"Is this the hospital?" Thorn asked into the phone. "Yes, she's in room 4A."

"My God, if I hadn't had these cameras . . ." Jennings continued.

"Would you interrupt please? This is an emergency."

"We've got to do something, Thorn. Do you hear me?"

Thorn turned to Jennings, eyeing the strap marks on his neck.

"Find the town of Meggido," he said softly.

"How the hell am I going to find ..."

"I don't know. Go to a library."

"A library! Jesus Christ!"

"Hello?" Thorn asked into the phone. "Katherine?"

In her hospital bed, Katherine moved to an upright position, concerned by the urgency in her husband's voice. She held the phone with her good hand, the other immobilized by the angular cast.

"Are you all right?" Thorn asked desperately.

"Yes. Are you?"

"Yes. I just wanted to make sure..."

"Where are you?"

"I'm in Rome. A hotel called the Imperatore."

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"Are you ill?"

"No, I was worried ..."

"Come back, Jerry."

"I can't come back right now."

"I'm frightened."

"There's nothing to be frightened of."

"I've been calling the house and there's no answer."

In his hotel room, Thorn looked at Jennings who was changing his shirt, preparing to go out.

"Jerry?" said Katherine. "I think I'd better go home."

"Stay where you are." Thorn warned.

"I'm worried about Damien."

"Don't go near the house, Katherine.

"I have to . . ."

"Listen to me, Katherine. Don't go near the house."

Katherine stopped, alarmed by his tone.

"If you're worried about my doing something," she said, "you don't have to be. I've been talking to the psychiatrist, and I see things more clearly now. It isn't Damien that's causing any of this, it's me."

"Katharine . . ."

"Listen to me. I'm taking a drug called Lithium. It's a drug for depression. And it works. I want to go home. And I want you to come back." She paused, her voice thickening. "And I want everything to be all right."

"Who gave you the drug?" asked Thorn.

"Dr. Greer."

"Stay in that hospital, Katherine. Don't leave until I come for you."

"I want to go home, Jerry."

"For God's sake . . ."

"I'm all right"

"You're not all right!"

"Don't worry."

"Katherine!"

"I'm going home, Jerry."

"Don't! I'll come back."

"When?"

"In the morning."

"But what if something's wrong at home? I've called there . . ."

"Something is wrong at home, Katherine."

She paused, chilled by his words.

"Jerry?" she asked quietly. "What's wrong?"

"Not over the phone," Thorn agonized.

"What's happening? What's wrong at home?"

"Just wait for me there. Just don't move from the hospital. I'll be home in the morning and explain it all."

"Please don't do this to me . . ."

"It's not you, Katherine. There's nothing wrong with you."

"What are you saying?"

In the hotel room, Jennings shot Thorn a look and gravely shook his head.

"Jerry?"

"He's not our child, Katherine. Damien belongs to someone else."

"What?"

"Don't go home," warned Thorn. "Just wait for me there."