Frankenstein Theory (20 page)

I applauded Johann. He bowed slightly. “Well played, Herr Grimm. Well played, indeed.”

Johann leaned into me and whispered, “I would claim to be forever in your debt, sir, but we both know the darker truth to that story.”

“
Why, I have no idea of what you speak, Johann.”

He pulled away and, with a cautious smile, said, “The more fool I, then.”

Elizabeth pulled Johann back into her clutches. “Victor, you will see to it that Johann is installed as the resident pianist, won’t you?”

An innocent twinkle flashed from Elizabeth’s to Johann’s eyes. It seemed, within a matter of days, they’d become inseparable. Elizabeth made to pet my shoulder. I snatched her hand from the air and laced my fingers into hers.

“
Consider it done, darling wife,” I said, my voice undercut with an almost imperceptible tint of rage. “I will speak with the maestro first thing tomorrow.”

“
You see, Johann,” Elizabeth nearly squealed. “I told you Victor could work wonders.”

Johann tossed a sidelong glance my way. “Indeed you did, my darling. Indeed you did.”

Before I had a chance to reply, a mad rush of giddy women rushed our quaint little scene. I decided I’d had enough, and swept myself out of the moment and into the night air.

There was a quiet peace to be found in the chilly evening. Although my mind was filled with a new-found doubt, I could still step back and enjoy the velvety peace made possible by the darkness of midnight.

I stepped to the curb and raised my hand to hail a carriage. A barrage of second thoughts washed through my mind—rendering me unfit to decide what I should do. I lowered my hand and allowed my feet to carry me, randomly, through the streets of Geneva.

The chilly autumn air didn’t stop the youth of our fair city from coming out to enjoy the darkening playground. From every direction, I could hear a sweet mixture of laughter, seduction, familiarity, joy, and even the slightest bit of anger. So many emotions, so many experiences…so much there for the taking.

“
You up for a good time there, sir?” The seductive voice spilled from the shadows. My nerves instantly roused the hair on my neck.

“
Who, may I ask, is there?”

“
Other than pleasure, I have no name,” the mysterious voice answered.

“
Show yourself.” I demanded.

The woman stepped from the shadows, bereft of clothing. Her youthful, taut skin glistened in the moonlight. Perky breasts bounced with each step. The rhythmic sway of her hips was transfixing.

“
How’s this for a show?”

“
Madam, I am a happily married man.”

She smiled knowingly. “As are most of the men who pay for my services.” She sashayed forward. Once within reach, she draped a lithe arm over my shoulder.

“
Fräulein, I wouldn’t be so presumptuous as to assume I respect your advances. In fact, I find them most repulsive. Should you decide to not remove your arm from me, I will be left with no other choice than to…”

Before I could finish, she yanked her arm away and placed the hand on her hip. “You, sir, have no idea how to enjoy life.”

I took a single, lengthy step toward the woman…until we were nose to nose. “No, I do not. I do, however, know how to create it.” With a quick bow, I said, “Good evening, Fräulein,” and turned to walk away.

“
You have no idea what you are missing out on, Victor Frankenstein.”

In the naming, I unexpectedly halted. Without turning, I whispered, “How did you know my name?”

She laughed. “You jest. Everyone knows the Frankenstein name. Look around this city. Geneva was built upon your family’s fortune. The only thing missing is a giant statue of your father in the promenade. How could I
not
know your name?”

The woman had a point…one I wanted so desperately to choke out of her system.

In the thinking of that hideous thought, I was instantly transported back to my youth. Father inflicting a most harsh discipline on the children and holding my mother responsible for so many of their problems. Eventually the rage would come to a boil and everyone involved would hide until my father’s anger was cast aside. This happened on a regular basis—each time the maddening moment would pass to be usurped by the banality of existence.

I turned back to the woman, in a completely different frame of mind. “You must be cold.”

She smiled ever so slightly. “The chill reminds me that I am alive.”

A few steps nearer and we were, once again, nose to nose. Much to my surprise, I grabbed the back of her head and pulled her in until our lips were sealed together. Memories of Elizabeth draped over Johann’s arm boiled up, pressing me onward.

She pulled away and whispered, “Come with me.”

Before I could issue a single complaint, she pulled from me, turned, and walked into a rising bank of fog.

I wanted so badly to turn, hail a carriage, and vanish from this mistake. Logic would have,
should have
, insisted I do just that. Instead, I drew in a deep breath and followed.

Once within the fog, I found myself lost in a wave of panic. “Where are you?” I called.

“
This way.” Her voice was but a breath.

A thread of fear wound its way into my heart, yet still I continued on.

The fog opened to reveal a clearing surrounded by a dense copse of fir trees. The woman lay on the ground, her legs open to welcome me into a world of pleasure.

“
Enter me, Frankenstein, and unravel the very mysteries of life.”

By pure instinct, my hand undid the buttons of my trousers and let them slip. I stood before an unknown lady of the evening with my sex exposed and ready. I dropped between her legs and pulled her to me. As I entered the woman, a flood of emotions racked and wrecked my system. Anger, frustration, fear, sorrow, loss…I couldn’t control the chaos. With each thrust of the hips my state of mind and emotion shifted. A kaleidoscope of images thrashed behind the lids of my eyes until reality and fiction were one and the same. Underneath my grunts and cries to a God I was certain didn’t exist, another sound rose and fell.

Choking.

