Page 9 (1/2)

Todd gestured at Allison "She doesn’t understand," he said "But she can help us, and you can help her Please?"

"I’ll do whatever I can, buddy"

He wrote down his cell number and handed it to the boy, then took Allison’s arm to lead her from the hospital She steeled herself not to wrench her arrasp

When they exited, she ," she told him

"What was?"

"You host to leave his dad alone!"

"I didn’t say that"

"But you believe they exist!"

They’d reached his car He leaned against the roof, looking over at her as she waited by the passenger door

"I went in and spoke with Mr Dixon’s doctors There is absolutely nothing physiological causing his proble And he may come out of it himself One of the theories his primary physician has is that he put himself in the coma to avoid some horrible fact or illusion he’d seen in his own mind Whether you want to believe I’m a quack or not, you have to admit that the power of the human mind can be incredible Maybe if we look into this and find so to say to the kid, the family or even Mr Dixon himself, we can reverse the situation"

"If we can find so?"

"You know the history and the house better than anyone else"

Allison lowered her eyes, re the way she’d felt when Todd was in the house yesterday, so convinced that so evil was still alive there

She looked back at Tyler "I’ood or evil I don’t believe in spirits"

"But you believe in history?"

"Of course You can’t not believe in history," she said

"Ah, but what about the fa: History is written by the victors And sos out So, e history So do new facts as they eranite Texan could be so ethereal in his statements

"History didn’t kill Julian Mitchell," she said "Or put Mr Dixon in a co," he countered "And, Allison, I do believe it’s obvious that so on Even if by some remarkable chance Julian accidentally killed hiruesome way to kill myself, it still wouldn’t explain what happened in the attic"

"Maybe Julian trashed the attic"

"Why would he have done that?"

"I don’t know! Why would he have sat doith his rifle--and then leaned his head down on the blade?" she asked wearily

"Those are things we have to know Other people could die," Tyler said

"You mean Mr Dixon He wasn’t at the house when he went into a coma"

"No But he’d been at the house, and you found a friend dead there a matter of hours earlier Dixon saw the news about Julian’s death before going to sleep"

"So, he dreahtening to his sleeping mind that he slipped into another realm," Allison said "I don’t know the answers to any of it I just know that it’s real and horrible and I’m so tired I can’t think Will you take me home, please?" she asked "I’d just like to be alone"

He looked over the top of the car at her and Allison saw that his gaze was filled with disappointet what he wanted But it was more than that; it was disappoint

"Certainly I’ll take you right home"

Allison had no idea why his reaction bothered her It just did