Charles took a drag and stared at me for a moment. Something about his eyes made my skin crawl, but I wasn’t afraid. He didn’t strike me as evil, just misunderstood and depressed. He walked out of the kitchen, and I followed him into a living room with old furniture from the ‘70s. A plaid cushioned couch, chair, dark wood coffee table, and an ornate glass lamp, but hardly any light came in the living room, the curtains were closed. The rest of the house smelled like a rack of old clothes at a thrift store. We cut through the living room and went upstairs. The cat followed at my side and meowed. Going up the carpeted steps, I put my hand near my gun and kept a safe distance from Charles. Arriving on the second floor, he ushered me into a room that reminded me of the garage. There was a workbench, a drafting table, and a large desk with a lengthy adjustable lamp. Nuts and bolts weren’t organized, but his tools and power tools all had their designated place, dangling from the wooden pegboard hanging on the wall. It smelled like fresh cut wood and metal.

He sat on a chair at the desk underneath a window with the curtain wide open. He pointed at the seat next to him, which I sat down at. Bella hopped up on my lap and purred as I pet her.

“Gee, she’s a personable critter. I guess she’s excited to see someone else other than me for once,” Charles said.

“You don’t get much company?”

Charles shook his head. “That’s okay, though. I occupy enough of my time here now that I’m retired. I’m either in here or outside when I want to go out on my vigilante trips at night.”

“What exactly are your ‘vigilante trips’ at night?”

“I’ll get to it. So I guess it’s good to start from my friendship with Vincent Nelson.” Charles cleared his throat. “We’d been inseparable since elementary school, y’know, my best friend. He was always a really sharp kid. All the teachers in class knew that Vincent was going to go places. Standardized test scores, he aced. And every class, he aced. And to add to his intellectual prowess, he’s charming as all hell. I think you’d be hard-pressed to find someone who didn’t like him. But yet, he hung out with me. I guess it’s because we went to a small elementary school, and he thought it was cool that I was one of the top learners. I don’t know. Both of us did pretty well with our grades. I couldn’t talk in front of people very well, though. Gave me too much anxiety. Still can’t do it. On the other hand, Vincent was always a leader and a great communicator.

“So fast forward to high school. Classes get a little more challenging. We’re able to expand our knowledge more with drafting and engineering, and that’s where Vincent and I really made a name for ourselves. Always fixing issues on people’s cars, cracking open an Atari system to figure out what kind of parts were inside, and both of us had a home computer. That’s where we really got our hands dirty. We were excited to learn; we wanted to make our own inventions or improve things like cars, computers, hell, transistor radios. Making our own pirate radio station and pissing off the FCC.” Charles chuckled, but then his laughter died down, and he took a deep breath. He frowned. “But then my parents died.”

“I’m really sorry to hear that, Charles. It’s not easy losing someone important to you at a young age. Especially in high school.”

“You have no clue,” he said like a bitter old man.

“You’re right. I don’t know what it’s like to lose both parents in high school, but my best friend disappeared when I was in middle school, and it still affects me to this day. Our pains are different but still present.”

Charles looked at me; his eyes brimmed with tears. “I’m sorry to hear about your friend,” he said softly; it made my own eyes swell.

“I appreciate it,” I said, suppressing the emotion in my voice.

We took a brief pause. Charles looked down at his desk while I kept petting the purring cat.

“Anyways. Vincent was my best friend. He looked after me, and I knew he got into an excellent school out of state, but when my parents passed away, he said he would stick around so we could keep hanging out. He said he was worried about me, and I told him he didn’t have to do that, but I appreciated it. It helped soften the blow of high school graduation.

“Even though I was a wallflower, the routine of high school was pleasant. Everyone treated me much nicer, not that anyone was ever mean to me, to begin with, but even the attractive girls talked to me to make sure I was okay. It felt like I had a family, and I knew graduation would mean the end of that family. But if Vincent stuck around, I knew I would be in a decent place... And then I guess he changed his mind and ended up going to school out of Indiana without telling me right away. I was pissed. Vincent led me to believe that I could hang out with him all school year in the summertime and even in the fall. Then the rug got pulled out from under me.”

“And that’s when you started working with a limousine company?”

Charles stared at me and arched his brow. “Jesus. I didn’t think you feds would know that off the top of your head. Have I been a subject of interest for a while?”

