Judith tells Barnabas that Rachel is dead--the official version. Barnabas never finds out the true circumstances, as far as I know.
Carl considers Barnabas the prime suspect in Pansy's death. Judith irritably tells him (again) to shut up about it.
Magda is truly sad that Rachel is dead, so at least Barn doesn't have to grieve or feel guilty in complete solitude. Barnabas asks about her trip to Boston. She tells him, I went to Boston and asked King Johnny Romano if he knew where she was. He said she was dead, like her mother--the one who cursed Count Petofi. I was afraid of that, Barnabas says gloomily. Did you mention Quentin's name? I didn't, Magda assures him. I said there was a certain party who needed help, and two gypsy children. He said there was a way, a sure way of ending the curse. What was it? Barnabas asks. You will see, Barnabas, she declares. The end of Quentin's curse rests right here, in this box. She produces the ornately inlaid wooden casket that sits on the upstairs hallway credenza in our time and tells him, It's not an ordinary box. Every one of these carvings has a meaning, ancient as the gypsies. It is a very precious box. Spare me your gypsy nonsense, Barnabas says impatiently. It isn't nonsense, she assures him. King Johnny wouldn't have given it to anyone. He only gave the valuable box to me because of the two gypsy children. [To their aunt Magda, the children have no taint of Collins blood.] King Johnny always liked me a lot; he liked Jenny even better, she brags sentimentally. With increasing impatience--always a bad sign--Barnabas orders her, Show me what's in the box. She opens the box with a flourish--to reveal a man’s severed hand with a large ruby ring on the fourth finger.
Even the case-hardened Barnabas is disgusted and repelled by the sight. Magda swears it will remove Quentin's curse. But Barnabas is understably skeptical. And finally Magda says that King Johnny didn't give her the hand, she stole it.
On Carl’s nightstand is an extremely vulgar lamp with a with a multicolor glass mosaic globe above a statue of an upside-down girl in her undies. Now that we know his truly awful taste, we share in his dream. It's The ONE AND ONLY PANSY FAYE! She announces that this is her Positively Last Appearance. The game is, Who is the vampire? Carl has a vision of the Collins mausoleum. But I don't understand--what does the picture of the mausoleum mean? Who will I find there? You must tell me more! With a spooky grin, Pansy replies, There is no more tonight--or any other night. My music, please! Pansy sings her song one last time (badly off key--she has to take it down the octave); the music fades as Carl wakes up with a start. The mausoleum! he says. I must find out what it means!
Barnabas is sure that now that Dirk is out of the picture, he is safe once more and will sleep at the Old House tomorrow. Magda is greatly troubled--and rightly so.
It’s still dark when Carl arrives at the mausoleum. As he peers in, he says, This is where I will find the vampire! He opens the gate....
