Creature

"We know that JeffLaCo

"Honey, no one's even suggested that he should," Blake said now. "But let's just take one thing at a time, okay? Go to the hospital with Mark, and I'll get a ride with Jerry. When we know exactly what happened, we'll take it from there."

Sharon seemed about to say something more, then appeared to change her mind. One of the attendants opened the back of the ambulance again and she climbed inside, crouching by her son. A moment later, moving quickly but with its siren silent, the ambulance pulled away.

Chapter Eleven

It seemed to Sergeant DickKe

Why did situations like this always have to come up just before the end of a shift? he wondered as he drove to the hospital. Why couldn't people wait until after midnight to call the cops? Wes Jenkins, who usually took the graveyard shift, was always complaining he didn't have anything to do, anyway. But of course after ten years on the tiny Silverdale force,Ke

He'd been surprised to find Jerry Harris, together with his wife and kids, sitting with the Ta

"Can you tell me exactly what happened?" he asked, his voice gentle.

Linda shrugged helplessly. Her face was pale and her cheeks stained with tears. "Idon'tknow what happened," she said unhappily. "We were just walking down the street on the way to my house, and Jeff came out from behind a bush. It-Well, it was almost like he was waiting for us. At first we didn't think anything about it. But then we saw his face-" She stopped talking and her whole body shuddered violently.

"His face?"Ke

Linda struggled to find the right words. "He-I don't know. He just looked crazy. His eyes were all glassy, like he didn't really know who we were. It was Mark who figured out he was coming after us. We got scared and started ru

"Why?"Ke

Linda shook her head. "Nothing. He didn't say anything at all. It was-well, it was really spooky. He just jumped Mark and started beating up on him."

Ke

Linda hesitated, then nodded. "But that was over weeks ago. Jeff was mad at me when I told him, but he got over it. He's been fine ever since."

"No, he hasn't," Robb Harris interjected. Until now he'd been silent, sitting quietly by his father. WhenKe

Ke

To his surprise, Sharon's eyes reflected a degree of uncertainty. "I-I didn't say that," she said. "But I certainly think you ought to talk to him. I'm willing to listen to his side of the story, and then we can decide what to do. But if what Linda and Robb say is true, certainly something has to be done about him."

Ke

Still,Ke

"How's the Ta

"Don't know yet,"Ke

There was only the slightest pause before ChuckLaCo

NextKe

"Any idea where he might have gone?" Jenkins asked.

"Not really. But it shouldn't be too hard to track him. We know which way he headed after the fight."Ke

"Wes? Me again. One more thing-tell the boys that if they get hold of JeffLaCo

"Ames?" Jenkins replied. "How come? TheLaCo

Ke

He hung up, then fumbled in the inside pocket of his jacket for the small book of unlisted phone numbers he always carried with him, on duty or off. Flipping through it, he squinted at a number, then dropped another quarter in the phone. A sleepy voice answered on the sixth ring.

"Yeah?"

"Dr. Ames? It's DickKe

Instantly, all vestiges of sleep drained out of the doctor's voice. "What is it?" he asked. "Has something happened?"

Ke

"No," Ames said immediately. "You did the right thing. I'll get a team ready to admit him, and keep me posted. And Dick?" he added.

"Yeah?"