▁which ▁places ▁the ▁young ▁woman ▁in ▁a ▁state ▁of ▁susp ended ▁animation ▁res emb ling ▁death . ▁He ▁then ▁spirits ▁her ▁body ▁away ▁to ▁the ▁bas ement ▁labor atory ▁of ▁his ▁isolated ▁m ansion ▁and ▁extract s ▁g land ular ▁fluid ▁from ▁behind ▁her ▁ears ▁to ▁inject ▁into ▁his ▁vain ▁and ▁aged ▁wife ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁renew ▁her ▁youth ▁and ▁beauty . ▁ ▁This ▁is ▁only ▁the ▁latest ▁in ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁br ides ▁who ▁appear ▁to ▁die ▁at ▁the ▁alt ar ▁and ▁whose ▁corps es ▁subsequently ▁van ish ▁en ▁route ▁to ▁the ▁hospital ▁or ▁mort u ary , ▁and ▁the ▁police ▁are ▁thoroughly ▁st ym ied . ▁ ▁A ▁young ▁journalist , ▁Pat ric ia ▁Hunter , ▁investig ates ▁the ▁case ▁and ▁disco vers ▁it ▁involves ▁an ▁unusual ▁orch id . ▁ ▁She ▁is ▁directed ▁to ▁Lor enz , ▁a ▁known ▁expert ▁on ▁orch ids , ▁and ▁vis its ▁his ▁m ansion ▁where ▁she ▁meets ▁with ▁a ▁ch illy ▁reception ▁from ▁his ▁wife . ▁ ▁She ▁is ▁forced ▁to ▁spend ▁the ▁night ▁when ▁a ▁storm ▁was hes ▁out ▁the ▁bridge ▁to ▁town , ▁and ▁disco vers ▁horror ▁in ▁the ▁cell ar ▁beneath ▁the ▁Lor enz ▁m ansion : ▁a ▁c raz ed ▁old ▁woman ▁and ▁her ▁two ▁sons , ▁one ▁a ▁sad istic ▁d war f ▁and ▁the ▁other ▁a ▁h ul king ▁half - w it , ▁all ▁of ▁whom ▁assist ▁Lor enz ▁in ▁his ▁activities ; ▁and ▁a ▁ma us ole um ▁in ▁which ▁he ▁keeps ▁the ▁bodies ▁of ▁his