the cry of a crazed animal. If the man had been insane before, Jill sensed, then this could push him all the way. It was clear that he was not thinking in terms of punishing with a strap.
"I'll kill you!" he roared the first words he had been able to find. "I'll kill all of you. I'll bring down the revenge of Sodom and Gomorrah on the sinful evil of all of you."
As he lunged, it was obvious that Jill was to be his first target, but he didn't reach her. Instead, Jackson threw himself in front of her and stood, his feet braced wide apart, blocking the man's path.
"Move aside," the man roared at his son.
"Get out. I'm not afraid of you now," Jackson spat with the confidence of his new found manhood.
The red of Carl's anger burned to purple as he turned the full force of rage on his son.
With surprising speed, his right arm flashed out with a force that could have knocked Jackson off his feet if it had connected.
Fortunately, the boy saw it coming in time to twist out of range so that while the fingers burned across his cheek, he was not really hurt.
Jackson moved, Jill saw, without the grace of a fighter, but his youth and strength compensated for this lack. His right arm flashed out and his fist plowed into the face of the charging man.
Jill saw Carl's head snap back and hoped his neck had not been broken. His shoulder hit the wall and he slumped to the floor with blood and spittle trickling from his broken mouth.
He was making ugly, animal sounds as he crawled to his feet. Jill hoped he would turn and run, but that was not to be. Instead, his head down like a charging bull, he threw himself toward Jackson again.
This time, the boy was not as fast in sidestepping the attack. By the time he moved, the man's head and shoulder had slammed into his ribs. Jill saw Jackson begin to fold and braced herself for the trouble that could follow. Without the boy to defend them, there was no way the three females could defend themselves against the attack of the man whose sanity had completely vanished now.
Carl looked at the sprawled form of the boy and turned his attention to Jill.
"Jezebel! Instrument of the devil! Evil incarnate! You come into my home and spread the poison of your evil lust over my family."
His hands moved into a strangling position as he advanced toward her.
"I must rid the world of your sin. Your wicked woman body must die before you corrupt others and lead them into sin. It is my duty to free the world of lust and evil."
Jill moved to fight him off then, but it was too late. His fingers were already around her throat, his body pressed against her so that there was no leverage for her to fight back.
"Dad, I saw Velma today. What did you do to her?"
Jackson's voice knifed into the silence of the room and froze them all. Jill felt the hands relax on her throat and watched as the man turned silently to meet his son's glance.
"What did you say?" His voice was little more than a terrified croak.
"I said I saw Velma in the hall upstairs. I didn't tell anyone because I was afraid. She had no clothes on and there was blood on her body. It looked like one of her breasts had been bitten. There were ugly welts on her backside as if she had been whipped. She walked to the door of your room and then she was gone."
Jackson paused for a moment, his eyes glassy, trance like.
"She just disappeared right through the door. I got scared and ran back to my room."
Anger drained from Carl's face. What had been red and purple moments ago, turned to a chalky white. It was as if the face would crack into pieces and fall apart before their eyes.
Like a creature without a life of its own, he turned then and walked from the room. As he left, Jill turned to the others and indicated they should hurry into their clothes.
She turned to Jackson with a look that told him he was all man.
"Thanks, Jackson. I guess you know you saved my life and probably the lives of your mother and sister. That was very quick thinking on your part. I hope you know how very proud of you I feel right now."
"Thank yourself, Jill. If you hadn't given me the idea with those weirdo messages on the glass, I wouldn't have thought of it."
Lucy had just opened her mouth to add something to the exchange, when the quiet of the house was rent by a scream that sounded like something from another world.
While the others stood frozen in terror, Jill hurried down the hall and pressed her ear to the door. As she did, she heard the sound of Carl dialing the phone.
"Jeff," she heard him say with a breathless urgency, "you have to come over right away. I want to make a confession."
There was a brief pause before he spoke again.
"Don't argue with me, Jeff, just get here fast before it's too late. I'll tell everything then."
Jill heard the phone being dropped back into the cradle. Almost immediately, there came the sounds of crying from inside the room.
With a sigh of relief, she stepped back from the door. The plan she had instituted when she came to live here had seemed wild and foolish and completely disordered at times. Yet now, there was every promise that it had worked. It looked as though Carl had been terrified into confessing the murder of Velma for which her husband had died.
