Suffer the Children (21 page)

“Stevenses?” Marilyn Burton said blankly. “Who are they?”

“Oh, they’re the people who bought the Barnes place,” Elizabeth said. “They just moved in.”

“I see,” Marilyn said. “And Kathy was going to go right back to the Nortons’?”

“That’s what she said,” Elizabeth replied. “I tried
to talk her into coming here for a little while, but she said she didn’t have time.”

“I see,” Marilyn Burton repeated, though she had barely heard what Elizabeth had told her. “Well, I’m sure she’s perfectly all right.”

“Didn’t she get to the Nortons’?” Elizabeth asked.

“No,” said Marilyn Burton. “She didn’t. But don’t worry. I’m sure she’s somewhere.” She dropped the receiver back in its cradle, then called Norma Norton back.

“Norma?” she said. “It’s Marilyn. I think you’d better call Ray.”

Rose saw the apprehension in her daughter’s face as Elizabeth hung up the phone.

“What is it?” she asked. “Has something happened to Kathy?”

Elizabeth shrugged and shook her head slowly. “I don’t know. She never got to the Nortons’.”

“Where did she leave you?” Jack asked.

“At the edge of the woods,” Elizabeth replied. “We were talking about the Stevenses, and Kathy was hoping if we walked by, maybe she’d get a glimpse of Jeff.”

“And did you?” Rose asked archly.

Elizabeth shook her head. “I don’t think anybody was home,” she said. “At least, we didn’t see anybody. So when we got to the woods Kathy said she had to be getting back to the Nortons’.”

There was an uncomfortable silence, and Rose was sure that all three of them were thinking about Anne Forager. “Well,” she said finally, breaking the silence. “You’d better get back upstairs before Sarah misses you.”

“Yeah,” Elizabeth said blankly. “I hope nothing’s happened to Kathy.” She searched her parents’ faces, as if looking for reassurance that her friend was all right. Rose did her best to smile brightly.

“I’m sure it’s nothing serious,” she said, with a confidence
she didn’t feel. Then she decided to voice what they were all thinking. “After all, nothing happened to Anne Forager, did it?”

“No,” Elizabeth agreed. “But she’s a little liar anyway. Kathy isn’t like that” She left the room, and Jack and Rose listened to her steps echoing up the stairs.

“We ought to get a carpet for that staircase,” Jack said absently.

“That’s a stupid thing to say,” Rose snapped. She stopped, surprised at what she’d said. Jack stared at her.

“What did you expect me to say?” he said coldly. “Are we supposed to sit here speculating on what might have happened to Kathy Burton?” He saw the anger flare in his wife’s eyes, and wished he’d kept his mouth shut. He picked up his glass and headed for the bar in the corner of the study.

“I wish you wouldn’t do that,” Rose said.

“Do you? Well, I’m sorry,” Jack said irritably, and poured twice as much liquor into the glass as he had intended to. He was preparing for the battle he could see brewing when the phone rang again. This time it was Ray Norton.

“That you, Jack?” he said when Jack picked up the receiver.

“Hello, Ray,” Jack replied. “Shall I guess what you’re calling about?”

“I was wondering if it would be all right with you if I dropped over for a couple of minutes.”

“Here?” Jack said. “Why here?”

“Well,” Ray answered. “It seems like Elizabeth was the last person to see Kathy—”

“You’re talking like she’s dead,” Jack interrupted.

“I didn’t mean to.” Ray Norton was apologetic but firm. “But she does seem to be missing, and I’d like to hear Elizabeth’s story straight from her.”

“What do you mean?” Jack said defensively.

Ray Norton heard the tone of his voice, and hurried to dispel Jack’s thoughts.

“Stop jumping to conclusions,” Ray said. “I just don’t like getting information secondhand, even from a mother. In fact, especially from a mother. I’d rather get it directly from the source, and from what I know of Elizabeth, she’s a pretty reliable source. Can I drop over for a few minutes?”

“Officially or unofficially?” Jack asked.

“Oh, come on, Jack,” Ray replied. “If you’re wondering if you need a lawyer—”

“No,” Jack interrupted, “I was wondering if I should have a drink waiting for you. See you when you get here.” He dropped the phone back on the hook, cutting off Ray Norton’s relieved laughter, and turned to his wife.

“We’re having company,” he said.

“So I gathered,” Rose said drily. “I take it he wants to talk to Elizabeth?”

“That’s it” Jack nodded. “I guess Marilyn Burton’s pretty upset, and gave him a garbled version of what Elizabeth told her.”