I laughed. “Don’t worry. I am pretty thorough with investigating. A man in a limousine was actually used to intimidate a medical practitioner at a hospital. So I searched for the nearest limousine rental company and asked questions. I didn’t think you’d have anything to do with them, but I had just been asking around if anyone knew you or Vincent Nelson. Sheriff Martha said she’s had complaints about you following people, so I thought that was interesting and wanted to know more about it. So there, that’s all I know. I looked through your high school yearbook as well.”

“I see.”

Part of me regretted saying anything. Charles looked like a deer in the headlights.

“Don’t worry, I just wanted to be open and honest with you about everything I’ve known. I appreciate all that you’ve shared with me so far.”

“Yeah, uh-huh. Anyways, you’re right. I worked for Lennox Limousine for a little while. Cars became my specialty. I knew Purdue was a good engineering school, so I went there and focused on my own life. When I finished my degree, I knew that Detroit hired engineers to work for the big three automotive companies, so I moved out there. I figured since I didn’t have anything here, I may as well move out and have a change of scenery. I kept this house, though, because I didn’t want to sell it. A few people I told thought I was crazy not to turn a profit on it, but it held too much significance. When I worked in Michigan, I never really felt at home. I had a girlfriend for a little while but, once that ended, I came back here. And wouldn’t ya know it, I had received contact from Vincent. He sent me a letter to my home address, and it was forwarded to me in Michigan as I was preparing to leave. Vincent told me we had to meet right away as soon as I returned to Indiana. But he had a name change and was now Perseus.

“So I came back to live in my house, and one of the first things I did was have Vincent come over to this very house. He had totally changed his look. He was bald, had blue sunglasses, and wore fancy clothes. But I definitely recognized him as the same old Vincent and talked to him as if hardly any time passed at all. It was surreal.”

“What did you guys talk about?”

“First, Vincent said, ‘Before we talk about anything else, my name is Perseus. You can call me Percy for short, but please, I need you to recognize me as such.’ and I said it wouldn’t be a problem. So I guess I should refer to him as Percy from here on out.

“Percy was all excited. He was telling me about how he wanted my help with designing inventions with him. ‘There’s no telling what we could accomplish with your brain and mine. I’ve found a way to come up with something truly amazing. A catalyst for inventions that you’d never think to use. Something more precious and incredible than oil.’ And that’s where all of this takes... a turn.” Charles shook his head.

“What do you mean?”

“It might be better if I show you. Here’s an invention he worked on. He told me never to show it to another person, but here we are. I think you need to see this.” Charles pulled out a shelf on the left side of his desk and grabbed a cubed contraption with a light bulb at the top. He set it down the desk in front of us, a cube encased in black metal, and he pressed the red button at the top. The bulb shined brightly. “This light bulb will never burn out, according to Percy.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know. And I’m too afraid to understand how.”

“Why?” I asked again, feeling like a little kid annoying their parent.

“This cube was something he invented years ago, around the time of his doctorate. And he requested I work on a new project with him.”

“So what? It’s just a cube with a light bulb on top of it. It’s impressive it appears to not run on any power but I’m guessing there’s a battery inside that case?”

“Agent Wright, I’m not sure how else to explain this but, the light bulb on top of this cube is powered by blood.”

“Blood?” I echoed.

Charles nodded. “Human blood.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“I know, it sounds like a joke or some elaborate prank, I’m sure, but this box is unbreakable. I can’t see what’s inside, but Vincent assured me that human blood is inside, circulating rapidly enough to keep this light fixture on 24/7.”

I didn’t believe him. Not because I didn’t want to, but because it sounded too surreal and impossible. It didn’t make any sense.

“Do you know anything about the project he requested your help on?”

Charles shook his head. “I didn’t ask. He frightened me when he told me he was using his own blood for inventions. He had this hypnotized look in his eye, like he had discovered a new element and he was obsessed. The thought of it made me sick. I had no interest in exploring or experimenting with human blood for engineering anything.”

“How did he react when you declined?”

“Percy was irritated, and he looked at me confused. He was upset that I wasn’t curious to understand how or why, but it didn’t feel right to learn that knowledge. How could he expect this to be a humane or a reliable method for technology? But he was upset. He swore me to secrecy and said he would know if I ever told anyone, and consequences would follow. I feel like he has eyes on my house, but I don’t know how. That’s why I let the grass grow, in case there’s a camera in my yard somewhere. Maybe he bugged my house. It’s hard to say.”

“You really think he’s spying on you like that?”

“He said he would know if I ever told anyone.”

“It sounds like he’s just threatening you. Making you live in fear.”

