T
hat same Saturday, Mrs. Doyle rose early. It was bright and clear. A perfect day for birding. After packing away Agatha's farmhand breakfast, she decided to set out across the fields for that distant house she had spied from her window the day she arrived.
She was careful to walk at a pace consistent with bird-watching, pausing often to consult her bird book and to scan the sky with her binoculars. She kept the house in her line of vision to avoid getting off course. When she was midway between the Ashley farmhouse and her destination, she was overwhelmed by the utter loneliness of the place. And the silence. It was so different from the city, where you couldn't walk two paces without bumping into someone and there was the constant background noise of horns, sirens, and backfires. Here there was nothing to block the horizon but a single lonely tree, and no noise other than the low buzz of insects or the occasional cry of a bird. To a veteran city dweller, it was unnerving. The best thing to do, she decided, was not to think about it. She plodded on.
After about a half-hour, she found herself a few yards from the mysterious house. Up close on a bright day, it looked much less
mysterious than from a distance at dusk with a fine mist rising. It was smaller than the farmhouse. Not really a house at all. A cottage. She circled it and found that the far side, the side that faced the river, was decorated with an intricate design. The initials “R & A” and the date “1734” were framed by vine-like coils. It reminded Mrs. Doyle of a sampler her grandmother had stitched as a child. But instead of blue yarn, this design was worked in blue brick. Dr. Fenimore would go wild, she thought. But the cottage had fallen into disrepair. The brick that formed the left foot of the letter “A” had dropped out, leaving one leg shorter than the other, giving it a lopsided appearance. The windows and door were securely boarded up. They returned her curious stare with a blank look. All efforts on her part to find a way inâshort of wielding an axâproved futile. There were no doorknobs, no keyholes, no visible hinges or locks.
A light breeze caused the tall grasses near the river to sway, bringing the salty, faintly rotten smell of brackish water. Moving away from the cottage, she examined the wharf. Slowly deteriorating, the wooden planks on the creosote pilings had ragged gaps. She peered through one of the holes at the murky water sliding underneath. An iron ring was embedded in one of the pilingsâa mooring for the occasional fisherman and his boat.
Mrs. Doyle circled the cottage once more, scanning the ground. For what? She had no idea. She found a couple of beer cans, some cigarette butts, and half a melon rindâcovered with flies. Any one of which could have been left by a careless fisherman. A ladder lay on the ground, cast there by whoever had boarded up the windows, she decided. But it was lying under the wall with no windowsâthe one with the beautiful brick design. She took a last look around before starting back.
Zing!
The bullet hit the corner of the cottageâabout a yard from her headâand ricocheted into the field.
Mrs. Doyle had not run for anything but an occasional bus for over twenty years. She was amazed at her speed and litheness. She fairly floated over the rough terrain at a speed that would have
impressed the most fanatical fitness instructor. It took her only ten minutes to cover the same ground that she had previously covered in thirty. Surely she was a candidate for
The Guinness Book of World Records.
When she reached the barnyard, she was puffing and had a searing pain in her left side. She had to sit down on the nearest thingâa wooden bucket that was conveniently overturned. Mr. Jenks came around the corner of the barn. Although they had had dinner together every night since she had arrived, they had hardly exchanged a word. Agatha had done all the talking. Now he came over to her.
“That was some dash, Mrs. Doyle.” He chewed thoughtfully on a piece of straw. “Didn't know you went in for joggin'.”
Mrs. Doyle's laugh bordered on the hysterical. “Oh, every now and then I like to stretch my legs,” she said. “The sight of so much open space inspired me after being cooped up so long in the city.”
“I can see that.” He nodded and switched the straw to the other side of his mouth. “You're a bird-watcher, I see.”
“Yes.” She patted the binoculars hanging from her neck and winced at the bruise beneath where the glasses had bounced against her chest during her flight. “Fascinating creatures,” she went on. “I was looking for a special kind of kingfisher ⦠.” She paused and drew a painful breath. “A âhalcyon,' I think it's called. It's supposed âto frequent marshy places.'” Like a schoolgirl, she quoted her textbook.
“Lots of kingfishers down by the river,” he said. “They're flashy fellas. I like the more useful martin myself. They feed on mosquitoes. I build houses for them because they do us such a service.”
“You don't say.” Was she really sitting on a bucket discussing birds and bugs after such a close brush with death?
