the lake?'
She heard the stifled sound she made. The lake. Did the children go there? She must search for them.
She felt Ray lifting her and slumped against him, but then forced her body to begin to sit up. It would be so much easier to slip away, to slide into sleep just as she used to do.
'That's it. That's right, Nancy.' Ray looked at the doctor. 'Do you think a cup of coffee . . .?'
The doctor nodded. 'I'll ask Dorothy to make it.'
Coffee. She'd been making coffee when she saw that picture in the paper. Nancy opened her eyes. 'Ray,' she whispered, "They'll know. Everyone will know. You can't hide . . . you can't hide.' But there was something else. "The children.' She clutched his arm. 'Ray, find them -find my babies.'
'Steady, honey. That's where we need you. You've got to tell us. Every single thing. Just get your bearing for a few minutes.'
Dorothy came in with a cup of steaming coffee in her hand. 'I made the instant. How is she?'
'She's coming round.'
'Captain Coffin is anxious to begin questioning her.'
'Ray!' Panic made Nancy clutch Ray's arm.
'Darling, it's just that we have to have help finding the children. It's all right.'
She gulped the coffee, welcoming the searing, hot taste as she swallowed it. If she could just think . . . just wake up ... just lose this terrible sleepiness.
Her voice. She could talk now. Her lips felt rubbery, thick, spongelike. But she had to talk . . . make them find the children. She wanted to go downstairs. She mustn't stay here . . . like last time . . . waiting in her room . . . unable to go downstairs ... to see all the people downstairs ... the policeman ... the faculty wives . . . Are there any relatives? . . . Do you want us to call anyone? . . . No one ... no one ... no one . . .
Leaning heavily on Ray's arm, she stood up unsteadily. Ray. She had his arm to lean on now. His children. His children.
'Ray ... I didn't hurt them . . .'
'Of course not, darling.'
The voice too soothing . . . the shocked sound. Of course he was shocked. He was wondering why she would deny it. No good mother spoke of hurting her children. Why then did she . . .?
With a supreme effort she groped towards the door. His arm around her waist steadied her steps. She couldn't feel her feet. They weren't there. She wasn't there. It was one of the nightmares. In a few minutes she'd wake up, as she had so many nights, and slip out of bed and go in to see Missy and Michael and cover them and then get back into bed - softly, quietly, not waking Ray. But in sleep he'd reach out and his arms would pull her close, and against the warm scent of him she'd be calmed and sleep.
They started down the stairs. So many policemen. Everyone looking up ... curiously still . . . suspended in time.
Chief Coffin was at the dining-room table. She could feel his hostility ... It was like last time.
'Mrs Eldredge, how do you feel?'
A perfunctory question, non-caring. Probably he wouldn't have bothered to ask except that Ray was there.
'I'm all right.' She had never liked this man.
'We're searching for the children. I have every confidence that we'll find them quickly. But you must help us. When did you last see the children?'
'A few minutes before ten. I put them outside to play and went upstairs to make the beds.'
'How long were you upstairs?'
'Ten minutes . . . not more than fifteen.'
'Then what did you do?'
'I came downstairs. I was going to. turn on a wash and call the children. But after I started the wash, I decided to heat the coffee. Then I saw the boy deliver the community paper.'
'Did you speak to him?'
'No. I don't mean I saw him. I went to get the paper and he was just going around the corner.'
'I see. What happened then?'
'I went back into the kitchen. I turned on the coffeepot - it was still quite warm. I started turning the pages of the paper.'
'And you saw the article about yourself.'
Nancy stared straight ahead and nodded her head.
'How did you react to seeing that article?'
'I
She heard the stifled sound she made. The lake. Did the children go there? She must search for them.
She felt Ray lifting her and slumped against him, but then forced her body to begin to sit up. It would be so much easier to slip away, to slide into sleep just as she used to do.
'That's it. That's right, Nancy.' Ray looked at the doctor. 'Do you think a cup of coffee . . .?'
The doctor nodded. 'I'll ask Dorothy to make it.'
Coffee. She'd been making coffee when she saw that picture in the paper. Nancy opened her eyes. 'Ray,' she whispered, "They'll know. Everyone will know. You can't hide . . . you can't hide.' But there was something else. "The children.' She clutched his arm. 'Ray, find them -find my babies.'
'Steady, honey. That's where we need you. You've got to tell us. Every single thing. Just get your bearing for a few minutes.'
Dorothy came in with a cup of steaming coffee in her hand. 'I made the instant. How is she?'
'She's coming round.'
'Captain Coffin is anxious to begin questioning her.'
'Ray!' Panic made Nancy clutch Ray's arm.
'Darling, it's just that we have to have help finding the children. It's all right.'
She gulped the coffee, welcoming the searing, hot taste as she swallowed it. If she could just think . . . just wake up ... just lose this terrible sleepiness.
Her voice. She could talk now. Her lips felt rubbery, thick, spongelike. But she had to talk . . . make them find the children. She wanted to go downstairs. She mustn't stay here . . . like last time . . . waiting in her room . . . unable to go downstairs ... to see all the people downstairs ... the policeman ... the faculty wives . . . Are there any relatives? . . . Do you want us to call anyone? . . . No one ... no one ... no one . . .
Leaning heavily on Ray's arm, she stood up unsteadily. Ray. She had his arm to lean on now. His children. His children.
'Ray ... I didn't hurt them . . .'
'Of course not, darling.'
The voice too soothing . . . the shocked sound. Of course he was shocked. He was wondering why she would deny it. No good mother spoke of hurting her children. Why then did she . . .?
With a supreme effort she groped towards the door. His arm around her waist steadied her steps. She couldn't feel her feet. They weren't there. She wasn't there. It was one of the nightmares. In a few minutes she'd wake up, as she had so many nights, and slip out of bed and go in to see Missy and Michael and cover them and then get back into bed - softly, quietly, not waking Ray. But in sleep he'd reach out and his arms would pull her close, and against the warm scent of him she'd be calmed and sleep.
They started down the stairs. So many policemen. Everyone looking up ... curiously still . . . suspended in time.
Chief Coffin was at the dining-room table. She could feel his hostility ... It was like last time.
'Mrs Eldredge, how do you feel?'
A perfunctory question, non-caring. Probably he wouldn't have bothered to ask except that Ray was there.
'I'm all right.' She had never liked this man.
'We're searching for the children. I have every confidence that we'll find them quickly. But you must help us. When did you last see the children?'
'A few minutes before ten. I put them outside to play and went upstairs to make the beds.'
'How long were you upstairs?'
'Ten minutes . . . not more than fifteen.'
'Then what did you do?'
'I came downstairs. I was going to. turn on a wash and call the children. But after I started the wash, I decided to heat the coffee. Then I saw the boy deliver the community paper.'
'Did you speak to him?'
'No. I don't mean I saw him. I went to get the paper and he was just going around the corner.'
'I see. What happened then?'
'I went back into the kitchen. I turned on the coffeepot - it was still quite warm. I started turning the pages of the paper.'
'And you saw the article about yourself.'
Nancy stared straight ahead and nodded her head.
'How did you react to seeing that article?'
'I
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