Chapter 12

They were recaptured, of course, before they even reached the county line, and just as naturally, they said nothing of their visit with Sarah Holloway of the town of Lordsville.

That was almost a month ago, and for Sarah it was something that never happened. In the light of day, she had to admit some shame for what she let herself become, but she managed by just putting it from her mind and going about her life as best she could.

Cindy was spending more and more evenings away from home, and Sarah feared, like any mother, that she was losing her grip. But Cindy seemed to know somehow ... not really know, actually, not the details, and the lurid acts that her mother had been a part of. But she seemed to sense somehow that her mother had changed, just as she had changed. Sarah was only now hearing the dirty rumors of Cindy's clandestine romance with one of the football players ... a black boy, but Sarah refused steadfastly to believe her daughter was involved in anything so sordid.

Dan's visits were increasingly infrequent now, though neither of them had said anything to bring their stagnating relationship to an end.

Cindy was off with her date, supposedly with Tim, though Sarah secretly suspected that something else was going on. Sarah was alone with her bottle of scotch, her perpetual companion now that Dan was no longer a nightly, visitor.

She felt a chill as the doorbell rang, remembering that night a month ago, and this time she peered through the newly-installed peephole before she threw the bolt.

She felt a shiver of recognition before she could place the face, because the features were distorted in the fish-eye lens of the viewer. She checked her hair and straightened her dress with a movement of one hand as she opened the door.

The skinny teenager fidgeted nervously and could not look at her face. He swallowed hard and spoke. "M Mrs. Holloway ... please don't slam the door. I ... "

"Why would I do that, William," Sarah said sweetly, as innocent as a maiden. "Come on in."

The newsboy glanced around furtively and then accepted her invitation, clutching his collections book in one hand as the pretty housewife ushered him inside.

Sarah turned her back to the door and closed the bolt quietly with her hands behind her, locking the door securely.

"Now, William ... what brings you around here again?"