They Returned for All Hollow’s Eve by Roy Dorman

They Returned for All Hollow’s Eve by Roy Dorman

Margot Phillips stood in the middle of the bedroom with a mint julep in one hand and a smoking derringer in the other.

Her rhinestone-studded mask effectively concealed the upper half of her face, and her low-cut, French period style Marie Antoinette gown just as effectively accentuated her cleavage.  The combination of the two had made the seduction of her mark easy for her.

She now watched with some trepidation as three wraiths appeared over the body of Edgar Wilson and began the task of pulling his spirit from his cooling body.

Margot assumed they were three women he had killed after seducing them at previous Halloween masked balls similar to the one she had slipped into without an invitation this All Hallows’ Eve.

Edgar was renowned in the area for his masked balls at Halloween.  And though many in the village thought him as a less than desirable citizen in their little community on the other days of the year, all turned out in costume on this night of witches and goblins.

The constable of this little Austrian village, Franz Linkenhoker, was on Edgar’s payroll, and never did more than a cursory investigation when women were reported missing after one of Edgar’s balls.  And Edgar was always careful not to have his victims come from someplace too close to his locale.

Edgar’s spirit struggled, silent screams issued forth from his mouth, but his spirit was no match for the combined determination of these three furies.

After having secured him from shoulder to mid-thigh with links of ghostly chain, the women paused from their efforts and faced Margot.

They smiled hungrily at her, nodding and licking their lips, before turning to leave with their prize.

Margot wondered where a sprit as evil as Edgar’s would be taken, but she didn’t wonder enough to risk following the women.

Those rictus smiles had sent chills through Margot.  An uncomfortable feeling stirred inside her.  Her own spirit was telling her that if she got too close to these wraiths, they may just grab her both body and spirit for their own purposes.

She wouldn’t follow them this time…, but maybe the next time.

#

“Did you see my mother?” asked Lisa Burrows, again showing Margot a photograph of a smiling woman.

Lisa had paid Margot five thousand dollars upfront to kill Edgar Wilson.  She was now giving her the second installment of five thousand dollars they had agreed upon.

Lisa’s mother had been a young widow at the time of her murder, just the type of woman Edgar Wilson preyed on.  Lisa had grown up in an orphanage run by a Catholic order of nuns.  The nuns had worked the children mercilessly, but had also provided them with a fairly decent basic education.

Lisa had used that education and the higher education that followed it to rise to a position of power in the investment world.

She originally planned to kill Edgar Wilson herself, she wanted to kill him herself, but felt a professional would be better able to pull it off.

Many bribes had been paid by Lisa to get that first meeting arranged with Margot Phillips.  Margot was a special type of contract killer.  One of only a dozen in the world.

Many had tried to kill Edgar Wilson, and before Margot Phillips, all had failed.

“I did see her,” said Margot, answering Lisa’s question.  “She was with two others like herself, and they dragged his spirit, kicking and screaming, off to the netherworld.”

“Did she seem…., okay?  Happy?”

“She smiled at me,” said Margot, trying to put the best spin on things.  “I think she was happy with your…., the action you took.”

With a wistful smile on her face, Lisa handed Margot an additional bundle of currency.

“A bonus for staying long enough to see his spirit taken from him,” she said.  “There was some danger in that to you as I’m sure you realize.”

“It was my pleasure,” said Margot.  “And as to the danger, I have an agreement with those furies of the netherworld who capture evil spirits and impose justice upon them.

“Someday, when I’m finished dispensing corporeal justice in this world, I will join their ranks and spend the rest of eternity gathering spirits like that of Edgar Wilson.”

#

Constable Franz Linkenhoker is cleaning out his desk.  He’s retiring.  There will be no retirement party for him, as none in the village know he’s leaving.

He hoped Paris would be far enough.  If it wasn’t, maybe he’d go to America.  He had enough saved to go wherever he chose to and maybe lead a quiet life in retirement.

#

Two months later, back in her London apartment, Margot Phillips opened a letter consisting of just a few lines.

It said:  Franz Linkenhoker   St. Barts, Caribbean   $10,000

Franz Linkenhoker had not gone far enough.  Though was there any place in the world that would be far enough from the reach of Margot Phillips?

#

“Hello, Franz.  You’ve probably been expecting my visit.”

Franz’s face flushed to a bright purple and he clutched his chest in agony.  Margot watched him in the throes of his heart attack, and when he stopped writhing, she shot him in the forehead.

He didn’t deserve the dignity implied with dying a natural death.

Margot stepped away from the body and waited for the wraiths.

She didn’t have to wait long.

—