A new thought occurred then and Jill hurried down the stairs. When the phone rang at the newspaper office, the girl who answered said that Bob was in and that she would call him to the phone.
Jill saw the danger that Carl would be listening on the upstairs extension, but it was a chance she would have to take.
"Bob! No questions, just get over here as fast as you can. I'll tell you all about it then."
Without waiting for an answer, Jill hung up the phone and went back to meet the rest of the family who still huddled in her room as if not knowing just what they should do.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Five minutes later, they watched as the police car roared up the narrow street and swerved into the drive. The chief and one other policeman hurried out of the car and mounted the front steps two at a time.
While they had been waiting, Jill had sent Jackson for the screwdriver and had tucked it inside one of her nylons.
While the others remained silent, Lucy went to the door to admit the police. They stood nervously inside the door as if unsure of what to say.
"I'll tell Carl you're here." Lucy's voice was quiet but contained a surprising firmness.
It was not necessary to relay the message though. He walked slowly down the stairs in a way that made each step seem like a tremendous effort. For just a moment, Jill felt a small wrench of pity, but it passed. Her memory flashed a picture of Mac shortly before his execution, that was enough to prevent her feeling even a little sorry for Carl now that his time had come.
As he left the stairs and began to walk toward the living room, Jill saw Bob's car pull up in front. She managed to reach the door before he was forced to ring the bell. He followed her into the now deserted hall.
"Stand here, Bob, I think you should be able to hear everything without being seen. I'll be back in a couple of minutes."
Jill wanted very much to hear what Carl would say, but there was something she had to do first. Running up the stairs, she started toward the guest bathroom to unscrew the mirror and get into his room. If the message was still on the glass, she wanted to obliterate every trace of it.
To her surprise though, she found the door of the inner sanctum wide open. Inside the room, she saw the message still blazed on the glass.
There was a box of Kleenex on his desk. Grabbing a handful, she hurriedly erased the words. Just to be sure, she took more and pol ished the glass. When she was content that no trace remained, Jill hurried to the bathroom and flushed the Kleenex down the toilet. She ran back downstairs then.
Smiling quickly at Bob and squeezing his hand, she went into the room to join the others. The fact that the room was so quiet bothered her.
"Ah, here she is." Carl sounded completely composed now and that scared Jill even more. "Now we can commence the meeting."
Carl sat at the head of the table like a chairman about to address the board of directors. One policeman sat at each side of the table. Lucy, Amanda and Jackson stood to one side.
"Please be seated." Carl waved toward his family as if inviting them to come to the table for a festive meal.
Lucy sat on the couch and the others joined her. Jill drew out a chair at the other end of the table and sat with the men.
"All right, Carl, how about telling us what this is all about?" It was clear that the chief was about to break under the strain of the situation.
Carl flashed the man a look of annoyance and Jill hoped that the policeman would be quiet and not risk upsetting all that had been so carefully built up.
"Now, Jeff," Carl was obviously convening the meeting, "perhaps the first thing we should establish is that I killed Velma."
"Jesus!" Jeff exploded in surprise. When he caught his host's look of disapproval, the policeman blushed furiously.
His obvious surprise at the statement confirmed a belief Jill had nourished all along. The people in this town who had taken Carl's word and killed her husband, had done it without malice. They had just believed Carl and in doing so, had to convict Mac.
"Try to contain yourself, Jeff," Carl scolded the chief before continuing. "For many years, her youthful beauty and her teasing ways had caused me all the torment of fleshly temptation.
"That day on the island, Mac was in town as he said he was. Velma was wearing her shortest, tightest shorts and knew what she was doing to me. In desperation, I asked her to go for a walk with me."
For a moment, the man closed his eyes as if reliving the tension of the moment he was describing.
"All the way, she walked just ahead of me. Frequently, she would bend on some pretext or other and I could see the outline of her body and the edges of her panties under the shorts.
"Once, when she did it, I could stand the temptation no longer. My hands grabbed the bottom of her shorts and as I squeezed her firm flesh, she fell over.
"Without knowing what I was doing, I fell on top of her and began tearing at her clothes. She did not really resist as I tore her clothes off. All I really wanted to do was to see her beautiful body and touch it. If only she had left me alone, it never would have happened.
