“Got it,” Jack called, and picked up the receiver with one hand as he unbuttoned his dripping coat with the other. “Hello?”
“Jack? Barbara Stevens. We just got home from playing golf—”
“In this weather?” Jack said, disbelieving.
Barbara chuckled. “Some of us will play in anything. But I’ll tell you something, just between us. That old shack that serves as a clubhouse needs a new roof.”
“It needs a new everything, but there aren’t enough members to do it Besides, I doubt that anybody but you would be out there on a day like today.”
“It was pretty wet,” Barbara admitted. “Anyway, I was just wondering if Jeff is over there. He was supposed to be home all afternoon, but he isn’t here. And since he doesn’t really know anyone yet except you, I thought he might be playing with your kids.”
“We just got in ourselves,” Jack said. “Hang on, and I’ll find out if he’s here.” He set the receiver on the table and turned to Rose, who was watching him curiously.
“Barbara Stevens,” he said. “She’s wondering if Jeff is here.”
Rose felt a sinking sensation in her stomach. She was remembering a similar telephone call, a call that had come from Kathy Burton’s mother only days ago. How many days? She couldn’t remember. Her feeling of foreboding increased.
“What’s wrong?” Jack asked his wife, seeing her face lose its color.
“Nothing,” Rose said. “I was just thinking—” She broke off. “Nothing,” she said again. “Ill call Elizabeth.”
She stepped to the foot of the stairs and called upward, her voice echoing through the house. In a moment they heard a door open and close, and footsteps approaching the head of the stairs. Then Rose saw her daughter.
“Hi,” Elizabeth said. “I didn’t hear you come in. I was reading.”
“Didn’t you hear the phone ring?” Rose asked curiously.
“Yes, but when it stopped after the second ring I figured Mrs. Goodrich had gotten it. Is it for me?”
“No,” Rose said. “It’s Mrs. Stevens. Is Jeff here?”
“Jeff?” Elizabeth asked. “He left hours ago.”
The feeling of foreboding flooded over Rose.
“Then he was here?”
Elizabeth nodded. “Oh, yes. He came over right after you left. He said he wanted to hunt for the cave.”
“The cave?” Rose frowned.
“You know. The legend. He said it doesn’t exist, and he wanted to go look for it. He wanted me to go with him, but I wouldn’t. I told him it was too dangerous. Besides, it was raining.”
Jack, who had been listening to the conversation between Rose and Elizabeth, picked the telephone up again.
“Barbara?” he said. “Apparently he was here, but that was early this afternoon. Elizabeth doesn’t know where he was going, but apparently he said something about wanting to hunt for the cave.”
“The cave?” Barbara asked. “You mean the one on the embankment on the Point?”
“I guess so,” Jack replied. “If there really is one. It’s mostly just an old family legend. No one’s ever found it.”
“The embankment’s dangerous, isn’t it?” Barbara said, worry sharpening her voice.
Jack decided to be truthful. “Yes, it is. That’s one of the reasons we’ve kept the legend going. It’s been a useful tool for keeping children away from a dangerous place.”
“I know. Rose told me about it when we moved in. We told Jeff to stay away from there.”
“Then I’m sure he did,” Jack said reassuringly. “He probably just decided to go for a hike and lost track of time.”
“I don’t know,” Barbara said, the anxiety in her voice rising. “He doesn’t know the area, and he’s usually pretty responsible about things.”
“But he’s a teenager,” Jack reminded her. “They can be counted on not to be counted on.”
“I suppose so,” Barbara said doubtfully. “Well, I won’t start worrying for another hour. If he isn’t home by six, I don’t know what well do.”
“I’m sorry I couldn’t help you more. If he turns up here, we’ll call you.” They said good-bye, and Jack hung up the phone. He turned to Rose, and the worry he had not allowed to show in his voice was etched on his face.
“It’s like the others, isn’t it?” he said.
Rose nodded mutely. It was too much like the others. And then she remembered Sarah. Sarah had not been standing behind her sister at the head of the stairs. She glanced upward and saw Elizabeth still standing where she had been, waiting to be told what Mrs. Stevens had said.
“Where’s Sarah?” Rose said, finding her voice.
“Sarah?” Elizabeth repeated the name. “In her room, I guess. Or the playroom.” She fell silent and appeared