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But all I ever saas the -dressing The real story was far stranger than anything I ever ie for any serious reporter to risk handling it No reputable paper would have printed it as news If had known the truth, and if! had sootten it published, I’d have destroyedon? Grace wondered He see h he’s never even seen e’s poeht the Ancient Mariner?

As she looked into Wainwright’s beige eyes, she suddenly realized how alone she was, even here in the yard Her property was ringed by trees, sheltered, private

"Was it a ht said "It didn’t end with the Bekter on This daot to be stopped this time around That’s why I’m here I’ve coht in the irl’s way"

Grace gaped at him, reluctant to believe that she

had heard what she knew she had heard

"There are certain forces, dark and powerful forces," Wainwright said calrily, Aristophanes sprang at Wainwright with berserk passion He landed on the man’s chest and scraht

Wainwright staggered to one side, grabbed the cat with both hands, and tried unsuccessfully to wrench it off his face

"Ari!" Grace cried "Stop it!"

Aristophanes had his claws in the ht wasn’t screaht to have been He was eerily silent as he wrestled with the cat, even though the creature seemed deterht, wanting to help, not knohat to do

The cat was squealing It bit off a gobbet of flesh froht’s cheek

Oh Jesus, no!

Gracethe trowel, but hesitated She was afraid of hitting the ht suddenly turned away froh the rose bushes, past white and yellow blooh hedge, fell through it, onto the lawn On the other side, out of sight

Grace hurried to the end of the hedgerow, stepped around it, heart haht had vanished Only the cat was there, and it bolted past her, sprinted across the garden, up the back porch steps, and into the house through the half-open rear door

Where was Wainwright? Had he crawled away, dazed, wounded? Had he passed out in so to death?

The yard contained half a dozen shrubs large and dense enough to conceal the body of a ht’s size She looked around all of them, but she could find no trace of the reporter

She looked toward the garden gate that led to the street No He couldn’t have gone that far without drawing her attention

Frightened, confused, Grace blinked at the sun-dappled garden, trying to understand

The Harrisburg telephone book contained neither a listing for Mr Randolph Parker nor one for Herbert Bektermann Carol was perplexed but not surprised

After she saw her final patient of the day, she and Jane drove to the address on Front Street where Millicent Parker had claie, impressive Victorianti lot There was a sn by the entrance drive:

MAUGHAM & CRICHTON, INC

A MEDICAL CORPORATION

Many years ago, this portion of Front Street had been one of the hborhoods in Pennsylvania’s capital city During the past couple of decades, however, rand old houses had been razed to s A few of the ra houses had been preserved, at least after a fashion-- the exteriors beautifully restored, the interiors gutted and converted to various commercial uses Farther north, there was still a section of Front Street that was a desirable residential area, but not here, not where Millicent Parker had sent theroup eneral internists and five specialists Carol had a chat with the receptionist, a henna-haired woman named Polly, who told her that none of the doctors was named Parker Likewise, no one of that name was employed as a nurse or as a ham & Crichton had been at their current address for nearly seventeen years

It had occurred to Carol that Jane ham & Crichton’s physicians, and that her subconscious mind had made use of the firm’s address to flesh out the Millicent Parker identity But Polly, who had worked for Maugham & Crichton ever since they’d opened their doors, was sure she had never seen the girl However, intrigued by Jane’s areed to check the files to see if Maugham & Crichton had ever treated anyone named Laura Havenswood, Millicent Parker, or Linda Bektermann It was a fruitless search; none of those names appeared in the patient records

Grace stepped through the gate, into the street, and looked both ways There was no sign of Palht

She returned to her own backyard, closed and latched the gate, and walked toward the house

Wainwright was sitting on the porch steps, waiting for her

She stopped fifteen feet froot up from the steps

"Your face," she said nu had happened and took two steps toward her "Grace--"

"The cat," she said "I saw your cheekyour neckit’s claws tore out

"Listen," he said, taking another step toward her, "there are certain forces, dark and powerful forces, that want to see this played out the wrong way Dark forces that thrive on tragedy They want to see it end in senseless violence and blood That ot to keep Carol out of the girl’s way, for her sake and for the sake of the girl, too"

Grace gaped at hiht asked, raising one eyebrow quizzically "That is the iht now You aren’t only who you think you are You aren’t only Grace Mitowski"

He’smad

She said, "You’re the one on the phone You’re the creep who imitates Leonard’s voice"

"No," he said "I am--"

"No wonder Ari attacked you You’re the one who’s been giving hi like that You’re the one, and he knew"

But what about the facial wounds, the gouged neck? she asked herself How in the name of God did those injuries heal so quickly?

How?

She pushed those thoughts out of her s She ined that Ari had actually hurt the man