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'In the warehouse?'

'It's so big that he could easily evade someone looking for him, just by listening and keeping ahead of them. But perhaps an official someone, such as a police officer -'

'Might put the fear of God in him.'

'Or at least the devil. I don't think God figures in Teddy's world-view.'

'Oh, I don't know,' said Rust. 'I imagine it's as hard for a devil worshipper not to suspect there's a God as it is for a Christian not to wonder if there's a devil.'

Rust was unimpressed with the Nightmare of Horror. He walked past the exhibits without even looking at them, into the large empty remainder of the building. There were no lights, but thin rays of sun slanted through cracks in the roof. The Doctor led Rust to the little room in which he had been a prisoner.

The door was still open. Rust shone a penlight around, shaking his head.

'My, my, my.' He stepped inside and nudged at one of the chains with his foot. 'You do get yourself in the darnedest messes.' The Doctor sighed, unable to contradict him. 'What the hell was he trying to do? Sacrifice you to something?'

'I believe that was the plan, yes.'

'Lordy' Rust ran the light over the dust circles, grimaced at the bone throne, crouched and examined the floor. He touched a little patch of something shiny. 'Some blood here.'

'I cut my hand. Watch out, there's probably broken glass.'

'Yeah.' Rust looked ruefully at his nicked finger and stood up. 'You say Acree was here?'

'Only as an observer. He came in late. I don't think any of it was his idea.'

'Gee, that makes me feel a lot better about him.'

They walked out into the middle of the warehouse, their footsteps echoing.

Rust stopped and called, 'Teddy Acree! Police!' They waited in silence.

'Well,' Rust muttered, 'that was effective.' He squinted upward. 'No storage places up there to hide in. Let's go back to the spookhouse.'

This time Rust carefully examined all the exhibits and tableaux and effects as he walked among them, though he didn't stop or touch anything and declined shortly when the Doctor offered to demonstrate the flying baby. He led the way back outside and loudly shut the door. To the Doctor he said,

'I'd appreciate it if you'd get in the car and drive off. Maybe come back in about twenty minutes.'

The Doctor hesitated. 'I don't think he'd be any danger to you, but -'

Rust patiently shook his head and made a shooing gesture with the backs of his hands. The Doctor obediently went to the car. When he had driven off, Rust removed his shoes and walked quietly in his stocking feet back into the Nightmare.

Inside he stood still, head down, eyes shut, listening. In a few minutes he raised his head and went quickly and silently forward, avoiding the creaky boards of the walkway. He ignored all the haunted-house accoutrements until he came to the setup for the mock operation, which he stopped well short of. After a moment's contemplation, he moved very slowly to the operating table. Just as slowly, he reached out and grasped the edge of the red streaked sheet. Then he jerked.

The sheet flew off, revealing Teddy Acree curled up in the hollowed-out hiding place. Acree stared at him in shock.

'Boo,' said Rust.

Acree shrieked, and shot past Rust like a frightened cat. Startled, the detective grabbed for him an instant too late - Acree charged from the building, slamming the door. By the time Rust ran out after him, there was no sign of Teddy, no one on foot at all, just the traffic whizzing by on Tchoupitoulas Street.

He talked to Anji about it that night at dinner. They were at Commander's Palace, after a brief modern female-male altercation in which Anji, noting the restaurant's reputation and expense, insisted she pay her own way -

and he, after bewildered objection, finally gave in, leaving her feeling not self-reliant but as if she had been obliged, even indulged, with old-fashioned male gallantry. Her vanity aside, she was genuinely torn, because she had had no desire to put Rust on the