"Instead, as I knelt over her, admiring her sweet form, she reached for me and before I could stop her, she had opened my pants and her hands had grabbed me.
'When she did, it was as if the devil in her transferred itself into my body and drove me to commit the great sin of lust. As I pressed at her in my sinful passion, her legs wrapped around me and her face was wreathed with an evil smile that showed she was enjoying her great sin.
"After my sin was complete, I looked on that beautiful body and saw in it all the temptation of the sinful world. She still laughed at me and I knew that she must be punished.
"I began to beat her then and to bite and tear at her devil infested flesh. I knew that the devil was within her body and that I must open the body to let it out so that it would leave her pure again.
"I could hear the devil scream as I tore at her body. She pretended that the screams were hers, but I knew better. As much as the devil screamed though, he would not leave so I knew then that only by killing her could I kill him and free the world from sin for all time.
"As my hands wrapped around her throat, I heard the devil roar in anger and terror. He tried to get out, I saw him purple and flapping in her throat, but I tightened my hands and forced him back inside. In a little while, I knew he was dead. I knew that she was dead too, but after all, it was such a small price to pay to free the world from sin for all time.
"Some day, the world would want to know that I had been the saviour, so I needed proof to show when the time came. I went back to the cottage and got my camera. When I got back to the spot, I took many pictures of my great spiritual work.
"In some of the pictures, where her body was open, I could see the devil lying dead in that part of her where she was so soft and warm and sweet. I knew it was right that I had saved her too, that I had freed her from the trial of living with the devil within her body.
"When it was over, I knew the world would not be able to understand. The mammon of iniquity would have resented the good I did and would have put me to death for my work of saving them, so I had to keep my great achievement a secret.
"I went to the landing and waited for Mac. When he arrived, I took the boat and told him to wait for my return. I did not like lying about him when I talked to you, Jeff, but it was something I had to do. After all, he was only a mortal. His life was not as important as the thing I was doing.
"I did not even feel sorry for him, because I knew the giving of his life contributed to keeping the world free of sin. It was my role to decide that he should die so my work could go on. I don't suppose he even understood it, but the way I did it was the only way. He will be a saint in the life hereafter because he aided me in my work. I shall see that he is rewarded when I reach the throne."
Carl turned his eyes away from the group in the room and stared upward. Jill noticed that he wasn't just looking at the ceiling, his eyes seemed to penetrate it, they moved far beyond into a world of twisted insanity where he was a deity.
She wondered whether he was waiting for a special messenger in a golden chariot to emerge from the clouds to carry him away to his reward now that he had made the confession demanded in red letters on the glass in his room.
"Do you want to know anything else, Jeff?" His voice was wrapped in an almost kindly tone as he looked toward the police chief.
"I don't reckon we need no more than that, Carl, unless maybe there's anything else you want to tell us about. You ever kill anybody else?"
"How dare you! I am not a murderer. I am the agent of revenge; the divine avenger, I do not murder as men murder. I carry retribution to sinners so that mankind may be saved from the punishment of evil."
"I see what you mean, Carl." The chief had finally learned how to deal with him. "I guess that's about all then. That there job of yours is pretty important, I guess. Still, I'd sure appreciate it if you'd come downtown with us so we can write all this down and get you to sign it all legal and proper."
"Anything you wish, Jeff. I'm sure you will permit me a few minutes to perform a function of the mortal body."
"Well now, Carl, I sure wouldn't want to interfere with that."
Without a word or a look, Carl walked from the room and mounted the stairs with a dignity Jill had never seen before. If he noticed Bob standing outside in the hall, he gave no indication of it.
He had almost reached the top when he turned and walked down again. He continued walking until he was back in the room again standing at the end of the table.
"Do you wonder, Jeff, why I have told you all of this?"
"Well now, I guess I sort of do wonder at that, Carl. Care to tell me?"
"Yes, Jeff, I shall. It seems that Velma was not happy in death. She returned from the great void to tell me that I must confess. I had to obey her, Jeff, don't you agree?"
"Well, now, I'd have to say that if someone comes back from the dead and tells you to do something, you pretty well got to go along."
"She didn't tell me in words, Jeff. Why can't you understand such simple things?"
"How did she tell you then?"
"She wrote messages for me on the window of justice in my domain."
"Hey, I never saw anything like that. Is it all right if I go up and look at it?"