I squeezed my eyes shut, hoping the sound would fade so I could complete the copulent transaction. From memory, the violent refrains of Johann frantically attacking the piano joined the gagging chorus and animalistic moans. Deep within the sexual thrall, I felt a burning sensation dance across the flesh of my face. No matter; I was too far gone to feel anything but raging desire.

The spasm of finality raced about my system. My legs bucked and a howl of joy breached my lips. My breath stumbled from my lungs and the sweat of sex brought a deep chill to my flesh.

I opened my eyes. Below me the woman lay…motionless. The skin of her face had paled and her lips held a bluish tinge.

My fingers were locked around her neck.

I’d killed the woman…choked the very life from her lungs as I pleasured myself at her altar.

A surge of adrenaline shocked my system. I fell backward and fumbled to get my trousers back to my waist. Before I managed to fully dress, I was racing from the scene, my feet doing what they had to do—get me as far away from the killing floor as possible.

My mind wrapped itself around a single word.

Lionshead.

I remembered spotting the pub on my race to track down chemicals. Once I had my clothing fashioned in its proper place, I sped off in the direction of the establishment.

The sign for the Lionshead pub came into view far more quickly than I’d expected. I assumed, seeing as how Igor practically called the place home, it would have been crawling with the baser members of society.

I pulled the door to the pub open. To my great surprise, the Lionshead boasted a fairly standard clientèle.

Under the surface, all bets were off.

I raced inside and scanned the room. Before I spotted Igor, I heard him…laughing and calling out for more drink. I approached his table; he immediately fell silent. He tilted his head toward me and stood. I beckoned for him to draw near. Before speaking a word, he reached out to touch my face.

“
Doctor, you’re bleeding quite profusely. It looks as if something, or someone, attacked you.”

I brushed his hand aside. “Never you mind that. I need your help, Mr. Fishka,” I pleaded with complete honesty.

“
What is it you would have me do, Doctor Frankenstein?” Igor returned the whisper in kind.

“
There’s a thick of trees a few blocks from here.”

Igor nodded.

“
Tucked inside you will find a body. I need you to get rid of it…no matter the cost.”

A smile snaked itself across Igor’s lips. “Do you want this body to be shuttled to Castle Frankenstein?”

I violently shook my head. “No. I don’t care what you do, so long as I never see it again.”

“
Did you handle the killing, Victor?”

I froze…the only movement came from streaks of tears flooding down my cheeks.

“
Doctor Frankenstein, I asked you a question. Did you dispatch the deceased?”

Hesitantly, I answered. “Yes. But I refuse to speak of the act further. So please, tell me you’ll dispose of the corpse.”

Igor nodded slowly. “I shall, Mr. Frankenstein. You
will
have to pay me for this service.”

“
Name your price.”

Igor’s initial response was a great grin. He then followed the gesture by writing a number on a napkin. I glanced at the figure and nodded.

“
Make it happen…tonight.” I stood and vanished into the chill autumn air.

The second I raised my hand to hail a carriage, one pulled up and asked where I was going. The words Castle Frankenstein spilled from my mouth and the driver of the cab nodded. “Get in, Herr Doctor. I’ll have you there in no time.”

I stepped in and pulled the carriage door closed. The sound of the evening fell to silence, and the driver whipped the horses into a frenzy.

T W E N T Y - T H R E E

The needle bit into the skin of my cheek, the sting a quick shock to my system. The woman had unsealed my face from above the left eye, across the bridge of my nose, and down the right cheek to meet the corner of my mouth. The gaping gash was vicious and would most certainly leave a hideous scar.

A tragic causality of my own design.

The suture tugged at the meat of my cheek. I winced in pain. Before digging back into my flesh, I took another deep pull from the bottle of Cognac. The warmth spread quickly through my system. The shaking in my hand ceased and my vision blurred slightly.

“
How am I…” I slurred and then tossed aside any and all caution before plunging the needle back into my cheek.

From above, the door complained on its hinges. I turned, expecting to see Igor roughly navigating the stone steps downward. Instead, it was Elizabeth who glided down the stairs with a grace I’d never before witnessed.

“
You are exquisite, my love. But, of course, you know that.”

Elizabeth drew in close. The second her eyes alighted on the gaping wound, she drew back and screamed…the mighty sound echoed off every surface in the laboratory.

“
Your beautiful face. What happened, Victor?”

I had yet to conceive a lie. Elizabeth certainly couldn’t know the truth…one that could easily cause me great suffering to my dying days.

“
I had a bit too much to drink. I was walking the city streets and I fell into a thicket of pine branches. One of the sharp edges dug through my cheek and nearly rendered me blind.” I held up the needle and suture. “Thankfully, I’m a doctor. Although the scarring might be unsightly, I will live to watch it heal.” I turned back to the shaving mirror. “I trust my survival is still something you desire?”

Elizabeth placed her arm around my waist and stared into the mirror with me. “But of course, my love.”

“
By the way,” I turned my attention back to the stitching at hand. “Where is Johann?”

The question seemed momentarily to trip Elizabeth up. When she finally spoke, her voice was tremulous. “He fell asleep before the fire in the great room.”

“
I see.” My voice was curt, cold. “I’ll soon be finished here, and he can retire to his proper bed.”

Elizabeth pulled away and spoke coyly. “Victor, don’t you think it’s time you allow Johann to seek out his own residence? You can’t possibly think he’ll continue living in your laboratory for the rest of his days?”

“
Honestly, my love, I hadn’t given it any thought. But your logic is sound. When I go to the symphony tomorrow about installing Johann as resident pianist, I’ll inquire about performer’s lodgings. Surely they have some form of accommodation for guest musicians.”