Lewis Vendredi was born in 1926. Raised in Iowa during the Great Depression, the young boy grew to hate the meager existence and hardship forced upon his family during these times. This experience left him with a great fear of poverty that fueled his ambition. He left home at the age of fourteen to seek out a better life for himself but he only found misfortune. A few years later he joined the war effort in Europe. He fought in the battle for Germany where he met and befriended Jack Marshak, a young lieutenant at the time.Â
The two men fought in combat together. When Jack was promoted and given command of his own squadron, they lost contact with each other until a chance meeting in Chicago after the war.
Post-war America was experiencing a boon in business. Lewis, still obsessed with money and power, was seeking his fortune. He was a fairly successful businessman but it was never enough. On a summer day in 1950, Lewis walked into the restaurant at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Chicago. From across the room he saw an incredibly beautiful woman sitting at the bar. Her companion turned to speak to her and it was none other than his old friend Jack Marshak. Lewis, Jack and Grace became inseparable. They enjoyed the social events and night life of the big city. It was a time of celebration in the country to put behind the memories of war. It was inevitable that the two friends would fall in love with the same woman. Eventuall y, the deeply competitive Lewis won Grace's heart and Jack distanced himself from his former friends.
It wasn't until after the marriage of Lewis and Grace that Jack began to see his friends again. Upon renewing the friendship, Jack and Lewis found that they had a common interest in the occult. At the time it was only a curiosity, nothing that either man took too seriously. In 1955 Jack left Chicago for graduate work in New York. He kept in touch with Lewis through letters. Over time Jack's academic interests changed to an intense study of the occult. Lewis' interest grew as well. He surpassed Jack's knowledge and skill. Lewis started to experiment with spells from ancient books to increase his wealth and power.
Lewis began to spend more and more time in search of forbidden knowledge. This dark obsession did not go unnoticed by his wife Grace who pleaded with him to give up this unholy work. Strange rites and foul incense frightened her. Many loud arguments were heard by the neighbors from the couple's home. Lewis did not concede. Instead, he moved his laboratory and books to an old farm house that he bought outside the city. This change did not satisfy Grace who continued to implore her husband to stop his research. Lewis spent more and more time away from his home in the city. He preferred the isolated farm that was far from any prying eyes and ears.
Grace was a woman who loved people and the privileges of wealth. Lewis' financial success had gained them access to the wealthiest of social circles. Her beauty and charm made her the envy of many ladies in the city. Lewis' transformation had a profound effect on her. She began to withdraw from even her closest friends. Her makeup, hair and dress that were stylish and perfect, began to be neglected. The face that was always smiling and full of laughter changed to melancholy and sadness.
Jack was alarmed when a business trip took him back to the city
and he stopped by to visit his old friends. The drastic changes to
Grace infuriated him. Despite Grace's pleas, he set out to the farm
house. Jack was enraged and confronted Lewis. Lewis was indignant.
In his opinion, his marriage was his own business and he felt that
Jack had never really forgiven him for marrying Grace. To Jack,
Lewis seemed oblivious to the changes in Grace. He denied even the
obvious facts of the situation. Jack was also disturbed by the
contents in Lewis' library. The occult and dark powers were an
academic interest to Jack. The unholy texts, mixtures and potions in
this laboratory hinted at more than just an academic interest in the
black arts. Lewis was practicing these forbidden rites.
Jack never forgave himself for leaving the city. He always
thought if he had stayed then it all would have turned out quite
differently. During his trip to Chicago, his mother had fallen ill.
Unsure of the seriousness of her condition, Jack felt that he must
return home. Soon after the confrontation between Jack and Lewis,
Grace died. The shock of her death seemed to bring back the old
Lewis that Jack remembered. Lewis' grief was profound and he gave up
his research for a time. Jack seeing the suffering that Lewis was
experiencing, came to the support of his friend. Lewis swore off the
dark studies that lead to the loss of the one thing he loved most in
life, Grace.
Lewis' obsession had depleted most of his wealth. He quickly
became frustrated with his attempts to regain what he had lost. He
was forced to live in a manner that he was not accustom. During
Jack's correspondence with Lewis at this time, he noticed a change.
Lewis became paranoid of growing old and dying. At first he
attributed this paranoia as a reaction to the death of his wife but
over time it only grew worse. Jack suspected that it was this and
the threat of poverty that drove Lewis back to his studies.
During the latter years of Lewis' life, he was much more
secretive about the focus of his research and his activities. Money
earned in business dealings were used for travel. It is known that
he spent a considerable amount of time in Europe visiting various
libraries who were famous for their collection of rare books
containing dreaded formulas and incantations.
In 1962 Lewis left Chicago for England. He began his research at
the British Museum in London. Letters to Jack spoke of visits to
libraries and hinted at the untapped resources of private collectors.
The inventory of these collectors contained the work of authors that
the other libraries would never dare to place upon their shelves. He
sent a brief note from Prague and a postcard from Transylvania.
Eventually the letters stopped. It wasn't until Lewis' return to the
states in 1972 that Jack spoke to him again.
Over the ten year span of his travels, a dramatic change had
overcome Lewis. There was an ill-concealed arrogance in his manner.
He had a cold fire in his eyes that burned with triumph. During his
visit with Jack, he seemed unable to contain his excitement. He
hinted at dark secrets that horrified Jack. This was not the same
man who had been his friend. After this reunion, Jack kept his
distance from Lewis.
All correspondence between the two men ceased until a few years
later when Lewis contacted Jack. He had just opened an antique shop
and Jack was recommended to him for supplying antiques. Jack agreed
to provide the antiques unaware of the their deadly purpose. The two
men kept only a business relationship. Even when Jack was in town,
he did not stop by to visit. It wasn't until after Lewis' death that
Jack learned the terrible truth, the evil pact Lewis had made with
the powers of darkness.
No one really knows what really happened the night of Lewis'
death or why he decided to break his pact with the devil. Over the
years of seeking out his cursed antiques and going through all the
records he left behind, we can only guess. Lewis had three great
fears in life: poverty, growing old and dying. After he made his
pact with the devil, he did make a modest fortune from various
investments. There was even a report of a 'miraculous' recovery
after being shot by a would-be thief at the store. But Lewis did
grow older and his wealth was not as much as he expected. By
contrast, his deal required him to sell more antiques more frequently
over time. He had to work harder to keep up. Maybe Lewis with all
his arrogance thought he could break the pact. No one, not even
Lewis can undo a pact once made with darkness. Lewis' body was found
by one of his neighbors in the cellar. His face was grotesquely
distorted by pure terror. Official records listed his death due to
heart failure.