“It’s more than fear. He’s allergic to them, or was. When he was little, he would break into a rash and choke up if I even took him out to watch me ride.”

I’m sure he wasn’t listening to me, because he went on, “He must have the clothes hidden somewhere—the uniform you saw the General wearing.”

I screamed, “Goddamn it, you just suggested that it was a local kid!”

“That was before I found the glasses. Take it easy, Margaret.”

“Mrs. Caine!”

“I’m sorry, Mrs. Caine.” He started the motor.

“Wait . . . please wait, Father. You’re the only one I can talk to.”

He turned the ignition off again.

“It must be someone else,” I said carefully. “The size and age are so different. There is a kind of resemblance in some of the features, but in others—”

“Stage makeup.”

“I would’ve noticed it. I was so close in the kitchen and in the car.”

“It’s all scientifically possible, maybe even without makeup. Changes in appearance have been known to coincide with changes in personality. My brother Jim can tell you about that. Changes in physical capacity aren’t so rare either, which would account for Duff’s strength that time at the high school and in the fight with the police. You’ve heard of instances in which it took a dozen men to overcome a hundred-­pound madman.”

I began to cry. Then I told him about the two dreams.

“Dreams are nothing to worry about. You can’t control your dreams.”

“But can anybody else control them?”

“Hardly. Anyway, I don’t know anything about dream interpretation. You can ask Jim. I think he’s a Jungian rather than a Freudian, and he’ll probably tell you your dreams have nothing to do with sex. You saw the man on the lawn, so you dreamed about him, that’s all. Maybe you were punishing yourself for some reason—or punishing someone else.”

“One other thing. It looked this morning as though I had company in bed last night.”

“Your husband?”

“He would have had difficulty with the stairs. Also, the door was locked.”

He was silent for a while. Then he said, “I think you and your family have to get away from here.”

“Duff will refuse to go. And there’s his court hearing.”

“You don’t have to go that far,” said Father Jackson impatiently. “Just get away from this house. I know a place you can stay in Cainesville. There’s an old couple who’re going to Europe for three months and they’d be glad to have someone reliable in their house.”

“I’ll think about it.” I leaned over and kissed him gently on the cheek. I don’t know why I did it, but it embarrassed him. Then I got out of the car. “Don’t worry. I’m sure everything will turn out all right.”