“Franny, look at me!” I tried to pull myself out of the chair to bend over her, but I was too weak and the bed was too high. “Franny, it’s Mama!”

Her eyelids might have flickered, but otherwise she didn’t move.

“Franny, what did you see last night? You have to tell me!”

The nurse pulled me away. “Mrs. Caine, I’ll have to take you back now. Excitement isn’t good for you with your head injury. Your daughter is going to be all right. There’s nothing physically wrong with her.”

She wheeled me back to my room and helped me into bed. Then she went away and left me in mental agony. My head was pounding more than ever, but that was nothing compared with the torture I was going through in my mind.

23

Chapter Twenty-­Three

After a while Dr. Fowler returned with the staff neurologist, a Dr. Gustavson. Dr. Gustavson examined me quickly and pronounced me practically recovered.

“Your concussion was a mild one,” he said. “I think it was shock that kept you unconscious so long. That may be your daughter’s problem too, a psychological shock of some kind.”

“What could have caused it?” I asked warily, glancing at Dr. Fowler.

“I don’t know, but I think maybe Frances isn’t coming out of it because she doesn’t want to come out of it. Is there any situation that has been giving her difficulties, something she doesn’t want to face?”

“Not that I know of.”

“Why were you wandering around in the dark at that time of night, Mrs. Caine?”

“I’m told I was sleepwalking.”

“I understand you were found in the family graveyard.”

“Apparently so.”

He waited, but I didn’t say anything more. He shook his head and went away with Dr. Fowler. Shortly thereafter a nurse came in with some medication and persuaded me to take it. It relieved my headache and put me to sleep for a couple of hours.

When I awakened, Duff was sitting in the bedside chair. He was definitely the old Duff—thin and frail and looking now as though he needed a week’s sleep as well as a good meal.

“Hi,” he said, smiling wanly.

“Hi. How did you get here?”

“Father Jackson brought me. He’s visiting some other patients now.” He paused and then his eyes filled. He couldn’t have been faking it. “Father Jackson says he told you about Dad.”

“Yes.”

Another pause while he sniffled a little. “Well, I guess it had to happen sometime. At least he got the chance to do what he wanted, coming out here.”

“That’s right. Where were you when it happened, Duff?”

“Didn’t Father Jackson tell you? I was in bed when I heard you scream. Then I rushed out and got to where you were almost as soon as Father Jackson did.”