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MRS SENTAS, ANSWERED THE DOOR It was a few

"Yes?" she said She spoke in a withdrawn, regal manner

"May I speak to you and your husband, Mrs Sentas?" I asked

"Speak to us about what?" she asked, frowning curiously

I cleared my throat "It’s-rather delicate," I said "May I come in?" She stared at me a while as if she couldn’t make up her mind whether I was human or not Then, with an expression of distaste, she asked, "Is it absolutely necessary? My husband and I are getting ready to go out"

"It’s about your sister," I said

If I had jabbed her with a needle I couldn’t have gotten a more forceful twitch from her

"My-?" She stopped

"May I come in?" I asked

Sing, she stepped back I walked past her into the living room and she closed the door

"Sit down, please," she told lanced around as I sat on the sofa It was a duplicate of our living room as far as size went There the resemblance ended Where ours was furnished in early-American time-payment, the Sentas’ was strictly French provincial and that of the ant variety-black-ildedWithout the aid of mediumship I would have laid odds that it was all the result of Mrs Sentas’ taste

She settled on the edge of a period chair as Mr Sentas came out of the kitchen, a drink in his hand

"What’s up?" he asked, looking over atsales to tell us about Helen," said his wife

"Oh?" Moving to another chair Sentas sat down "Well?" he asked I sed nervously It was one thing tothe Sentas’ hat I had to say

"I-wonder," I began, "if you could tell me whether you’ve heard from your sister lately-"

"Why d’ya ask?" Harry Sentas broke in before I’d finished

"I have a reason," I said "Have you?"

"Don’t see where it’s any of your-" he started

"Harry" She spoke quietly but it muted him in an instant I turned to Mrs Sentas She looked a trifle drawn

"Why do you ask?" she inquired

"What’d ya do, open a letter she sent us?" Harry Sentas challenged

"No," I said, glancing at him

"Mr Wallace, I asked you a question," Mrs Sentas said coldly I looked at her again Behind that forbidding exterior I sensed an abject fear

"I asked, Mrs Sentas, because I have so to tell you about your sister But first I have to know if-"

"Tell us what?" she demanded

"I’m afraid you’ll have to bear withabout!"

"I’ about your sister, Mrs Sentas," I said "I think she’s dead" Mrs Sentas twitched, then sat motionless

"What are you talkin’ about!" Harry Sentas asked loudly He put down the glass with a bang and stood up "Look here, boy!"

"Harry" Her voice faltered as she spoke

It was silent I regretted having put it so bluntly even if she had, virtually, forced it fro breath

"Why do you say she’s" She seemed unable to finish

I braced myself

"Because," I said, "I’ve seen her in our house"

"What?" Mrs Sentas leaned forward, her dark eyes stricken

"I’ve seen her," I repeated

Mrs Sentas shuddered

"Who the hell d’ya think you are comin’ in here with a cock ’n’ bull story like that!" Sentas flared "God daot half a mind to-!"

"It’s not a-" I started

"I don’t knohat your ga at me, "but you better watch it I’m warnin’ ya"

"Harry"

He broke off and looked nervously at Mrs Sentas "Look, Mildred," he said, "this is soain-instantly-as she shook her head

"You haven’t heard from her, have you?" I said

Her voice was hollow "Not since she went back to New York," she said

"How long ago was that?"

"Almost a year now"

"Look, fella, we don’t want t’hear anymore o’ this, y’understand?" said Sentas

"Harry, please"

"Look," he said to his wife, "are we gonna sit here ’n’ listen to all this bullsh-" He stopped and glared at ht now!"

I stood up

"Mr Wallace, what do you mean, you’ve seen

"I mean what I said," I answered "I’ve seen her If you want to see her too be at et the hell outta here!" roared Sentas He started for me

"Stay away from me," I said and headed for the door

"Mr Wallace!"

I turned Mrs Sentas was on her feet, staring at an tensely

I opened the door "It’s no joke," I said

Sentas reached the door He sla the heel of ain, I’ll call the cops!" he yelled

I exhaled wearily as I walked out to the sidewalk Across the street I saw Elizabeth sitting on her lawn Anne was standing beside her and both of the across the street at me Doubtless the noise of the sla to Elizabeth, then ca," I said as she came into the house after me

"They won’t come?"

"Hell, no," I said, ruefully "Sentas practically threw me out of the house He’ll probably evict us next month That is, she will"

Anne clucked "Nohat?" she asked

I shrugged and blew out a long breath "Lord knows," I said

Anne looked at

"How’s Elizabeth?" I asked

"How could she be?" she asked "She’s alive; no more"

"That poor woman," I said

"I-told her about"

"What?"

"About what’s happened Not all of it, of course Just about Helen Driscoll"

"Oh" I shook uaranteed to cheer her up," I said

"Well, she saw you going into Sentas’ house and asked if you were having trouble with thereen chair "Well," I said, "we are exactly nowhere If only-" The telephone rang "Oh, it’ll wake up Richard," Anne said hurrying for the hall as fast as she could

"Hello?" I heard her say quietly Silence Then, "Oh?" Pause "Yes That’s right" Another pause

"Good-bye"

She ca," she said

At eight-fifteen the doorbell rang

"I’ll get it," I said We were in the kitchen finishing up the dishes

"Tom?"