Senator Stanhope’s House
November 28, 11.20 p.m.
It had all gone to plan. Like clockwork, maybe even a little bit better. Downstairs, Sebastian could hear the tinkle of laughter and glass. He loved that sound. He emerged from his hiding place in the roof, took off his shoes and padded through the house. The very idea that he was there in their house excited the hell out of him. He stood at the top of the stairs. How strange for the intruder to come downstairs to greet the family.
By his side he had a simple cane and he used it carefully. With his suit on, he felt quite the man of the house. That was what he wanted. He was about to end Senator Stanhope’s ridiculous reign and take his last girl.
He arrived at the bottom of the curved staircase and could hear the senator telling his family a story. They listened to him. They laughed. It struck Sebastian as fake. He hated fakes. This whole house was fake. Senator Stanhope’s whole life was a fake. He was going to prove it to them all.
Sebastian stood outside the door of the living room. Conversation crystal-clear now. Smell of burning logs mixed with the scent of cigar smoke. Sebastian felt deeply alone. He let the strange feeling wash over him. He had never understood what he felt or why, but outside this room he knew that somehow that was what it was about. Feeling apart from it all.
An outcast.
Just beyond the door, the senator put his arm round his wife. ‘You know what you are, Caroline? You’re a saint. No one else would let me get away with it.’
Caroline arched her eyebrows. ‘I do it because I get to go to a fancy dinner and see all the handsome men in their military attire. No other reason, darling.’
‘Well, I’m glad someone is admiring those guys. They take a lot of time to look that good.’
His two daughters were both in party dresses in honour of his birthday. They sat together on the sofa and watched their parents, sipping wine. ‘You tell him, Caroline.’
‘I’m not afraid to admit that he’s a trophy husband.’
‘And a trophy father.’
‘Yeah,’ said the more cynical one. ‘Just right for a glass cabinet.’
They laughed. The sound of four different tones of laughter met in a single chime.
I’m an outcast, thought Sebastian.
‘Here’s to you and a happy birthday!’
‘You gonna croon for me?’
‘We’re going to do better than that.’
‘What?’
‘We’re going to dance too.’
Cast out.
The door opened slowly. The four faces turned. The white gloss door swung all the way in. In the doorway, a stranger, his face still and intense. Terrifying. Unknown. At that moment, all five people were silent. Sebastian waited. Who would break? His big smile moved from face to face.
The senator took a step forward to defend his family.
‘Who the hell are you and what are you doing in my house?’
Sebastian let the uncertainty hang in the air for a moment longer. He stared at each of them again, weighing them up like a predator. He looked particularly hard at the two daughters. He liked to feel their eyes try to hold his and then fall to the pale carpet.
‘You heard me — I’m asking you politely to leave my house.’ Senator Stanhope moved to the phone and picked it up. Sebastian just stood. ‘The goddamn phone’s dead.’ The senator stared at Sebastian. Could he take him? Did he want to with his two daughters in the room?
He turned to his wife. ‘Caroline, would you take Mary and Rose through to the drawing room and let me talk to this gentleman?’
‘Okay, John,’ she said slowly, ‘so long as you’re sure.’
‘I’m sure. Thank you.’
Sebastian moved to an armchair covered in beige silk. He sat and crossed his legs. ‘Nobody leaves.’
‘What do you want?’ said Caroline. ‘Do you need money?’
Sebastian gazed at her. He recalled her lithe naked figure in the shower. ‘I’ve been watching you. I liked how you looked in your little shower unit. Real pretty.’ Caroline took an involuntary step backwards.
‘Please take anything you want,’ she said. ‘Just leave us alone.’
‘Anything?’ said Sebastian, staring at Rose. He shook his head and tutted. ‘You sure you’re offering anything?’ He smiled and stood, walked to the fireplace and picked up a poker. ‘Are you familiar with the works of Neville Heath?’ They all shook their heads. ‘You will be soon,’ he said, and smiled.
‘What the hell do you want?’ shouted Senator Stanhope, moving forward.
Sebastian stood and swished his cane. ‘Fra Angelico is my favourite artist. Do you like him?’
The Stanhopes looked at each other. Caroline put an arm round each of the two girls.
‘He’s a Renaissance artist,’ said Sebastian.
‘Yes, I know Fra Angelico,’ said Stanhope.
‘Beautiful angels he painted. I like to paint too. I like to paint wings in bright colours just like he did. He’s quite an inspiration to me. But I like to use real people, not paint.’
The two girls held on to Caroline.
‘I want Rose to come over here to me, Senator.’
‘No. You leave Rose alone.’
‘I never ask more than once.’ Sebastian drew a long sword from the cane. ‘Is it dawning on you yet, Senator?’
‘What?’
‘That I’m here to kill you.’
Caroline screamed. She hadn’t even dared to imagine anything like that. This guy was strange but she imagined he was something to do with politics. Not now. Now she saw what he was and she was scared and both the girls were sobbing against her.
‘Now, Rose. Please come to me. Your father’s a very famous man, but I’m famous too. You might have heard of me. They call me the American Devil.’
They all felt the fear grab hard. Caroline tried to hold on to Rose but she moved forward and stood in front of Sebastian. He smiled. She was trying to be fearless, displaying the pride that had attracted him to her so many months earlier. He couldn’t wait to bite into her. He felt the desire welling up in him like a force. ‘Thank you, Rose. Now take off that pretty dress.’