Where are the children?

Fifty feet away in the office down the corridor, Rob Legler stared through narrowed, hostile eyes at Ray Eldredge. The guy had class, he decided. Nancy had certainly done a lot better this time. That Carl Harmon had been some creep. Fear knotted Rob's stomach. The Eldredge kids hadn't been found. If anything had happened to them, they might try to pin something on him. But nobody had seen him near the Eldredge house… nobody except that fat slob who'd been in the old station wagon. Suppose that guy had been a delivery-man or something and called the cops? Suppose he could identify

Rob as being around the Eldredge house this morning? What excuse did he have for being there? No one would believe that he had sneaked into the country just to say hello to Nancy.

Mentally, Rob darted around for a story. There was none that made sense. He'd just keep his mouth shut until he got a lawyer – and maybe after that too. The older guy was talking to him.

'You are in a very serious situation,' Jonathan was saying. 'You are a deserter who has been taken into custody. Shall I remind you of the penalty the law holds for deserters? Your situation is far more serious than that of a man who left the country to avoid conscription. You are a member of the armed forces. No matter what has happened to the Eldredge children or how guilty or i

'We'll see about that,' Rob muttered. But he knew Jonathan was right. Christ!

'But, of course, even the desertion charge isn't nearly so serious as a murder charge…'

'I never murdered anyone,' Rob snarled, jumping up from his chair.

'Sit down,' Chief Coffin ordered.

Ray stood up and leaned across the table until his eyes were on a level with Rob's. 'I'm going to lay it out for you,' he said evenly. 'I think you're a bastard. For two cents, I'd kill you myself. Your testimony almost put my wife in a gas chamber seven years ago, and right now you may know something that could save my children's lives if it isn't already too late. Now, listen, bum, and listen hard. My wife doesn't believe that you could or would harm our children. I happen to respect that belief. But she saw you there this morning. So that means you've got to know something about what went on. Trying to stall and say you never got to our house won't help. We'll prove you were there. But if you level with us now, and we get our kids back, we won't prosecute a kidnapping charge. And Mr Knowles, who happens to be one of the top lawyers in the country, will be your lawyer, to get you off with as light a sentence as possible on the desertion charges. He has pull – plenty of it… Now, which is it, punk? Do you take the deal?' The veins bulged out in Ray's forehead. He moved forward until his eyes were inches away from Rob's. 'Because if you don't… and if you know something… and if I find out that you could have helped us get our kids back and didn't… I don't care what jail they throw you in… I'll get to you and I'll kill you. Just remember that, you stinking bastard.'

'Ray.' Jonathan pulled him back forcibly.

Rob stared from face to face: The Chief… the doctor… Ray Eldredge… that Knowles guy, the lawyer. If he admitted being at the Eldredge house… but what good not to admit it? There was a witness. His instinct told him to take the offer that had been made. Rob knew when he had no cards left to play. At least by taking the offer, he had some leverage on the desertion business.

He shrugged and looked at Jonathan. 'You'll defend me.'

'Yes.'

'I don't want any bum kidnapping rap.'

'No one's trying to pin one on you,' Jonathan said. 'We want the truth – the simple truth, as you know it. And the deal's off unless we get it now.'

Rob leaned back. He avoided looking at Ray. 'Okay,' he said. 'This is how it started. My buddy up in Canada…'

They listened intently as he talked. Only occasionally did the Chief or Jonathan ask a question. Rob chose his words carefully when he said he was coming to ask Nancy for money. 'See, I never believed she touched a hair on the head of those Harmon kids. She wasn't the type. But I got the word that they were trying to pin the rap on me out there and I'd better just answer questions and keep my opinions out of it. I felt kind of sorrv for her: she was a scared kid in a big frame-up as far as I was concerned.'

'A frame-up that was your direct responsibility,' Ray said.

'Shut up, Ray,' Chief Coffin said. 'Get to this morning,' he ordered Rob. 'When did you arrive at the Eldredge home?'

'It was like a couple of minutes before ten,' Rob said. 'I had been driving real slow, looking for that dirt road my friend drew a picture of… and then I realized I'd missed it.'

'How did you realize you missed it?'

'Well, this other car… I had to slow down for… Then I realized that the other car had come off that road, so I backed up.'

'The other car?' Ray repeated. He jumped up. 'What other car?'

The door of the interrogation room burst open. The sergeant hurried in. 'Chief, I think it's real important you talk to the Wigginses and that other couple. I think they have something real important to tell you.'

CHAPTER THIRTY

Finally Nancy was able to get up, wash her face and rinse her mouth. She mustn't let them see that she'd been sick. They mustn't talk about it. They'd think she was crazy. They wouldn't believe or understand. But if the unbelievable was possible… The children. Oh, God, not again, not like that; please, not again.

She rushed into the bedroom and grabbed underwear from the drawer, slacks and a heavy sweater from the closet. She had to go to the station house. She had to see Rob, tell him what she believed, beg him for the truth. What did it matter if everyone thought she was crazy?

With lightning speed, she dressed, stuffed her feet into sneakers, laced them with trembling fingers and hurried downstairs. Dorothy was waiting for her in the dining-room. The table was set with sandwiches and a pot of tea.

' Nancy, sit down… Just try to have something

Nancy cut her off. 'I have to see Rob Legler. There's something I have to ask him.' She clenched her teeth together, having heard the hysteria rising in her voice. She must not be hysterical. She turned to Bernie Mills, who was standing in the doorway of the kitchen.

'Please call the station,' she begged him. 'Tell Chief Coffin I insist on coming over… that it has to do with the children.'

' Nancy!' Dorothy grabbed her arm. 'What are you saying?'

'That I must see Rob. Dorothy, call the station. No, I will.'

Nancy ran over to the phone. She was just reaching for it when it rang. Bernie Mills hurried to take it, but she picked it up.

'Hello?' Her voice was quick and impatient.

Then she heard. So low it was a whisper. She had to strain to make out his words. 'Mommy. Mommy, please come and get us. Help us, Mommy. Missy is sick. Come and get us…'

'Michael… Michael!' she screamed. 'Michael, where are you? Tell me where you are!'

'We're at… ' Then his voice faded and the line went dead.

Frantically, she jiggled the phone. 'Operator,' she shrieked, 'don't break the co

' Nancy, what is it? Who was it?' Dorothy was at her side.

'It was Michael. Michael phoned. He said Missy is sick.' Nancy could see doubt on Dorothy's face. 'In God's name, don't you understand? That was Michael!'

Frantically, she jiggled the Dhone. then dialled the operator and broke into her perfunctory offer of help when she responded. 'Can you tell me about the call that just came in? Who handled it? Where did it come from?'