Page 9 of The Sinner: James

She sure gets a kick out of it.

“Do you know any of these women?” I ask.

“A friend of mine knows someone who spent a night at the Dark House a couple of years back.”

“And?”

She sighs, weighing her words.

“And, uh… The woman acted strangely after that night.”

She pauses.

“Meaning?” I ask.

“She didn’t want to talk about it, and soon after, she broke up with her boyfriend, moved to Boston, and my friend never heard from her again.”

“That doesn’t mean a thing.”

“No, no… It does. Before leaving, she broke the silence and spilled a few details. That’s how my friend learned about it. Apparently, only a few handpicked women make it to that house. The Kings usually crash at Red’s and only occasionally take their female guests to the Dark House. The mansion is never lighted, or perhaps it is, but only in the back. The side of the house that faces the water. That’s why the light is not visible from the road. Besides, you can’t drive close to their estate since the private route is the only access to the house.”

“Did she say anything about her experience?”

“She kept mumbling something about the... Night of the Kings.”

“What is that?”

“I don’t know, but I’m sure it involves them and the women who spend time with them. It must be a mind-blowing experience. Why else would they act so strangely when they return? Many have broken up with their boyfriends, and some have moved out of state.”

“People do that all the time.”

“Yeah, I know, but they did it after they spent a night with the Kings,” she argues.

She is so invested in the theory that something deliciously sinful happens in that house that it’s impossible to convince her otherwise.

“Who is the woman we’re talking about?”

“Denise Anderson.”

“As in Lehman & Anderson, the financial firm?”

“Yes. You know her?”

“No, not really, but my dad had done business with Eric Lehman.”

“Anyway, that’s how the story goes. At least we’re safe...” she jokes.

We both chuckle.

A soft rap on the door kills my laugh.

I gasp, startled.

“Shit,” I murmur.

“What happened?”

“Miss Rain?”

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