"Of course it is, but not until I tell you. I must go now. Later, it will be right for you to read the message. You will understand many things then."
This time, he walked all the way up the stairs. They listened as he walked into the bathroom and closed the door behind him. Jill walked out into the hall then to talk to Bob.
"Thanks a lot, Jill. I'm awfully glad you called me. I've got it all down."
"I'm glad, Bob. Thank you for coming. I wasn't sure the chief could be trusted."
"That's good thinking. I'm not so sure either, but now that I have it all noted, he doesn't have any choice at all. We can trust him now."
They turned at the same moment to see the chief standing in the doorway.
"What are you doing here?" He glared at Bob.
"Why, don't you know chief, a good newsman is always around when something happens. This is going to be one of the big stories of the year."
"I don't think you oughta write it, Bob."
"Sorry, chief, but I am going to write it. Just be a good cop and it will be written fairly. You have nothing to worry about."
For the next few minutes, the two men squared off in a battle of wills. The chief was obviously angry at Bob's being there, but he realized there was nothing he could do about it. When he accepted that fact, he became more friendly. Jill could almost hear his mind working. She could see him realizing that since Bob had the story, he may as well be cooperative and get the best possible break in any stories that might be written.
Jeff turned his attention to Jill then. "What's this about messages written to him on a window?"
"Come now, chief, you must realize that the only message he really saw was in his conscience. Do you believe that ghosts come back to write notes?"
"Of course not." He seemed embarrassed at the light scolding she had given him. "Still, you know, a policeman has to check everything no matter how silly it sounds."
"Of course, chief, I understand."
"Hey, he's been gone quite a long time, ain't he?" The chief looked alarmed.
"Not really, chief," Jill answered. "Besides, there's no way he can get out of the house without us seeing him. Why don't you have your man stand guard at the foot of the stairs and I'll show you the window he was talking about."
"I guess we could do that." Despite his agreement, it was clear that the policeman didn't like the idea of Jill advising him.
Jill chose to walk slowly as she mounted the stairs with Bob and the policeman behind her. If her guess was right, she wanted to kill as much time as possible.
When they entered the inner sanctum, the chief stood just inside the door. It was a bit too much for him.
"What the hell is that?" he asked in amazement. "A window into a can?"
"That's right, chief. But you must know by now that Carl was a very sick man."
Well now, ain't that just the damnedest thing you ever saw?"
"Yes, it is rather strange. By the way, do you see any message on the glass-?" Jill kept a straight face as she stepped aside to permit the man to examine the glass.
"Hey now, let's not play no games." His embarrassment was obvious. In spite of his protest though, Jill caught him stealing a closer look at the one way mirror.
"Look, where is he anyway?" The chief could no longer even try to hide his agitation.
"I guess he told us rather clearly that he was going to the John," Bob answered.
"Show me where it is."
"This way, chief." Without hurrying, Jill led them down the hall and around to the guest bathroom. As they reached it, the policeman pushed her aside and shoved the door open to look into the empty room. He turned then, his face red with anger.
"Are you being smart?" He tried to destroy Jill with a look, but it didn't quite come off.
"Sorry, chief, I guess he must be using the other one. Follow me."
Jill led them along the hall to the other bathroom. When she reached it, she stepped back to permit the policeman to go ahead. He pushed at the door but it refused to open.
"Hey there Carl. Are you okay?"
There was no answer.
"Look," he glared at Jill, "if you're playing games with me, you'll be sorry."
"Don't get nasty, chief." Her voice was stronger than his at the moment. "If you think there's something wrong, break the door down."
"Carl! Open up!" His voice rose in pitch as Jill and Bob looked at each other in understood amusement.
When there was still no answer, he raised his foot and kicked at the door. Nothing happened. Backing up against the far wall, he took a run at it and slammed his shoulder against the door.
This time, it gave way and he went tumbling into the room.
As he fought to regain his balance, the policeman came to rest half lying over Carl who knelt slumped over the side of the bath tub.
From the doorway, Jill heard Jeff gag and wondered absently whether he would be sick. Jill and Bob walked into the small room and saw Carl's blood smearing the white tub. Much of it had already flowed down the drain to find its way into the sewer. A trickle continued to run from both slashed wrists.
Jeff recovered his composure sufficiently to search for a sign of life.
