Krewe of Hunters The Unholy (20 page)

“Even if it was just a few drops…if the killer had gone this way, he’d have tracked blood. I can’t believe he escaped through the studio,” she said. “Surely, there would’ve been something here, some clue.”

The crime scene unit had gone over the tunnel with fine-tooth combs. But they’d
expected
to find blood there. Spatter, spray…drops.

Because Alistair had run back through the tunnel to reach Bailey over at the studio.

Dropping low, Sean began to inspect the area of the tableau again. And it was then that he noticed the slight smear on the skirt of the Dianna Breen mannequin.

“He came back this way,” Sean said.

Both of the woman looked at him in surprise. “He came back this way,” he repeated, “and then…”

The backdrop was black. A black-painted plaster wall. Sean walked over and began to tap it. The sound was hollow.

“There’s something behind the tableau,” he said.

Standing next to him, Madison tapped, as well. They heard the same hollow sound, and she turned to him with large eyes. “But there’s nothing back there. We’re actually underground now, Sean. This is just a tunnel.”

“We may be underground, and this may be a tunnel,” he said. “But there
is
something back there. Keep tapping, press on things—there has to b {hers may be a release here somewhere. I
know
the killer came back this way.”

They spent the next few minutes pushing, prodding, tapping the wall. They were still at it when Sean heard Logan calling out to him. The others had arrived.

“Logan! We’re in the tunnel.” He stepped down and waited for Logan, Jane, Tyler and Kelsey to join them.

“You’ve done a great job getting along with Knox,” Logan said. “He was receptive to us and actually helpful. We have the notes from all the employee interviews, and he gave us lists of others we might want to question. That’s pretty good, considering how unusual it is that the FBI would be called in for one murder in his jurisdiction.”

“He was a little annoyed at first. I guess he’s resigned, maybe even glad. Whatever happens, he won’t be the fall guy.”

“So, you’ve found something?” Kat asked. “This is quite a place. And eerie—the tableaux are really excellent, and being down here is kind of creepy.”

“A special-effects studio filled with monsters and surrounded by a cemetery,” Tyler commented. “And the work I’ve seen here is amazing.”

Madison smiled at him. “It is an amazing place,” she agreed.

“The cemetery was always here,” Sean said. “If I remember correctly, the property was all owned by the previous owner—or his father. His father or grandfather, first. They donated the land for the cemetery in the late 1800s. The studio was built in the 1930s, right?”

“Maybe a bit later,” Madison said. “The early 1940s.”

“Someone had a sense of humor,” Kat remarked. “Building a special-effects studio—known for fantastic zombies, mummies and vampires, among other creatures—beside a cemetery.”

“Forget the cemetery for now,” Sean said. “There’s something behind this wall, and I want to know what it is. Or I should say—there
isn’t
something. If you listen, you can tell there’s no earth behind it.”

“You think there’s some kind of hidden door here?” Logan asked.

“Yes, but I can’t find any mechanism.”

The rest of the team joined them, tapping, stamping on the floor, feeling for cracks in the wall’s surface.

“We could break it down,” Tyler Montague suggested. “We’d need to get some sledgehammers….”

Sean grinned. Tyler was as muscled as a linebacker. He
could
break it down.

“I think we have to find the trap door or whatever it is,” Sean said. “Or come at it from the other side.”

“How do we get to the other side?” Madison asked.

“Do you remember I told you that the elevator in the studio could reach the basement?” Sean said. “We have to get Eddie to come over with the key that’ll take it down there. The tunnel connects to the studio here. There has to be another tunnel on the opposite side. I’m going to call Eddie and ask him to bring the key.”

“And instead of breaking things down while we wait,” Logan said, “Madison can show the rest of us the studio.”

“Of course.” Madison gestured at the door. “We can go that way. I’m sure the forensics teams have gotten everything they can.”

“They’re just waiting for us to finish in here,” Logan said. “Madison, if you would.”

Madison glanced at Sean, almost as though she wanted his approval, and when he nodded, she led the others through the connecting door.

Sean found himself alone in the tunnel.

He stood very still for a moment. But he was truly alone. He didn’t know where Bogie had taken Jenny, but he was sure she was in good company.

No…there was nothing that hinted of a world beyond in the tunnel now. There was nothing at all, except for the sickening smell of blood.

* * *

Madison felt as if she was taking a tour group through the studio. Sean’s team members were careful and polite, oohing and aahing over the work they saw going on. Logan Raintree was more somber, asking her about lockdown and the current projects, particularly
The Unholy.

