Part 2 (1/2)
”Call off your dog!” Penny said sharply.
Only then did the figure move from the doorway into the moonlight.
”Quiet, Bruno!” he ordered in a rasping voice. ”Lie down!”
As the dog obeyed, Penny caught her first plain glimpse of the deformed man's face. His skin was heavily lined and fell in deep folds at his stocky neck. But it was the dark, intent eyes which sent a s.h.i.+ver down her spine.
”Good evening,” she said uneasily.
The gateman did not respond to the greeting. Instead, he demanded gruffly:
”What you doin' on this property?”
”Why, I was only investigating because the gate was unlocked,” replied Penny. ”I didn't know the house was occupied.”
”You know it now. See that sign!” The gateman turned on his flashlight, focusing it upon a freshly painted placard tacked to a nearby tree.
The sign read, ”No Trespa.s.sing.”
”I'm sorry,” Penny apologized, but stood her ground. ”Are you the new owner of this place?”
”No, I ain't. I'm the gateman.”
”Then who has taken over the building?”
”What's it to you?” the hunchback demanded unpleasantly.
”I'm interested, that's all.”
”This place is being turned into an inst.i.tution,” the hunchback informed her. ”The new owner moved in yesterday. Now git along, so I can lock the gate.”
The gateman's eagerness to be rid of her made Penny all the more determined to remain until her curiosity was satisfied.
”Perhaps I fancied it,” she remarked, ”but a moment ago, I thought I heard a shrill scream from inside the building.”
”You may have heard the howl of the wind.”
”What wind?” Penny inquired pointedly. ”It's a comparatively quiet night.
I distinctly heard a scream.”
”Then you got better ears than I have,” the gateman muttered. ”Will you go now, or do you want me to call the master?”
”I wish you would!”
Grumbling to himself, the hunchback stepped into the gatehouse and pressed a b.u.t.ton which rang a bell inside the building.
A light went on in a downstairs room, and a moment later the front door opened. Framed on the threshold stood a very tall man in dark, hooded robe.
”What's wrong, Winkey?” he called. ”You rang?”