Until You Are Dead by John Lutz Read Free Book Online

caught a glimpse through the trees of the distant city lights far below them. He hadn't realized they'd driven so far into the hills.
    "I don't suppose you have much in the way of neighbors," he said, "living way up here."
    "You're right there, Bill," Cal Tinky said. "Nearest is over two miles. Folks up here value their privacy. You know how it is when you work hard half your life and manage to become moderately wealthy — always somebody wanting to take it away from you. Up here we're not pestered by people like that."
    By the looks of the Tinkys' home they were more than moderately wealthy. As the car turned into the long driveway bordered by woods, Bill gazed through the rain-streaked windshield at a huge house that seemed in the dark to be built something like a horizontal wheel. Its rounded brick walls curved away into the night in perfect symmetry on either side of the ornate lighted entrance. Off to the left of the car Bill saw a small beach house beside a swimming pool.
    "Like it?" Cal Tinky asked. "I can tell you it cost more than a pretty penny, but we sure enjoy it, Emma and I."
    "What I can see of it looks great," Bill said.
    "You shouldn't brag," Emma said to her husband.
    "Just giving them the facts," Tinky said heartily as he neared the house and a basement garage door opened automatically.
    For just a moment the sound of the car's engine was loud and echoing in the spacious garage, then Cal Tinky turned the key and they sat in silence. Bill saw a small red foreign convertible parked near some stacks of large cartons.
    "No fun sitting here," Cal Tinky said. "Let's go upstairs."
    They got out of the car and the Tinkys led them up some stairs to a large utility room of some sort. After passing through that room they entered a large room containing some chairs, a sofa, and a grand piano.
    "Come on in here," Cal Tinky said, "into our recreation room."
    Bill thought the recreation room was fantastic. It was a spacious room, about thirty feet square, with a red-and-white checkerboard tiled floor and walls hung with large decorative dominoes and ornate numerals. At strategic spots on the gleaming tile, four-foot-tall wood chessmen stood on some of the large red squares. Several tables were situated about the room, with various games spread out on them — chess, dominoes, and several complex games that were manufactured by Master Games, Incorporated. A smoldering fire glowed in the fireplace, over which hung a huge dart board.
    "Let's sit down," Cal Tinky invited. "Dinner'll be ready soon."
    Bill removed his coat and crossed an area rug designed to resemble the six-dotted plane of a huge die. We He sat down next to Cal Tinky on a sofa embroidered with tic-tac-toe symbols.
    "Is there anything I can do to help?" Della asked Emma Tinky as the heavyset woman took her coat.
    "No, no," Emma said, "you are a guest."
    Bill watched Emma remove her own bulky coat and saw that she was wearing slacks and a black sweater covered with a heavy corduroy vest. There was something that suggested hidden physical power in her walk as she left the recreation room to hang up the coats and prepare dinner.
    Della sat opposite Bill and Cal on a chair that matched the sofa. "Quite a decorating job."
    Cal Tinky beamed. "Thanks. Designed most of it ourselves. After we eat we can make use of it."
    "A house this big," Bill said, "do you have any servants?"
    Cal Tinky stood and walked to an L-shaped bar in a corner. "No," he said, "we mostly take care of it all ourselves, fifteen rooms. Had servants, but they stole on us. Now we have someone come in from the city twice a week to clean. Course, most of the rooms we don't even use." He reached for a top-brand bottle of Scotch and held it up. "Good enough?"
    Bill nodded.
    "Make mine with water," Della said.
    Cal Tinky mixed the drinks expertly. When he'd given the Darsts their glasses he settled down on the couch and took a long sip of his straight Scotch.
    Emma Tinky came back into the room