the glass and drained half of it. Then, shakily, she sank to the sofa.
“What shall we do?” she breathed. “Oh, God, Jack, what shall we do?”
“Call Dr. Belter,” Jack said quietly. “I’ll call Dr. Belter. And Ray Norton.” But neither of them made a move toward the telephone. They simply sat there, staring at each other, trying to assimilate what they had seen. They were still there, sitting in the study, when Ray Norton arrived.
He bad been getting ready to go home when the call came. He had known immediately that something was wrong. Very wrong. In all the years he had known her, he had never known Mrs. Goodrich to use the telephone. So he called the White Oaks School and told Dr. Belter to meet him at the Congers’. Then he had gotten into his car and raced out the Conger’s Point Road, using the siren for the first time since he had had it installed.
The front door stood open, and he didn’t bother to ring the bell. He went in and closed the door behind him. He could hear water running somewhere upstairs, but there were no other sounds. He started for the stairs, then changed his mind and went down the hall to the back study. He opened the door and saw Jack and Rose Conger sitting quietly by the fireplace, their faces pale. Neither of them moved when he came into the room.
“Mrs. Goodrich called me,” he said softly. “She said something happened out here.”
“Yes,” Jack said dully. “Only we don’t know what.” He fell silent, and Ray Norton moved closer.
“Are you all right?” he said. “What happened?”
“You’d better call Dr. Belter at the White Oaks School, Jack said.” I was going to do it myself, but. His voice trailed off again.
“It’s done,” Norton said. “Mrs. Goodrich told me to call him. He’s on his way.” He paused, unsure whether he should wait for the doctor before pressing Jack and Rose for information. Whatever it was, it seemed to be over now. He got a feeling of shock from the house, but not of emergency. It was as if something terrible had passed over them, leaving them stunned. He decided to wait for the doctor. He noted the empty glasses in the hands of both the Congers, and, though he supposed that he shouldn’t, he refilled them.
“You look like you need this,” he said gently. He sat down, and together they waited for Dr. Belter. The sound of running water upstairs suddenly stopped, and the house was silent. Then Rose began to cry, very softly.
It was almost thirty minutes before they heard the doorbell ring, and Ray Norton stood up to answer it. Then they heard the heavy clumping of Mrs. Goodrich’s feet coming down the stairs, and the murmur of voices. A moment later the housekeeper opened the study door and let the psychiatrist in. Without waiting to be asked, Mrs. Goodrich came into the room and closed the door behind her.
“I put her to bed,” she said. “She’s asleep. And I looked in on Miss Elizabeth. She’s scared, but she’s all right.”
Dr. Belter looked curiously at Jack and Rose Conger.
“What happened?” he said, and when there was no answer, he turned to the housekeeper. “What happened?” he asked again.
“Well, Mrs. Goodrich said shortly.” It isn’t pretty, and I don’t know for sure what it’s all about. I was in my room, watching television, and all of a sudden I heard the most awful commotion. It was Miz Rose, and she was screaming. ’Course, I didn’t know who was screaming till I got to the front porch, and after I got there I didn’t pay much attention. It was Miss Sarah. She was standing there, in the rain, all covered with mud and blood. And she had something in her hand.”
“What?” the doctor asked when the old woman fell silent. Mrs. Goodrich shot a glance toward Rose. “What was she carrying?” the doctor pressed.
“It—it was an arm,” Mrs. Goodrich said. “It’s in the kitchen. I left it there when I took Miss Sarah up to the bathroom.”
“Oh, Jesus,” Ray Norton breathed. He looked helplessly at the doctor, wondering what to do. Dr. Belter realized he would have to take charge for the moment.
“You’d better come with me,” he told the police chief. “I don’t see what good it will do right now, but we’d better have a look at it.”
The two men went to the kitchen and unwrapped the bloodstained towel. Ray Norton felt