“It’s hard to say. If anyone could figure out a way to have me on surveillance, it’s Percy. He’s a man of his word too. But I had to tell you about it because I saw you going to his club twice.”

Finally, we were getting to the root of something I wanted to know. I nodded. My knees bounced up and down rapidly. “What’s going on in this club?”

“Right. So Percy was telling me to join with his invention adventures, or whatever you want to call it, but when I declined, he was saddened, but we were still talking. He asked me what I had been doing with my life, so I explained and asked him the same. Percy explained that he’s been running Club Novus for a few years, and he really wanted me to attend. But I told him going to nightclubs wasn’t really my type of thing, but he insisted that I go some night because it would really mean a lot to him. So I said, sure I might go some night, and that’s when he pulled out a blue slip and said this would get me in the club.”

Charles reached into the desk shelf again and pulled out the blue admission slip I had the previous two nights.

“This is what he gave me. As you can see, I never went.”

“You were never curious enough to check it out?” I asked.

“Well, there’s more to it than that. Percy had this devilish grin on his face when he gave me the slip. And I asked him what he was smiling about. Percy reached into his pocket and had these plastic tubes in his hand.” Charles went inside the shelf for the third time and set six small plastic cylinders on the top of the desk.

“What is that?” They looked like the small pieces of plastic used to attach price tags to new clothes.

“Percy told me to put them in my nose, and there’s a tiny button at the bottom of the container. When you put it in your nose, you press the button, and it expands into a specialized filter he developed. When I asked him why he would give me these weird nose filters, that’s when he explained to me something that really creeped me out.” Charles took a drag on his cigarette that had been slowly burning still. I forgot he had it in his hand. “Before I go on any further, do you mind explaining to me what it’s like on the inside of Club Novus?”

“Oh, sure. It’s dark, lit with dim overhanging lights at tables. The dance floor has multi-colored square panels that light up. The servers are wearing these elaborate but beautiful art deco masks and next to no clothes. And there’s also loud, obnoxious industrial music. Sometimes it’s an overdriven drone of different notes. Sometimes it sounds like machines beating the hell out of each other.”

“Can you think of any other detail that you might have left out?” Charles asked.

I was annoyed by his question, but I didn’t want to show any frustration. I was grateful for everything he had given me so far. Thinking about what he said for a moment, I realized I had forgotten something. “The place is pretty foggy?”

“Exactly. Percy told me that if I were to attend his club, I would need to wear these nose filters.”

My eyes widened. “Did he tell you what’s in the fog?”

“He just said there’s something in the fog that gets people loose and makes them enjoy themselves a little more. Mind you, Percy said all of this with this evil smirk on his face.”

“How do those filters work?”

“Percy did a demonstration for me. So I will show you. You take one, put it in your nose, press the button, and watch.” Charles took one of the plastic tubes, put it in his nose, and pressed the tiny button at the top. It expanded inside his nose, but I could barely tell.

“Whoa. That’s pretty discreet. And you can breathe okay in it?” I asked.

Charles handed me two of the plastic tubes. “And when I press the button again, it contracts into its original state. I have to admit, it’s nifty and impressive, but what exactly it’s filtering out, I have no idea.”

“But he told you it’s needed if you go in the club? Did he tell you why?”

“That’s correct, but no, he didn’t explain what was inside the fog. Percy did tell me that I shouldn’t be worried about seeing someone I would know at his club. He said he had a network of people give out invitations to others who were from out of town.”

“Holy hell. Well, that just screams incriminating if that’s true.”

“I swear, Agent Wright, that is exactly what he told me. I asked him about it, why did he give invitations to out of towners? He had a bizarre answer. ‘I just want to put Wilton on the map, create a unique club experience that’s coveted by people around the world.’ Apparently, Percy had been attending nightclubs in New York and Los Angeles. I guess to get his business going, he contacted friends out there. They came in, experienced it, loved it themselves, and then it started growing from there. People telling other people that they needed to make a special trip out to Club Novus. Apparently, it’s quite the unique and euphoric experience.”

“Well, I can’t remember a single thing that happened to me.”

“But you do want to go back there, yes?” Charles reached over the desk to grab an ashtray and squashed his cigarette butt in the center.

“Yeah, but it’s for the investigation.”

“You went there once, twice, and it looks like you’re about to go back for a third time. Not that I’m keeping score, but it looks like Percy is winning against you at the moment.” Charles puffed out a few exhaled laughs, but he noticed I wasn’t entertained, and he stopped. “Sorry about that.”

