to do,” he said at last. “I’m going to have to tell people something, you know.”
Dr. Belter smiled tightly. “Tell them what you want. If you ask me, which I suppose you’re about to do, I don’t have any answers. I wish that search party had found something. But they didn’t, and we can’t change that.”
Norton nodded his agreement. “Let me ask you a question. Is it possible, at all possible, for Sarah to have killed the children?”
“I don’t know,” Dr. Belter said hesitantly. He didn’t like to deal in possibilities. He had seen so much that he was inclined to think that practically anything was possible. He saw that his answer was going to be unacceptable to the chief of police, so he weighed his words carefully.
“Let me put it this way. I have to say that, yes, it is possible for Sarah to have killed all three of the missing children. I say that not because I think she did, but because at the moment we don’t have any alternatives to choose from. If I were you I’d keep searching. If this snow lasts through the winter, I’d continue looking in the spring. Somewhere out there is the rest of that body, and maybe two more bodies besides. And I certainly don’t think that you can charge Sarah with anything on the basis of one arm. I admit, it’s ugly. I admit, at the moment we don’t have much else to think. But you should also be aware that if you try to claim that Sarah is responsible for the dismembering of one chlid and the disappearance of two others, nothing is going to happen. Any psychiatrist you find will tell you the same thing I will. Sarah is not responsible for what she does. She is almost hopelessly schizophrenic. I say almost because with her kind of disorder there is always a chance that she’ll come out of it. But even if she does, there’s no guarantee that she’ll be able to tell you what happened. She probably won’t remember. Frankly, if I were you I’d keep the case open.”
“And what about Sarah?” Ray Norton said uneasily, “What if she is responsible?”
“I don’t think there’s too much question about Sarah’s future. I’m sure that after the last couple of days the Congers will agree that it’s time she was institutionalized. It’ll be the best thing for her, and the best for them. They can’t go on living as they have been.” He looked to Jack, and Jack nodded his agreement.
“When?” Jack said.
Dr. Belter thought it over. “Tonight, I think. I don’t see any reason why your wife should have to go through it. It isn’t easy to see your child leave your house for the last time. And it will be better for Sarah, too. I can take her to White Oaks for tonight, and we can talk tomorrow about the best place for her.”
Jack nodded mutely. He wondered why he didn’t feel anything, but he didn’t.
“I’m sorry,” Ray Norton said. They had moved into the hall, and Ray was standing uncomfortably by the front door, wanting to get away. “If there’s anything I can do …” His voice trailed off as Jack shook his head.
“Thanks, Ray,” he said. “I don’t know. I guess I’m feeling numb.”
Jack started up the stairs to pack a suitcase for Sarah, and Ray Norton put his hand on the front door.
“Wait a moment, please,” Dr. Belter said softly to the police chief.
Norton’s hand dropped from the doorknob, but he didn’t meet the psychiatrist’s eyes. For the last hour he had heard a lot of things he hadn’t wanted to hear, and he was embarrassed. He was acutely aware that there was such a thing as knowing too much about your friends, and he had a distinct feeling he was about to hear even more. He was right. Dr. Belter led him back to the study and quickly filled him in on every detail of the Conger cases, both Sarah’s and Jack’s.
When the doctor was finished Ray Norton stared at him, unable to conceal the animosity he was feeling toward the man.
“Just exactly why are you telling me all this?” he asked. “It seems to me that what you’re doing is unethical at best and probably illegal at worst.”
Dr. Belter stared at the fire in front of him. He was very much aware that what Norton was saying was true. What he was doing was both unethical and illegal, but he had