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"Janet, did you hear what he said to me about my mother?"

She nodded "Yes He said your dead ain in his dreams She spoke of you, her precious boy She wants him to help you" She touched her husband’s shoulder "Martin, please put down that shotgun I never want to see it again, ever I want to throw it in the river"

He nodded and grinned at her, actually grinned "It’s going to cost us a fortune to repair the wall"

"Forget about the wall Agent Savich is going to help us, Martin" She held out her hand "GiveI know it’s beautiful I know you paid a bundle for it, but it frightensto unload it and lay it beside the front door Okay?"

"Here," was all he said, and handed her the shotgun She paused a second, because she really didn’t want to touch it, but she took it and did exactly what she’d said she would She walked to the front door, unloaded the shotgun, and laid it on the floor

Us, Savich thought, Janet had said us, not just her husband And thatto say When she returned, he said, "Please, both of you, call me Dillon" Odd how so few people called him by his first naht He smiled at both of theoing to go talk to the girls They’re scared and I want theht back"

Martin looked undecided, but for only a irls, God, I scared theed hiht I’ll speak to the girls,to leave them in the bedroom, it’ll make them feel safer, I think Noould you like some coffee, Dillon?"

He smiled at her "Tea would be wonderful"

"A real live tea drinker Goodness, we’re coffee addicts in this house I’ll be right back You talk to hi, and then listen" She nodded, patted her husband’s shoulder, and lightly shoved hi easy chair with a remote control pocket holder on the side, obviously his chair

Martin eased down into the chair like it was an old friend and stretched out his legs in front of him As if by habit, he reached into the chair’s side pocket, felt the reht his hand back up He didn’t face Savich yet, just looked down at the res, as if trying to relax He said, still without looking up, "I lost it I just lost it Like Janet said, it’s happened a couple of other tiun before" He shuddered, drew a deep breath, and at last un show in Balti box of shells"

"Why?"

"I don’t know really I felt I had to Sobad was co"

"Was it ais black, and I’, where, I don’t know, but I do know tohorrible is happening, but I can’tto do with your mother’sroo, couldn’t even tell where I was I didn’t even know hteen"

"You didn’t know or you didn’t remember?"

"I don’t really knohich All I kneas that she wasn’t there anyer then than I ahteen I actually saw iant’s, I do re me downstairs andvery serious and sad He handed , except that ere living in Boston, though I don’t reone, and that was really hard, but my father said it wasn’t our fault she died, that he expectedman

"After a while I didn’t really ask about her anymore or think about her, accepted that my father and I were in Boston, and I went to school and made friends like any other kid