“I’m going to call Doc Crowder,” said Neil. “This is one time I don’t believe we can help ourselves.”

He helped Susan and Toby downstairs to the kitchen and lit the gas under the kettle to make coffee. Then he went into the living room and dialed the doctor’s home number. He realized, as he dialed, how much his hands were shaking and, as he leaned back against his rolltop desk, waiting for the doctor to answer, he could see his face reflected in the glass of a desk-top photograph of Susan. He was white and haggard.

The phone rang for almost a minute before it was picked up.

Mrs. Crowder said, “Doctor’s Crowder’s residence. Who is this, please?”

“Emma?” said Neil. “It’s Neil Fenner. Is the doctor home?”

“Why, Neil! How are you? It’s been a long time since you came up this way. How’s Toby?”

Neil rubbed his eyes. “It’s—well, it’s Toby I wanted to talk to the doctor about. We’ve got ourselves a problem here, Emma, and I was wondering if he could find the time to come down here.”

“Is it really urgent? I know he’s got a lot to do tonight. The Baxter sisters just came down with whooping cough.”

“Emma—if it wasn’t serious I wouldn’t ask. I know how hard he works.”

Emma said warmly, “Okay, Neil. I know that. He’s going to call home when he’s through at the Baxters, so I’ll ask him to come on down to see you. It’s nothing too bad, I hope?”

Neil didn’t answer for a moment. He didn’t know how to describe what had happened, or what to say about it. In the end, he said thickly, “No, no. It’s nothing too bad. Nothing to get upset about.”

He hung up and then went back into the kitchen to brew coffee. Toby was looking calmer now, but all three of them were still pale with shock. Neil went to the wooden door that led to the stairs and closed it, turning the key in the lock.

Susan said nervously, “You don’t think it’s still—”

Neil shook his head. “I think it’s gone, or disappeared, whatever it was. But I’m not taking any chances. I’m going to let Doc Crowder take a look at that wardrobe, and then first light tomorrow I’m going to take it outside and I’m going to burn it to ashes.” Toby looked up at his father with wide eyes. He whispered, “You mustn’t do that, daddy. You mustn’t burn it.”

Neil pulled out a chair and sat down beside him. “Mustn’t? What do you mean, tiger?”

Toby licked his lips, and he began to pant a little, as if he were short of breath. “He says—he says that—”

“Who?” asked Susan. “Who says?”