“On the evidence I’ve been given, yes, possessed by something—not necessarily a devil. But if you’re proposing exorcism, I would very much like to attend the ceremony, Father.”

“I wasn’t about to propose it,” Father Jackson said.

“Couldn’t the police be informed of what’s going on at the Webers’? Couldn’t Mrs. Reddy be stopped?” I asked.

“I doubt that you could get the police to believe that Mrs. Reddy is a dangerous person. A lot of people know of her activities and some of them consider her a witch, but the general attitude is that she’s harmless. The people who have been frightened of her—and of the General—have usually just moved away. And that’s what the authorities would probably advise you to do—keep your son away from Mrs. Reddy or else move out of the area.”

Dr. Tully paid the check, waving off the protests that neither Father Jackson nor I were about to make, and we left the restaurant. Then he drove us back to where Father Jackson’s car was parked.

“I really would like to visit the Caine farmhouse,” he said.

“Call us before you come,” I said.

He waved and drove off, then made a U-­turn and came back.

“There is one thing you can do,” he yelled. “If you can find the General’s remains, I would destroy them—or at least rebury them in a safe place.”

“Why?” Father Jackson shouted.

“To prevent Mrs. Reddy’s using them.” He waved again and drove off, heading down the center of the street as before.

14

Chapter Fourteen

“The man is absolutely mad,” Father Jackson said. “I’m sorry I brought you here.”

“Well, at least there are two people who don’t seem to think I’m crazy—Father Fogarty and Dr. Tully.”

“You’re not going to get any help from anyone who believes in the occult.” We were on our way back to the farm now. “And despite what Tully says about the police, I think you should tell them what you know about Mrs. Reddy.”

“I can’t do that without bringing Duff into it. And I don’t want the police connecting him in any way with the death of Stephanie.”

“But if he did do it—”

“If he did, he did! Goddamn it, he’s my son!” Then I had another thought. “Do you think Tully will go to the police with all of the things I told him about Duff?”

“I doubt it. It strikes me he’s more interested in recording the legends of General Caine than in ending them. Anyway, one thing you’ve got to do is get psychiatric help for Duff. Even if there are outside forces at work, Duff could be helped to resist them. A good psychiatrist could help to straighten out his thinking, strengthen his will to resist.”

“But where can I find someone?”