“Anticipation can be the impetus that makes a movie score big at the box office,” Madison explained. “So, when we’re working on comic characters or some kind of movie monster—especially when there’s a nice budget, and it’s an important movie for a production studio—we go into lockdown. And you know that we’re working on the remake of
Sam Stone and the Curious Case of the Egyptian Museum.
” She brought them over to her workstation. “Righ {tioemaket now, I’m fabricating all the costumes for Sam Stone, who’s being played by Oliver Marshall. He comes here for his fittings. He was due back in this week for his last one. I don’t know what the schedule will be now, and I haven’t heard from Mike.” She paused a moment, then began to explain. “In the movie, Sam is slipped some drugs, and the priest is able to make him believe that jackals and other monsters come to life. He battles that in his mind. We work with foam and latex and all kinds of materials to create them.” She lifted one of the tarps covering her work. “He’s wearing typical contemporary clothing in most of the movie, but in the hallucination scenes, he has ancient Egyptian weaponry. Of course, a number of scenes are done with his stunt double. In the fight scenes, he’s got a helmet on, so you don’t see his face most of the time. When the stunt double’s working he wears a face shield. In this case, it’s easy. The helmet goes over…”

Her words trailed off as she raised a piece of black cloth. The material was so sheer it could go over an actor’s face and still allow him to see and breathe.

And when an actor wore a headpiece made of that material, he appeared to have no face at all. It worked extremely well for long shots when the stunt double was stepping in for the actor; sometimes, the character was too distant for the facial features to be clearly seen, and sometimes, the face could be digitized in.

She looked at Logan and swallowed.

“This…this is what the killer must have used,” she said in a hushed voice. “Both Jenny and Alistair said he had no face. If you had a headpiece of this stuff on under a hood, it would look like you were…faceless.”

* * *

Sean went out to meet Eddie Archer when he’d arrived at the studio. He wasn’t alone; he was with a woman, and to Sean’s surprise, it wasn’t Helena LaRoux, his present wife. Eddie had come within minutes of being called, and he was accompanied by Benita Lowe, his ex-wife.

Benita was beautiful, but then Eddie was attracted to women who were showpieces. She was about five-foot-five, with raven-dark hair, deep brown eyes and exotic features. She was smart, too, and when it seemed that she was getting nothing but supporting roles and leads in B movies, she’d segued into producing and directing, performing only when she was offered a role she really wanted. Sean didn’t know what had really split the two of them up; there’d been rumors that she was unfaithful, according to Madison. But then, this was indeed Hollywood, and when there weren’t any good rumors to go around, some storyteller would invent one.

“Sean!” Despite her solemnity, Benita said his name with warmth. “It’s wonderful to see you. I’m just sorry about the circumstances.”

“I’m sorry, too, Benita, but it’s good to see you. You’re doing well?”

“Yes, very, thank you. I’ve been wanting to see Eddie, and we got our chance today. We were at lunch. I wanted him to know that he and Alistair have my undying support.”

Eddie watched the exchange in silence. “Sean, you have something?” he asked.

Sean nodded. “Eddie, I’d like to take the elevator down to the basement in the studio.”

Frowning, Eddie shook his head. “No one’s been down there in at least a decade. I’m sure I have the only key. It could be really dangerous down here.”

“Where does the basement lead?”

“What do you mean, where does it lead?” Eddie repeated. “It’s a basement. Basements don’t lead anywhere.”

“I think this one does,” Sean said.

“Leave it to the master of illusion.” Benita gave him a glimmer of a smile.

“I just need the key. Don’t worry about any danger. This is what I do now, and my team and I know how to be careful.”

“I’ll go with you. I may remember something when we’re down there,” Eddie said.

“The scene hasn’t been cleared yet,” Sean reminded him.

“The Black Box Cinema and the tunnel museum haven’t been cleared yet,” Eddie corrected. “The studio—we’re opening it for work tomorrow.”

Sean looked across the lot, where Duffy and other officers were still on duty. He didn’t want to take a chance on someone thinking Eddie Archer might taint evidence.

“I know what you’re thinking,” Eddie said. “But everyone figures we’ve got a conflict of interest here to begin with, rather than realizing you’re going to understand the cinema and the studio better than any other cop. I’ll go with you to the studio and down to the basement. If you find anything after that, I’ll keep my distance.”

Eddie was grim and determined, and Sean gave in.

“Benita, do you mind waiting?” he asked.

“Well, of course I mind. I’m scared of being anywhere around this place,” she said.

“Benita, there are a pack of cops out here. I’d say you were safe. And I’d rather not have to worry about your prints being somewhere,” Sean told her.

“How long do they stay on a surface? Because my prints are already all over this place. I used to be married to Eddie, remember? And I came to the studio frequently back then.”

“Yeah, but they won’t be in the basement, and that’s the point. Please wait here,” Sean said again.

“Please,” Eddie echoed. “Do as Sean asks.”

She let out a deep sigh, and then stroked Eddie’s cheek. “All right.” She turned to Sean. “I expect you to get this whole mess sorted out, okay?” Looking back at Eddie, she said, “I know you’ll want to head home or to the hospital when you’re done, but I’ll hang around for a bit, anyway.”

“That’s kind of you, Benita,” Eddie murmured.

Benita walked toward Eddie’s car and slipped into the passenger seat. She had a way of walking that Sean could only describe as
stylized.
So did Helena, but hers was different.

“I told you, Sean. I’m here to provide anything you need—anytime,” Eddie said.

“Thanks. You can meet the team in a few minutes. Let’s get to the studio and the elevator. I want to go to that basement.”