saw his wife go into his son's bedroom, as she did every night, and fiddle momentarily with his sheets and coverlet. 'Did you say your prayers?'
'Yes, ma'am,' Hap always answered.
Then she would kiss him good night on the forehead, turn out his light as she left the room, and go into her bedroom. Within ten minutes she would have changed into her pajamas, brushed her teeth, and washed her face. She would then kneel beside her bed, her elbows on the top of the blanket and her hands clasped right in front of her face. 'Dear God,' she would say aloud, and then she would pray until exactly ten-thirty, moving her lips silently with her eyes closed. Five minutes later she would be asleep.
Vernon was aware of a vague disquiet as he walked through the living room toward the three bedrooms on the opposite side of the house from the garage. There was something stirring in him, something that he could not identify exactly, but he assumed it was associated with either the nervousness of opening night or the sudden return of Randy Hilliard to his life. He wanted to talk to someone.
He stopped at Hap's bedroom first Commander Winters walked in quietly in the dark and sat on the side of his son's bed. Hap was fast asleep, lying on his side. A tiny nightlight beside his bed illuminated his profile. How like your mother you look, Winters thought. And act. You two are so close. I'm almost a trespasser in my own home. He put his hand gently against Hap's cheek. The boy did not stir. How can I make up for all the time I was gone?
Winters gently nudged his son awake. 'Hap,' he said softly, 'it's your dad.' Henry Allen Pendleton Winters rubbed his eyes and then sat up quickly in bed. 'Yes, sir,' he said, 'is anything wrong? Is Mom all right?'
'No,' his father answered, and then laughed. 'I mean yes. Mom's all right. Nothing's wrong. I just wanted to talk.'
Hap looked at the clock beside his bed. 'Ummm, well, okay, Dad. What do you want to talk about?'
Winters was quiet for a moment. 'Hap, did you ever read the copy of the script that I got for you and your mother, the one from my play?'
'No, sir. Not much,' Hap replied. 'I'm sorry, but I just couldn't get into it. I think maybe it's above my head.' He brightened. 'But I'm looking forward to seeing you in it tomorrow night.' There was a long pause. 'Umm, what's it about anyway?'
Winters stood up and looked out the open window. Beyond the screen he could hear the gentle susurration of the crickets. 'It's about a man who loses his place with God because he can't or won't control his actions. It's about ...' Winters turned his head around quick1y and caught his son eyeing the clock. A sharp emotional pain raced through him. He waited until it had abated and then drew a breath. 'Well, we can talk about it some other time, son. I just realized how late it is.'
He walked to the door. 'Good night, Hap,' he said.
'Good night, sir.'
Vernon Winters walked past his wife's room to the third bedroom at the end of the hall. He undressed slowly, now even more aware than before of an unfulfilled longing. He thought for a fleeting second about waking Betty up to talk and maybe ... But he knew better. That's not her style, he said to himself, never was. Even before when we slept together. And after Libya and the dreams and tears at night who could blame her for wanting her own bedroom.
He slipped into his bed in his undershorts. The soothing melody of the crickets enveloped him. And besides. She has her God and I have my despair. There is nothing left between us except Hap. We couple as strangers. both fearing any discovery.
THURSDAY Chapter 10
'THE communication room will close in five minutes. The communication room will close in five minutes.' The disembodied, recorded voice sounded tired. Carol Dawson was weary herself. She was talking to Dale Michaels on the videophone. Photographs were strewn all over the desk underneath the screen and the video camera.
'All right,' Carol was saying, 'I guess I agree with you. The only possible way for me to decipher this puzzle is to bring all the photos and the telescope recording unit back to Miami. 'She sighed and then yawned. 'I'll come up there first thing in the morning,