“Well, she has a right to be,” Rose said. “Upset, I mean.” She looked at the drink in Jack’s hand and was suddenly sorry she’d criticized him.

“If I apologize for snapping at you, would you mix me one of those?” She smiled.

Jack mixed the drink, and they sat in front of the fireplace, waiting for Ray Norton’s arrival. “I wonder what really happened,” Jack said finally.

Rose glanced up at her husband, and saw that he wasn’t looking at her but at the portrait of the little girl. She, too, stared up at it for a moment.

“What do you mean?” she countered. “You mean to her? Who knows? Who even knows if there really was a girl such as Dr. Belter was talking about And even if there was, there’s no way of knowing if that’s the girl.”

“If there
was
a girl, that’s the girl,” Jack said positively.

Rose looked quietly at him, trying to fathom what was going on in his mind. “You sound so sure,” she said at last.

Jack’s lips pursed, and he frowned a little. “Yes,” he said slowly. “I do, don’t I. And you know what? I am sure. I can’t tell you why, but I’m sure there was a girl and that that picture
is
the girl. And it terrifies me.” Then they heard the sound of a car coming up the drive, and Jack stood up to go to the front door. While he was out of the room Rose examined the portrait once more, and thought about the legend.

What nonsense, she thought. What utter nonsense.

Ray Norton closed his notebook and smiled at Elizabeth. “I wish all witnesses were like you,” he said. Once more he ran through Elizabeth’s recounting of what had happened that afternoon.

“And you’re sure you didn’t hear my wife calling to you?” he said.

“I’m sorry,” Elizabeth said. “But we didn’t. In fact, we were both listening for her. Kathy said she’d have to go in if Mrs. Norton called her, even though we were early, I’m sorry we didn’t hear her.”

Ray Norton nodded noncommittally. Norma hadn’t called to the girls as they passed the house, hadn’t even seen them. Ray liked to throw a curve now and then, just to see if a witness would change his story. But Elizabeth hadn’t. They’d been alone, and they hadn’t seen anybody or anything unusual, but of course, as Elizabeth explained, they hadn’t been looking for anybody, either. Except while they were passing the Nortons’, they had been engrossed in talking about Jeff Stevens.

“And you didn’t turn around and wave?” Ray said once more.

“I cut across the field,” Elizabeth said. “So I couldn’t
have seen Kathy anyway. The woods would have been in the way.”

“Okay.” Ray sighed. He looked at Jack. “I’ll have that drink now, if it’s still around. I probably shouldn’t, since I’ll have to go into town, but I hate things like this.” He caught Rose’s frown and remembered that Elizabeth was still in the room. “Not that anything has happened,” he added hastily. He took the drink that Jack was offering, gratefully. “Thanks.”

“Can I ride into town with you?” Jack asked. “As a newspaperman, not as a friend. I’d like to be on top of this one, after what I took from Martin Forager. Besides, I still have all of this afternoon’s work to catch up on.”

“Fine with me,” Ray said, draining the drink. “But I can’t guarantee what time you’ll get back.”

“I’ll find a way,” Jack said. He went to find a coat, and while he was gone Ray looked up at the portrait.

“It looks just like you,” he said to Elizabeth.

“I know,” Elizabeth said. “But it isn’t it’s somebody else. She’s not at all like me.”

Rose and Ray Norton stared after her as she left the room.

“Now what did that mean?” Ray said, puzzled.

“Don’t ask me,” Rose said. “She and Sarah found an old Ouija board up in the attic. Maybe she’s been talking to ghosts.”

“Right,” Ray said with mock seriousness. “I’m sure that’s what it is.” Jack returned, his coat buttoned up to his chin.

“See you when I see you,” he said, and kissed Rose perfunctorily. The two men left the house, and seconds later Rose heard Ray Norton’s car grinding away down the driveway. Not knowing why, she fixed herself another drink.

Ray Norton pulled the car up in front of the Port Arbello
Courier
, but didn’t turn off the engine.

“Looks like you got burglars,” he commented, pointing to a shadow moving across the drawn curtain of Jack Conger’s office. Jack smiled.

“Looks like Sylvia is trying to catch up on my work, is what it looks like.”

Ray Norton shook his head ruefully. “Sure wish I could get a secretary like that. At the station they don’t even want to do their own work, let alone mine.”

“Yes,” Jack said easily, “it is a problem, isn’t it. On the other hand, Sylvia can do my work better than I can, and your girls can’t do your work at all. Any idea how long you’ll be?”

