Fantasy fiction; Science fiction; Subconsciousness -- Fiction
Marc's eyes moved listlessly to the doorway, and then, suddenly froze
on the man that stood there. It was the ferret-faced little fellow from
the Loma Club and the cemetery. Marc flinched at the memory of the
clicking sounds, and the man's mysterious behavior. Then, he was aware
that Julie was watching him.
"I want you to know Mr. Dembert, Marc," she said smoothly. "He's from
the Regal Detective Agency, and he had the pleasure of following you
all last evening ... if you can call it a pleasure. From what he told
me over the telephone this morning, it must have been some night. He
tells me that he even had to save you from a thug once--for the divorce
courts, of course."
"A private detective?" Marc asked bewilderedly.
"I knew you'd be interested," Julie said with amusement, and then
turned to the odd little man who had remained in the doorway. "Come in,
come in," she called graciously. "I hope you brought the pictures?"
"Yes, I did," the fellow squeaked. "I picked them up only a moment
ago and rushed them right over, without taking time to look at them
myself." He moved with a mouse-like quickness across the room, and
deposited an envelope in Julie's eager hand. "They're all there ... the
night club, the cemetery, the drug store, and the apartment house. You
can see the address plainly on that last one, I think. I was right in
front when I took it."
"Thank you," Julie said, turning to smile viciously at Marc. "Mr.
Dembert photographed you and that redheaded trollop, dear, everywhere
you went last night. The results ought to be mighty interesting to the
judge."
* * * * *
Marc winced, as he saw Julie open the envelope and draw out the
pictures. He closed his eyes tight. He couldn't bear to see what was
going to happen when Julie saw them. There would never, on earth, be
a way to explain them. It seemed that the room remained quiet for an
eternity until Julie's voice unexpectedly cut through the stillness
like a knife.
"Get out!" she screamed. "Get out of this house, and don't you ever try
to set foot in it again! If you do, I'll have you thrown out! You ...
you ... you dirty, lying, double-dealing cheat!"
Marc, sincerely wishing that he had done so earlier, rose slowly to his
feet and moved in the direction of the door, without even bothering to
open his eyes. Then, thinking that Julie must be behind him by now, he
opened them and suddenly stopped short. Mr. Dembert, more mouse-like
than ever, was scurrying toward the door in a fit of terror. Quickly,
he skidded around the corner, and was out of sight. A split second
later, the slam of the front door announced his final departure.
"But, what ..." Marc stammered, turning to Julie.
As if he hadn't had enough surprises, he was suddenly presented with
one more, that was even more confounding than any of the others.
Julie's expression, as she came toward him, was one of absolute
contriteness.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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