The Mephisto Club

didn’t respond.
    Jane was out of patience. “Why the hell won’t you help us catch him?”
    “You can’t catch him,” said Lily.
    “Why not?”
    “Because he’s not human.”
    In the long silence that followed, Jane heard the chiming of the clock echo through the rooms. That sliver of a chill that Jane had felt was suddenly an icy blast up her spine.
    Not human.
And the horns, which thou sawest upon the beast…
    Sansone leaned close and asked, softly, “Then what is he, Lily?”
    The young woman gave a shudder and wrapped her arms around herself. “I can’t outrun him. He always finds me. He’ll find me here, too.”
    “Okay,” said Jane, her nerves snapping back under control. This interview had swerved so far off the tracks that it made her doubt everything the woman had said earlier. Lily Saul was either lying or delusional, and Sansone was not only lapping up every weird detail, he was actually feeding her delusions with his own. “Enough woo-woo,” said Jane. “I’m not looking for the Devil. I’m looking for a man.”
    “Then you’ll never catch him. And I can’t help you.” Lily looked at Sansone. “I need to use the restroom.”
    “You can’t help us?” said Jane. “Or you won’t?”
    “Look, I’m tired,” Lily snapped. “I just got off the plane, I’m jet-lagged, and I haven’t taken a shower in two days. I’m not answering any more questions.” She walked out of the room.
    “She didn’t tell us a single useful thing,” said Jane.
    Sansone stared at the doorway that Lily had just walked through. “You’re wrong,” he said. “I think she did.”
    “She’s hiding something.” Jane paused. Her cell phone was ringing. “Excuse me,” she muttered, and dug it out of her purse.
    Vince Korsak didn’t bother with a preamble. “You gotta get over here right now,” he snapped. Over the phone, she heard music in the background and noisy conversation.
Oh God,
she thought,
I forgot all about his stupid party.
    “Look, I’m really sorry,” she said. “I’m not going to be able to make it tonight. I’m in the middle of an interview.”
    “But you’re the only one who can handle this!”
    “Vince, I have to go.”
    “They’re
your
parents. What the hell am I supposed to do with them?”
    Jane paused. “What?”
    “They’re screaming at each other over here.” He paused. “Uhoh. They’ve just gone into the kitchen. I gotta go hide the friggin’ knives.”
    “My
dad’s
at your party?”
    “He just showed up. I didn’t invite him! He got here right after your mom did, and they’ve been going at it for twenty minutes now. Are you coming? ’Cause if they don’t calm down, I’m gonna have to call nine-one-one.”
    “No! Jesus, don’t do that!”
My mom and dad carted off in handcuffs? I’ll never live it down.
“Okay, I’ll be right there.” She hung up and looked at Sansone. “I have to leave.”
    He followed her into the front parlor, where she pulled on her coat. “Will you be back tonight?”
    “Right now, she’s not being too cooperative. I’ll try again tomorrow.”
    He nodded. “I’ll keep her safe till then.”
    “Safe?” She gave a snort. “How about you just keep her from running?”
    Outside, the night was cold and clear. Jane crossed the street to her Subaru and was just unlocking it when she heard a car door slam shut. She looked up the street to see Maura walking toward her.
    “What’re you doing in the neighborhood?” Jane asked.
    “I heard he found Lily Saul.”
    “For what it’s worth.”
    “You’ve already interviewed her?”
    “And she’s not giving away anything. This doesn’t bring us one step closer.” Jane glanced down the street as Oliver Stark’s van pulled into a parking place. “What’s going on here tonight?”
    “We’re all here to see Lily Saul.”
    “
We?
Don’t tell me you’ve actually joined these freaks?”
    “I haven’t joined anything. But my house was marked, Jane, and I want to know why. I want to hear what this woman has to say.” Maura turned and headed toward Sansone’s house.
    “Hey, Doc?” Jane called out.
    “Yes?”
    “Watch yourself around Lily Saul.”
    “Why?”
    “She’s either crazy, or she’s hiding something.” Jane paused. “Or both.”
             
    Even through Korsak’s closed apartment door, Jane could hear the thump of disco music, like a heartbeat throbbing in the walls. The man was fifty-five years old, he’d had a heart attack, and