Read Online House of Cabal Volume One: Eden by Wesley McCraw - Free Book Online

You think I may be a waste of your time.”
    “The House of Cabal was exclusive, not to
mention deadly. I’m not sure anyone else is alive to interview. But
you’re right. Get on with it.” Though Chuck’s tone was mellow, he
had chitchatted long enough. "I understand you grew up in a
conservative household, in a strict religious family. Is that
true?"
    "Yes."
    "And then you went to the University of
Oregon: a fairly liberal campus. That must have been a big change
for you, striking out on your own for the first time."
    "Can we speak off the record?"
    "I haven’t started recording yet." In truth,
Chuck had lost confidence the interview would go anywhere worth
taping. Grimes seemed content with one word answers or
deflections.
    Then abruptly, that changed.
    "I began as an Arts Major. This was back in
the nineties. I thought I could start over, where nobody knew who I
was. But the counter culture. I found it unsettling. I feared
something bad would happen if I engaged in sex or drinking or
partying. The whole college experience was off limits.”
    “Why?”
    “At the time I thought it was by choice, but
I know a deep part of me thought I would die on the spot if I
sinned. It was like a phobia.
    "After college, regret started to eat at me.
I hadn't lived. I started doing things with my girlfriend. Nothing
aberrant, I was just testing the waters. Seeing what the fuss was
about. I bought a case of beer and had a panic attack. I thought
God would strike me dead. But nothing happened. Not even a
hangover. If I could sin without punishment, maybe I could be free
from the fear and the shame that had crippled me. I wasn't really
aware of this at the time, but subconsciously, I think that's what
was going on.”
    “Most people go through a wild phase,
especially when brought up within a strict religious family.”
    “In their teens. But it happened to me in my
mid-twenties, years after college. I didn't handle it well. Before
going to the House of Cabal, I was primed for a breakdown."
    "That's a great place to start. Why can't
that be on the record?"
    "That's not for the public. That's for
you."
    “You’ve hidden here for what, fifteen years?
No wonder you’re reluctant, but everyone has a past. My readers
want to know the real you. I know it takes courage, but people
respect vulnerability.” Grimes didn’t look convinced. “People envy
those involved with moral deviation. People want a life filled with
excitements and extremes, otherwise, why would they read my books?
And as for regrets, they only make you more relatable."
    Grimes sat back in his chair and made a
slight grunt. “That’s the heart of it.”
    “Pardon?”
    “All the endless hours. You ignore your wife,
your children, and yet all you have to show for it are your books.
Your life will never merit an autobiography. You’re jealous of your
subjects.”
    "I've interviewed serial killers."
    "Yes."
    "You think I'm jealous of serial killers? Mr.
Grimes, I think you have the wrong idea. For one, killing isn't
glamorous. Most killers live in their own private hell. Fame
doesn't solve anything."
    "You're famous."
    "What’s your point? The work gives me
satisfaction, not the fame. I finish a book and move on to the
next. Your story is next, Everett. You’re the work. You matter. The
House of Cabal is a fascinating mystery. If you have some of the
answers, that’s huge. But right now it’s not about the House of
Cabal; it’s about you. My goal is to know the real Everett Grimes,
inside and out. That’s how I write bestsellers. But if you don't
want to do this, if you want to play games and talk around in
circles, I can tell someone else's story. A lot of people out there
would love to be the subject of my next book. Should I give one of
them a call?"
    Chuck saw something out of the corner of his
eye. There was no one down the hall, yet he still had the
unsettling feeling of being secretly watched.
    Grimes took a drink of water. “You really are
perfect for