Bob held Jill closely and looked at her face to see how she was taking it.
"It's all right, Bob." Her voice was completely calm. "I knew this was happening, that's why I stalled the chief as long as I could."
"You're an amazing woman, Jill. Of course you did the right thing, this was the only possible way to have it end."
"Is he dead chief?" Bob asked quietly.
"I think so. I don't reckon we can do anything for him anyway."
"I don't think we should try, Jeff. Do you?"
"No, I suppose not." The policeman looked thoughtful for a few seconds. "Reckon I'll wait a few minutes before I call the coroner."
"I'll go down and tell the family." Jill started from the room.
"Want me to help, Jill?" Bob asked.
"No thanks. It won't be difficult. I'm sure they were expecting it too. If not, they won't be terribly surprised."
Leaving the two men in the room to wait while Carl became a corpse, Jill walked down the stairs to break the news to the family. She walked neither quickly nor slowly. It was just something to be done. A life had ended and made it possible for other lives to begin.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Later, Bob left to file his story. The local paper would carry the sensational story of Carl's confession and suicide, but more than that, the story would be filed with A.P. so that every paper in the country would carry it.
Jill had discussed it with him and they agreed that she should spend the evening with the family.
"You've done a lot to bring them into touch with reality, Jill, but now that you're getting ready to leave you have to help them prepare to fly alone."
"Yes, Bob, I can see that and I've been thinking of how to go about it. I think I'm ready now to do it."
Without telling all the details, she had indicated to Bob how she had opened doors of life for Lucy and her children. When she tried to be more explicit, Bob had stopped her.
"You did what you had to do, Jill and you did it extremely well. Let's not talk about it. I respect and admire and trust you. Please don't embarrass yourself with details."
On that note, he left to go back to his office and write one of the biggest stories of the year. As far as the local paper was concerned, it was probably the biggest story it had ever carried.
But it was more than a story. Bob wrote it in such a way that it became the beginning of a campaign to eliminate the death penalty.
A boxed item within the story kicked off the campaign.
"It has been proved beyond doubt," the item began, "that an innocent man was executed for murder."
"In presenting its case, the state showed that Mac Sheppard had committed murder. The jury, composed of honest and honorable men and women, found him guilty.
"Appeals were filed and refused. The state found this man guilty. Because of the structure of our laws, he paid the usual price. He was killed.
"We have now established that this man was completely innocent. If he were serving his sentence in a penal institution, the state could free him immediately. Perhaps he could be compensated for his loss of liberty, but that is not important.
"All the state can do now is vindicate his character. Because we have killed him, it must be a posthumous vindication.
"We can, of course, go a little further. We can tell his widow and her two children that we are sorry. We can point out to them that we deprived them of a husband and father through an unfortunate accident.
"It won't help much. It cannot renew a life that has been taken away through a terrible mistake.
"Is Mac Sheppard the first man who has been executed for a crime he did not commit? No. Will he be the last to pay this macabre price? No. There will be others.
"But how many more must there be? Is it not enough for all of us to know that our laws have murdered an innocent man? It should be.
"Our law? Yes, yours and mine. It will remain law until enough of us become sufficiently concerned to demand that it be changed.
"No matter how sure we may be that a man committed the act of murder, there can be no valid justification in our committing murder to get even with him. Surely humanity has risen above mere vengeance.
"Do we want to protect society from men who kill? Then let us place them in an institution where they cannot kill again.
"When we accept this principle, we shall have reached the stage where our society will never again have to say to a grieving woman and children...."Oops, we killed your man by mistake. Sorry about that."
* * *
Jill talked to the family for hours that evening. When they asked questions, she answered them. One of her recommendations was that Amanda and Jackson should go on to college. She stressed the point that they should attend coeducational institutions where they would meet other young people and develop healthy, normal interests.
They talked well into the night. When conversation ended, all were tired and ready for bed and sleep.
Jill would have stayed for the funeral, but Lucy insisted that she go back to her children and the beginning of her new life.
Before leaving the town which had become such a part of her life, Jill had a long talk with Bob. They talked of the past, the present and the future.
Bob told her that he would stay in town for two more weeks while his editor trained another man to replace him. After that, he would see her in New York.
They did not discuss the specifics of love and marriage, but only because both wanted to save that for a later, happier date.
