“Well,” said Frank. “Aren’t you going to open it?”
Eileen bounced on her toes like a little girl. “Open it,” she chimed.
Dora plopped down on the sofa and began stripping away the wrapping. She hadn’t realized how strong the pink football-shaped pills were until the last of the paper had been removed. She stared at the package in utter bewilderment, the odd markings on its surface no more familiar to her than if she had been attempting to decipher Egyptian hieroglyphs.
“Don’t try to read it, silly,” said Eileen. “It’s Korean.”
“It’s a videophone,” said Frank.
“Max thought of it,” Eileen said proudly. “He heard about our phone shortage.”
“It’s the best on the market,” said Karloff. “I have the same one at home.”
“This way you’ll always know who you’re talking to,” said Frank.
Dora didn’t know what to say.
Eileen beamed. “Max said he’d come over Sunday and set it up.”
“No, no...” said Dora. “I’m sure Pac Bell wouldn’t mind sending someone over during the week.”
“Sunday’ll be just fine, Max,” said Frank. “I’ve got a golf date but Dora will be here.” Frank put his arm around her. “Won’t you, honey?”
Frank hadn’t been gone five minutes when Karloff showed up bright and early Sunday morning. Although Dora hadn’t seen Eileen since the night they had given her the videophone, she assumed she was at work dipping skewered hot dogs in corn batter. Drawing on two pills’ worth of courage Dora released the dead bolt and opened the door. If she was going to die, at least she wouldn’t feel it
“Good morning,” said Karloff.
Dora was surprised at how respectable he looked in his freshly-pressed uniform and blond wig. If anything, he now looked too good for the job she’d denied him. “Well, aren’t you the cat’s meow,” she said.
Karloff made as if to adjust an invisible bow tie.
For a moment they just smiled at each other. At last Dora said, “Come in.”
Although it hadn’t rained in weeks, Dora was impressed that Karloff wiped his feet on the doormat before entering. “Where do you want it?” he asked.
Dora noticed an array of potentially lethal instruments dangling from Karloffs tool belt. So this is it, she thought. Why hadn’t she just given him the job — let someone else take a screwdriver in the heart?
“The videophone...” he said. “What room do you want it in?”
“I’m sorry,” said Dora. “I’m still waking up. How about the kitchen.”
Dora was amazed at how quickly and efficiently Karloff worked. Watching him install the videophone, she forgot how frightened she was. Maybe she had been wrong. Maybe he wasn’t such a bad guy. “You know, Max,” said Dora. “I have a confession to make.”
“You don’t like the phone here.”
“No, no. You’re doing a beautiful job. It’s just that... Remember when I interviewed you?”
Karloff secured the base to the wall and looked at her.
“Well,” Dora said. “I wasn’t going to hire you.”
“I know. Marcy told me.”
“You just...”
“I know I’m not the most clean-cut-looking guy.”
“I’m so ashamed of myself.”
Karloff smiled. “Don’t give it a second thought. If I were you, I wouldn’t have wanted to send me into a complete stranger’s house looking like I did.”
“I’m so relieved you understand.” Dora touched him on the shoulder. “Frank and I both think you’re really good for Eileen.”
“That’s nice of you to say but apparently Eileen doesn’t think
“Why? I think she really likes you.”
Karloff frowned. “Eileen called me and broke up the night after we gave you the videophone. I guess she met someone else.”
“No? That’s terrible!”
“I just wish she’d had the decency to dump me in person. I hate it when people hide behind their telephones. They make brave people out of cowards.”
“Well, don’t you worry. I’m sure there are plenty of nice women who’d be interested in you.” Dora pinched his cheek. “Just between you and me, I never thought much of her anyway.”
“You’re sweet,” said Karloff, “but I’d better be going. I’ll call you when I get home to make sure the phone works.”
For the first time in weeks Dora was anxious for the phone to ring. She thought about what Karloff had said about telephones making brave people out of cowards. It comforted her to think that the man who had been threatening her didn’t even have the courage to show his face. When the videophone rang, she snatched the receiver from its cradle.
“Dora, it’s Max. Can you hear me?”
“Yes, but I can’t see you.”
“Press the green button on the base.”
Dora located the button and pressed it. The screen flickered on. “I feel so high tech.” She couldn’t help giggling.
“How’s that?” Karloff asked.
Dora could make out a shadowy figure in the center of the six-inch screen that could have easily passed for a tabloid snapshot of Bigfoot. “You’re still a little blurry,” she said.
“See the dials on the side of the screen? That’s your brightness, contrast, and focus. Fiddle with those and see what happens. I’ll be right back.”
Dora got everything adjusted so that a wide-angle image of Karloff’s kitchen came into view. It was like looking through a peephole. A set of carving knifes and a white Formica countertop occupied the lower part of the screen. In the background she could see a smoking ashtray resting atop a small dining table. The room was wallpapered with a pattern of yellow ears of corn and dancing scarecrows. When Karloff returned he was no longer wearing his wig. He was breathing heavily and mopping his bald brow with a paper towel. “Can you see me now?” he asked. His face took up the entire screen.
“Clear as crystal,” said Dora.
“What do you think? It’s a good way to unmask who you’re talking to.”
“Oh, Max. Thank you so much.”
“Hold on. Someone here wants to say hi to you.” The screen went black.
“Max,” Dora called. “I can’t see you.” She could hear his voice in the next room. It was muffled, far-off.
“Be right there.”
Dora was startled by the sound of glass breaking and was about to call his name again when the screen blinked back on. It was Eileen. One eye was nearly swollen shut, the other ringed in yellow and purple. Her mouth was covered by a strip of silver tape, and her arms appeared to be bound behind her back. Her cheeks were adorned with the letters H and I, as if tiny red lightbulbs had been screwed directly into her skin. Karloff clutched her by the hair like a bunch of carrots. “Oops,” he said. “I forgot to dot the i.” He plucked a burning cigarette from the ashtray, took a slow drag, and applied the glowing tip to Eileen’s cheek.
Dora gaped in horror. “Max!” she howled. “What are you doing?”
“Making sure your new phone is working.”
Eileen was wearing the butterfly T-shirt. It was tattered and bloody, a tear in the front exposing one of her breasts. “Oh God, Max!” Dora pleaded. “Let her go!”
“You told me you didn’t care much for Eileen.”
Eileen’s eyes locked on Dora, tears streaming down her cigarette-scarred cheeks, wetting the marquee-style letters like rain. Mucus bubbled from her nostrils. Bloody stalactites drooled from her chin. Her fear was more real than anything Dora could have imagined. She desperately wanted to hang up, to disconnect from the image in front of her. But she couldn’t — not face-to-face like this.