Hypnosis

The instant D’s eyes caught him, he became utterly
paralyzed. “How will you take care of him?” D asked again, stopping a few
paces away from the mayor.
“Well, um ... actually ...”
D reached out his left hand and stuck the palm of it against the mayor’s
octopus-like face. For a moment the man’s voice broke off, and then he
went on again.

“Throw her ... in the freaking asylum ... and then negotiate. Tell him ...
he’s not to harm anyone in town any more ... If he does, we’ll kill the love
of his life ...”
The mayor’s face twisted and beads of sweat formed chains across his
brow, almost as if he was battling some titanic force within himself.

“After we talked to him ... we’d tell Doris we’d destroyed the Count or
something ... let her out ... After that, he could do what he liked—make her
one of his kind, bleed her to death, whatever ... You’re the devil ... you little
punk. If you give Doris any more help ... ”
“Aren’t you the cooperative one?”

D took his hand away. The mayor took a few steps back, his face
looking like whatever demon had possessed him had just left. Beads of
sweat streamed down his face.
“This young lady hired me,” D said darkly. “And as I haven’t finished
what I was hired to do, I can’t very well leave now. Especially not after
hearing your detailed confession.”

7 - 1