But it’s something that has to be done.”
“Yes,” Rose sighed. “I suppose so. All right. Let me put on my coat. Are the girls downstairs?”
“I think they’re in the playroom.”
“Call them down, will you? I want to kiss them good-bye.”
Jack looked at her curiously. “Rose, we’re only going to talk today. You’re acting like it’s the end of the world or something.”
She smiled tightly. “I suppose I am. But call them down anyway, will you?”
She began putting on her coat and heard Jack’s voice calling from the foot of the stairs. When she got to the front door the children were waiting for her.
She kissed Elizabeth perfunctorily, then knelt by Sarah and put her aims around the child. She nuzzled Sarah’s cheek, and felt the little girl withdraw slightly.
“You be good now,” she whispered. “Mommy and Daddy have to go out for a while.” She stood up again and smiled at Elizabeth. “We should be back by four thirty or five,” she said. “Please stay in the house.”
“Who wants to go out in that?” Elizabeth said.
“I know,” Rose agreed. “It’s awful, isn’t it?”
“I wish it would snow,” Elizabeth said. “At least it’s pretty. This is depressing.”
Rose smiled at her daughter’s use of the word. She was definitely growing up, if she was starting to find the weather “depressing.”
She left the house with her husband and got into the car. She turned to wave to the children as they drove away, then began preparing herself for the interview with Dr. Belter.
Elizabeth watched the car until it reached the Point Road, then closed the door. She was about to go upstairs when the phone rang.
“I’ll get it,” she called to Mrs. Goodrich. “Hello?” she said into the receiver.
“Who’s this?” a voice asked.
“It’s Elizabeth. Who’s this?”
“Jeff Stevens. What are you doing?”
“Nothing. My parents had to go some place, and I’m taking care of Sarah.”
“Oh.” Jeff sounded disappointed. “I thought we might go look for the cave,” he said.
“The cave? I thought you didn’t believe there was a cave.”
“I don’t. And if we can’t find it you’ll have to admit I’m right, won’t you?”
“I don’t know,” Elizabeth said noncommittally. “I don’t see how our not finding it would prove it isn’t there. That doesn’t make sense. All it would prove is that we didn’t find it.”
“If it’s there, we can find it You want to try?”
Elizabeth thought about it “Why don’t you come over here?” she said. “Will your parents let you?”
“They’re out playing golf,” Jeff said.
“In the rain?”
“It doesn’t bother them. They always play until it snows. Sometimes they even play in the snow.”
“Weird,” Elizabeth commented.
“Yeah,” Jeff said. “I’ll see you in a little while.”
Elizabeth hung up the phone and went to find Mrs. Goodrich, to tell her Jeff Stevens was coming over. In the kitchen she could hear the sound of the old housekeeper’s television droning from the next room. Elizabeth tapped lightly on the door. When there was no response, she tried the door, and finding it unlocked opened it and looked into the room. Mrs. Goodrich was sitting in her chair, facing the television. She was sound asleep. Elizabeth smiled to herself and closed the door again.
Twenty minutes later Jeff Stevens arrived, and Elizabeth led him to the back study. Sarah followed silently along behind, her wide brown eyes seeming to take in everything and see nothing.
“This is where my great-great-uncle left the rabbit,” Elizabeth said, pointing to the wing chair.
“And that’s the little girl who was supposed to have been killed?” Jeff asked, pointing to the portrait above the fireplace.
“That’s Beth,” Elizabeth said, nodding her head.
“She looks just like you,” Jeff said.
“I know. But she isn’t me. I don’t like her.”
Jeff grinned at her. “You sound like you know her.”
“I do,” Elizabeth said. “I’ve talked to her.”
“That’s dumb,” Jeff said. “You can’t talk to dead people.”
“Yes you can,” Elizabeth insisted. “With the Ouija board.”
“It didn’t say anything the other day,” Jeff said sarcastically. “All it did was spell out a name. And I’ll bet you did that.”
“It was her,” Elizabeth said defiantly.
“Well, if it’s all true, let’s go find the cave. If there is one, I’ll bet that’s where your friend Beth is.”
“I don’t know,” Elizabeth said. “The cave is supposed to be on the embankment, and I’m not supposed to go there.”
“I’m not either,” Jeff said. “But I’m not going to let that stop me. Are you chicken?”
“No, but I just don’t think we should.”
“You’re afraid we won’t find it and you’ll have to admit you’re wrong.”
“All right,