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WITH A GASP I LEAPED OFF THE PORCH onto the cold, wet grass and raced toward the curb I was halfway across the street when the second shot exploded in the night I claether and tried to run faster I leaped the curb and rushed across their lawn The light fro roo I thought as I jolted to a halt and stared in through the

Because Frank was lying cru room floor- in exactly the position I’d seen hi was the sa, the blood pulsing across the front of his white shirt

There was one difference

Elizabeth stood like a statue in the hall doorway, the Luger held in her hand, on her face a wild and stricken look In the silence I could hear the clicking sound as she pulled the trigger again and again When I ran in, her head snapped around and she stared atwithout a sound I heard the Luger thu

After that it was all movement and confusion

I ran to Frank and knelt beside hi for a heartbeat It was there; faintly Only one of the bullets had struck him, it appeared, but it was a bad chest wound I pushed up, the blood pulsing at my temples, and stepped quickly over Elizabeth In the hall closet I found clean sheets and pulled one out As I stepped across Elizabeth again I flung the sheet open and folded it lengthwise Then, kneeling by Frank, I wrapped it around hi it He was unconscious now, his eyes closed

The next thing I did was run into the hall and phone for an aht of Elizabeth on the couch Her face axen and cool to the touch I opened the collar of her paja this when her eyes flickered open She stared at me a moment as if she’d never seen me in her life Then, abruptly, she pushed up

"Frank!" she gasped

I held her back "Lie down, Elizabeth, lie down," I told her

"No No"

She fought ainstFrank’s nath seemed to empty from her and she fell back on the couch pillow Her eyes closed tightly and a long, wavering sigh passed her pale lips I didn’t realize as happening I was checking Frank again when I heard footsteps outside I thought it was Anne but it turned out to be the ht

"What happ-?" he started to say, then stopped, his mouth open "Holy Christ," heat Frank

In’ a short while Anne did co her topcoat Her only reaction was to look blankly at Frank a moment, then at me Then she sat down beside Elizabeth and took her hand I heard Elizabeth’s dry, breathless sobbing as I tightened the sheet to stop the bleeding

The ambulance came five ot back to the house, I went into the bathroo o into the kitchen I tried to hide ers from Anne as I walked past her She didn’t speak

I heard the clock strike one as I went in the kitchen It had been an incredible night And Alan had said I would probably have nothing to worry about now There was a grotesque aoverin the kitchen doorway looking atup the towel I wondered what she was going to say to me now There was not much left in the way of shocks for her As I turned from the sink I saw her sit down at the table I started to walk, then stopped I leaned back against the sink and we looked at each other

Finally she spoke

"Will he die?" she asked, quietly

It was not what I’d expected to hear For a moment I could only stare at her

"I don’t know," I said then

I saw her throat move

"You know," she said "You just don’t want to tell ht Elizabeth was going to" She lowered her eyes I looked at her a few moments Then I went over and sat down across from her

"Look, Anne I think you know-at least I hope you kno badly all of this makes me feel I’m not a monster, Anne I’hten you I hate to have all these things happen at a time like this But I can’t help it Can’t you see this? Do you think I’ to hurt you? What’s happened toI’m just as victimized by it as you are I don’t knohat it , Anne I’ve faced that fact It’s established And it isn’t going to stop I feel certain of that I can’t iine what could end it now It’s a part of me What else can I say? If only you’d accept that; not fight it so hard It isn’t frightening if only you accept it Believe that, Anne It isn’t terrible then It can only hurt you if you struggle against it, if you believe it’s so Can’t you see that?" I must have sounded pretty impassioned because she looked at

Then it faded

"What about us?" she asked "Is it going to be-the same? Can it be the sa to be a-a new torture? What if Tos about me, about us? I’d know it, Tom, I would You couldn’t hide it, you couldn’t pretend you hadn’t seen them" She shook her head in short, choppy movements "How could it work? Life would be unbearable I’d just be-waiting for so terrible to happen"

"Honey, what happened would have happened anyway I didn’t cause anything Is that what you’ve been thinking? How could you? I are that they would happen-but I didn’t make theether tightly and looked at theht, but" She looked up atmy mind now?" she asked

"Anne, I-" I felt almost speechless "What in God’s name do you think I a your mind now I probably couldn’t do it if I tried I told you it was different now Before it was beyond volition; I picked up things Now I’d have to concentrate I don’t knohat you think it is I can do But well, believe me, it’s not as fantastic as all that You aren’t naked tois I-I I just don’t knohat to say, Anne"

Breath emptied from her slowly

"I don’t know," she said "I just don’t know either I don’t know if I’m up to it To live like this every day" She shook her head

"Honey, it wouldn’t be like this every day Is Elizabeth going to shoot her husband every day? Is your mother?" I didn’t finish

"What about the woman?" she asked "Helen Driscoll, if that’s who it is"

"That’s so that has to be settled," I admitted, "but well, once it is settled"

"And you think you can settle it?"

"I’ to try, Anne"

She was silent I could hear the clock ticking hollowly in the cupboard I sat there a et up

"If I do try," she broke in

I sat down and looked at her

"If I try," she said, "will you tell ,’ To," she said "Even about us"

"If you want me to," I said, "of course I will" I reached across the table and took her hand "I just want you to be with me," I said "I just don’t want you to run away froed"

She tried to smile

"I’ve written to my aunt," I said "I should hear fro o on That will make it easier for you, won’t it? If you know that it’s so in the family?" She hesitated a moment Then her hand squeezed mine

"I’ll try, To hten me to death but I’ll try" We sat in silence a moment Then she asked,

"Will he die, Tom?"

"I don’t know, Anne," I said "That’s the truth The sense of death I got had to do with Elizabeth, not Frank I don’t understand that really But well, it must be him"

She looked at me intently I sa she bit her lower lip

"Tom," she said

"What?"

"Wh what aboutabout you-or us"

Then I rehtened "What is it?" she asked

"Would it make you feel too badly," I said, "if I told you I think we’re going to have a girl?" She looked ataround her eyes, a stirring at the corners of her mouth

"Really?" she murmured

I held her hands in mine "I think so," I said "Does that spoil it? To know, Iinto the future