Carl began laughing. “You look like we’ve just spoiled your entire day. Let’s go back to your office and get this thing settled. Then well go home and pick up Jeff and bring him out here. Hell love the place. He loves the ocean, and he loves climbing. That bluff should make him very happy.”
Again Rose nodded. “Something’s wrong,” she said. “Selling a house like this isn’t supposed to be this easy. Why are you in such a hurry to move in?”
“We’re in a hurry,” Barbara said, “because we’ve been looking for a house for a year, we know exactly what we want, we have the money to buy it and the talent to fix it, and it’s just what we’re looking for. Also, Jeff is fourteen years old, and we want to get him started in school before it gets too far into the year. In another month all the cliques for this year will be formed, and Jeff will be out in the cold till next fall. So if we can’t move in next weekend, we probably won’t move in at all. Can you arrange it?”
“Sure,” Rose said. “There isn’t anything to arrange. Like I said, you’ve taken all the fun out of it for me.”
“Well,” Carl said, “we’ll do our best to make it up to you.”
On the way back to town, Rose decided she liked the Stevenses.
Martin Forager stood in front of Jack Conger’s desk, his eyes blazing. He kept his hands stuffed deep in the pockets of his plaid hunting jacket.
“I’m telling you, Conger,” he was saying, “it’s a disgrace. It’s been two days now, and nothing’s been done.” He turned to stare out the window. “Nothing,” he repeated.
“I’m sure Ray’s doing his best,” Jack began. Forager whirled.
“His best ain’t good enough. I don’t know what happened to my daughter, but I want to know.”
Jack looked up helplessly. Martin Forager was a big man. He had planted his fists on Jack’s desk and was leaning over him, glowering.
“I don’t see what I can do,” Jack said quietly.
“You can use your paper,” Forager snapped. “That’s what you can do. You can use it to light a fire under Ray Norton. Let him know that if he doesn’t do something, and do it fast, the people of this town are going to get rid of him.”
“I hardly think—” Jack started to say.
“I hardly think,” Forager mimicked. “It didn’t happen to your daughter, so why would you hardly think anything?”
Jack fought hard to control his temper. He began again.
“Just exactly what do you think happened to Anne?” he asked.
“Someone—” Martin Forager hesitated. “Did something to her,” he finished lamely.
“Did what?” Jack asked.
Forager began to look uncomfortable. “Well—I don’t know, really. But the doctor said …”
“The doctor said nothing much happened to her,” Jack said firmly. “He told me so himself, at your request. He examined her thoroughly, and apart from a few bruises, which she could have gotten in any one of a number of ways, she isn’t hurt. She certainly wasn’t molested.” He continued quickly, seeing the blood drain from Martin Forager’s face. “I know, you never said she was, but that’s what you’ve been thinking.” He dropped his hands into his lap and slumped back in his chair. “Hell, Marty, that’s what we’ve all been thinking. But apparently nothing happened. And you know how kids are. She came home late. Maybe nothing at all happened, and she made the whole thing up.” He held up a hand as he saw Forager’s temper begin to build again. “Don’t start up again, Martin. If the doctor’s report showed anything, anything at all I could get a handle on, I’d be raising as big a stink as you. But it doesn’t. Unless Anne starts talking about what happened to her, there’s nothing any of us can do.”
Forager glared at him for a moment. “You mean like Sarah talks about what happened to her?” he snarled. He turned away, and was out of Jack’s office before he could see the effect of his words. Jack remained in his chair, waiting for his heart to stop pounding. He was shaking.
When Sylvia Bannister came into the inner office a few minutes later, Jack hadn’t moved. Sylvia started to put a file on the desk in front of him, but stopped when she saw his face.
“Jack?” she said. “Jack, are you all right?”
“I don’t know, Syl,” Jack said quietly. “Why don’t you close the door and sit down.” He