“As far as I know. I’ve been here in the living room most of the time, so if he came down he must have done it very quietly. Oh, by the way, you had a call from Gainesville, from Father Jackson. He left his number. Golly, you’re really going in for religion in a big way, aren’t you.”

I didn’t answer her, but went out to the kitchen and turned on all the lights. Then I bolted the back door and sat at the kitchen table for a while until I had regained some composure.

I wondered if he was in the house now. If he wasn’t, would bolted doors keep him out? What should I do then? Get myself a crucifix or a Bible? I already had the holy water. Had that saved me or was it my own instincts?

Shit, I thought, absolute shit. I took the bottle out of my pocket, opened the door of the wood stove and threw the bottle in. Then I sat frightened, certain I had brought calamity on myself.

After a while I went to the telephone and dialed the number on the pad. Mrs. Guenther answered and summoned Father Jackson.

“It occurred to me that I might have seemed abrupt this afternoon,” he said.

“It’s all right.”

“My apologies anyway.” He laughed. “Your daughter told me you were visiting the enemy camp.”

“Did she tell you what happened to Stephanie Weber?”

“No.” And then after I told him, “My God, I didn’t read the paper or watch the six o’clock news tonight from Ashland. Did the police ask any questions about your boy?”

I turned to look for Franny, but she had apparently gone upstairs. “There is no problem in that area right now,” I said softly. “It seems that Duff’s movements can be accounted for by the Webers and Mrs. Reddy. He apparently spent the evening with them.”

“Maybe you’d better keep him away from that house.”

“You’re the second person tonight to tell me that. Emil Weber was the first.”

Father Jackson was silent for a moment. Then he said, “I think we ought to get together and talk about this some more, Mrs. Caine. I’d really like to help you, if I can, even though I don’t think there’s anything supernatural about your difficulties.”

“You should’ve been with me tonight,” I said and hung up. Instantly I regretted it and wondered if I should have told him about what I had seen. Then I decided that really would have convinced him I was crazy.

Was I? Was it some sort of suicidal impulse that had almost caused me to drive my car into the creek and also run it into the ditch when Duff was with me? Was I trying to conceal my motive by imagining I saw the General?