“None whatever. Call me when you’re through, or I’ll call you. If you wander over later, and ask me nicely, I’ll fill you in on what’s happening with Kathy Burton.”

“What do you think’s happening?” Jack asked.

The police chief looked grim. “If we’re lucky, it’ll be the same story as Anne Forager. But we won’t be lucky.”

“You sound awfully sure,” Jack said.

“Call it a hunch. And knowing kids. Don’t quote me, but I tend to agree with the people who say nothing happened to Anne. She’s always been that kind of kid. Kathy Burton’s different, though.”

“Oh?”

“Norma and Marilyn Burton have been friends for years, ever since they were kids. So I know Kathy. She’s a good kid. Responsible, not the kind that would have let Norma down the way she did today, unless something happened. Been that way ever since her father died.” Norton shook his head sadly. “That was a tough break, for Kathy and her mother both. I really hand it to them.”

“It was a hunting accident, wasn’t it?”

“Yup. Just about three years ago. Really dumb one. He wasn’t wearing the colors, and someone mistook him for a buck. I tell them the same thing every year:
Wear the colors. There’s always one or two who don’t listen. But Burton’s the only one who ever caught a shot for his trouble.” The chief glanced at his watch. “Well, enough jawboning. Got work to do.” He shifted the car into gear as Jack got out. “See you later.”

Jack watched him pull away and head around the square to the police station. It was one of the things he liked about Port Arbello—being able to watch the whole town from his front door.

He had been right: Sylvia Bannister
was
in his office, and she
was
trying to do his work. She smiled at him as he came in.

“You just wrote one of the best editorials that’s ever come out of this office,” she told him.

“Oh? What’s it about?”

“Read it yourself,” she said, handing him a sheaf of papers. “Pure dynamite. You are fearless, courageous, and willing to put your reputation on the line. But modest and humble.”

“Sounds great,” Jack said. “But what am I being all this about?”

“Rose’s plan for the armory.”

“How’d you hear about that?” Jack asked, puzzled. “That’s supposed to be a secret.”

“Not in this town,” Sylvia said. “Anyway, you’re against the plan.”

“I am?” Jack said blankly. “That’ll be great for me at home.”

“It won’t hurt. You couldn’t very well be for it—everyone would accuse you of corruption. This way, you get credit for being honest and courageous and Rose gets her plan talked about.”

“Have you talked this over with Rose?” Jack said doubtfully.

“Of course,” the secretary said. “Who do you think thought of the idea? Didn’t she tell you about it?”

“She doesn’t tell me about much,” Jack said, and
a sudden wave of despondency flowed over him. He saw Sylvia’s face cloud over.

“I’m sorry,” she said. “I thought maybe things were getting better.”

Jack smiled, but it was a wry smile. “I thought they were. But you can never tell One day things seem to be going well, and the next all hell breaks loose.”

“And today all hell broke loose?”

Jack shrugged and slumped into a chair. He folded his hands over his stomach and stretched his legs. He was comfortable, and he hadn’t been comfortable for a long time.

“Not really, but it might yet. The night isn’t over.”

Sylvia looked at him curiously, and he filled her in on the disappearance of Kathy Burton. When he was finished the seemed puzzled.

“Well, I’m sorry to hear about Kathy, of course, but I don’t see how it could have any bearing on you and Rose.”

“Rose has problems with reference to me and young girls,” he said quietly. He saw the outrage flash into Sylvia’s eyes, and it pleased him.

“But that’s ridiculous,” Sylvia declared. “For God’s sake, she’s been with you all day. What does she think, you spend all your time, even when you’re with her, making trouble for children?”

Jack held his hands out helplessly. “I know. But it makes her nervous. And I suppose I can’t blame her, all things considered.”

“Well, I think it’s awful,” Sylvia said, and Jack could hear indignation boiling in her. “Is she going to hold one incident against you the rest of your life? I don’t think you should stand for it. Really, I don’t!”

“My God, Sylvia,” Jack said. “You sound really angry.”

“Well, I guess I am,” the secretary flared. “I guess I just don’t think it’s right We know you didn’t really
do anything to Sarah, and we know you weren’t responsible for what happened. Not really. You were drunk …” She trailed off.

“But I am responsible,” Jack said quietly. “I wasn’t that drunk, and I guess I did beat her. So I do deserve some punishment.” His voice grew quieter. “But it gets hard sometimes,” he said softly. “You have no idea.”