The realization of Charles’ words shocked me for a moment. “You’re not wrong, though,” I said. “But I have no urgency to go back there because of what I felt. I just need to know what’s happening in that club.”

“I understand. I was giving you a hard time. Anyways, you want this admission slip to get in?”

I nodded.

Charles wrote down my name on the back and handed it to me. “There’s another admission for you. And please, take these, let me know what you find.” Charles gave me four of the plastic tubes. “In case you want to bring a guest with you.”

“Thank you. Do you have any interest in coming with me?”

“Hell no.”

I was relieved to hear that. I didn’t want him to join, but I thought I’d be courteous and at least ask. “That’s fine. Thank you for giving me all of the information that you have. Is there anything else you’d like to tell me before I leave?”

Charles leaned back in his chair and contemplated, staring at the wall behind me. I still had his cat on my lap, petting it the entire time. I almost forgot I had been petting his cat. Bella had been purring for so long it sounded like background noise.

“If I’m being 100% honest with you, I honestly think the disappearances are because of whatever Percy is doing.”

“It certainly seems like a lot of evidence is starting to point that way.”

“Yeah. I think he’s starting to lose control. And that’s why, y’know, I started going on these nightly vigilante trips. I feel like I’ve seen so many out-of-towners go into his club. Y’know, I’ll admit it, I’m a weird fella. And when I came back into town after Percy invited me, I parked my car a few blocks away from Club Novus, just watching people go in and out of the club for an entire night. I wanted to confirm that he was only inviting out-of-towners, and it certainly seemed that way. I checked license plates and noticed that they weren’t from Indiana. A lot of Illinois, though, I think he attracted a Chicago crowd.

“As I saw all those people go in, I got it in my head that something weird was going on. I bumped into two people one night who got invited. They came in all the way from New York. I asked them if they were given anything for their noses. They looked at me like I had blood coming out of my eyes. It was a young couple, and they wanted nothing to do with me. I tried to warn them about going in, but they still went ahead. I don’t know what came over me, but the whole conversation I had with Percy rubbed me the wrong way. The worst way. With all that blood inventions talk and having to wear a special nose filter inside the club, I had a feeling something corrupt was happening.”

“You didn’t tell the police about this?”

“I’m talking to you now, aren’t I? Look, I messed up. I admit that I probably should have talked to Sheriff Martha sooner, but I also would have sounded like a lunatic. I feel like you actually listen. You believe me, even though everything I’m saying is bizarre. And so what was I supposed to do? I tried a traditional approach by telling people face to face not to go into the club. That didn’t really work. In fact, I scared them into going into the club for refuge. That’s when I realized that if I follow around an out-of-towner and freak them out, that’s when they leave altogether. Sure, I’ve had the police called on me, but I feel like I may have saved some lives. Because I really think Percy and that damn club killed those six people. You saw they were drained of blood, right?”

“I did see that. Yes.”

“But I couldn’t tell Martha about my suspicions. I’m sure she already thought I was a lunatic because I was ‘stalking’ people at night. And I don’t want to be an accessory to Percy’s crimes if he is the one behind everything, which I think he is.”

“That’s all right. You told me a lot of valuable information. Better late than never.”

Charles nodded. “I’m sorry.”

“Everything will be all right. Thank you for telling me and inviting me to your house.”

“You’re welcome back anytime, especially with how much Bella appreciates your company.” Charles smiled at his cat.

“Good to know. We might be seeing each other more if we find out that Percy is indeed the mastermind behind this all. I’ve got a feeling we’ll be better acquainted.”

“Whatever I can do to help.”

“Thank you for your cooperation. Well, I have nothing else, so I’m going to head out now.”

“I’ll walk you out.” Charles stood up and grabbed Bella off my lap. He whispered something to his cat I couldn’t hear.

I followed him back downstairs to his kitchen, and just as I was about to exit the back door, another thought crossed my mind. “Do you know where people might go to get tattoos around here? I noticed the servers all at Club Novus have tattoos on them. Even through Wilton, I’ve seen people with them but no parlors anywhere.”

“I have no clue.”

“Right. I just thought I’d ask. And one last thing, is there anything else I should be on the lookout for with Percy?”

“Not that I can think of. Other than his affinity for engineering things, whatever he might have in his hand might be something else. You never know with him.”

“All right, thank you. Well, if there’s nothing else to talk about, I’ll head out of here. See you soon.” I left the house. The breath of fresh air outside was relieving. I couldn’t believe I grew accustomed to the tobacco and sour odor that hung in the place.