“Yep,” Jenks elaborated. “The average martin eats over a thousand mosquitoes a day. See that house up there.” He pointed to a pole that rose fifteen feet in the air. Perched on top was a birdhouse resembling a dollhouse. But instead of one entrance, it had about twenty little doorways to allow the birds to fly in and out. “I made that,” he said. “I've made about a hundred of them over
the years. I get the kids to sell âem at their roadside stands. Give 'em a bit of a commission.” He talked about his small enterprise as proudly as any Wall Street businessman might talk about his. “I'm workin' on one now. Like to see it?”
“Yes, indeed.” Mrs. Doyle cautiously got to her feet. She had recovered from the immediate effect of her run, but she knew that tomorrow she would feel the aftereffects in her joints. “Tell me, Mr. Jenks, are there many hunters in these parts?”
“Hunters? Oh sure. They come for the deer in the fall. And then there are the muskrats. Mrs. Ashley lets 'em hunt muskrat on her property when they're in season. There's a big muskrat dinner down at the firehouse every year. People come from all over.”
“Ah, that explains it,” Mrs. Doyle said. “But they ought to learn how to aim.”
“Aim?” He looked puzzled.
“One of your muskrat hunters just missed me out there in the field. That's why you saw me trying to break the record for the hundred yard dash just now.”
Mr. Jenks stared at her. “You don't shoot muskrat, maâam,” he explained carefully. “You trap 'em. Anyway, muskrat season don't begin until October.” Then he added, “This is June,” in case the immensity of her ignorance extended to what month it was. “Besides,” he went on, “ever since Mr. Ashley was shot in that hunting accident, Mrs. Ashley hasn't let a hunter set foot on her property.”
“Oh.” Slowly the enormity of Jenks's words sank in, and even though it was June, Mrs. Doyle shivered. Delayed shock, she diagnosed. Shakily, she started for the house.
“What about my birdhouse?” he called after her.
“Later,” she muttered between chattering teeth.
When she reached the house, she found Agatha in the kitchen. “May I have some brandy?” she asked. “Had a bit of a spell. Must be the heat,” she explained.
Agatha was very solicitous. She settled Mrs. Doyle in a chair
and rushed for the brandy. The spirits did the trick. In a few minutes she was feeling better. She decided to query Agatha about the brick cottage.
“Oh, I don't go down there,” she said in a hushed tone.
“Why not?”
“It's haunted.”
“Poppycock.”
“No, really. Mr. Ashley's great uncle lived there. Nathan Ashley. A queer old fellow. The black sheep of the family. When he was dying ⦔ Agatha's voice dropped another notch. It was Mrs. Doyle's turn to learn about the black dog. “And ever since, on moonless nights, when people pass by there, they say they can hear that dog howling. Of course, it might be the owls nesting in the eaves ⦠.”
“What are you two up to?” Mrs. Ashley came in the kitchen.
“I was just telling Mrs. Doyle about the black dog.”
Expecting her hostess to greet this news with a laugh, Mrs. Doyle was astonished to see her turn pale and fall silent. “We don't want to frighten our houseguest, Agatha,” she said finally. “What are we having for dinner?”
“Chicken pot pie.”
“One of my favorites.” Her color returned.
During dinner, Mrs. Doyle tried to think of an excuse for asking Mrs. Ashley to drive her into town. She wanted to call Dr. Fenimore and tell him about her harrowing experience. But she didn't want to confide in her hostess. It would alarm her and might even be injurious to her health. She could hardly concentrate on Agatha's stream of chatter. She kept hearing the
zing
of that bullet, and seeing the little puff of brick dust rising so close to her head. Gradually some of Agatha's words filtered through.
“ ⦠and Mrs. Ashley thought it would be a wonderful way for you to meet all the neighbors, and vice versa.”
Mrs. Doyle looked up from her plate. “What would?”
“The party!” Agatha beamed. “You haven't been listening. Mrs. Ashley has invited half of Winston over to meet you next Saturday.”
“Oh, no.” Mrs. Doyle intended to be miles away from Winston by Saturday.
“Amory Barnes is coming down for the weekend. And Peter Jordan, Miss Susan's boyfriend, will be here ⦠and Tom Winston. She had the devil of a time getting him to come; he hates parties. And the Reverend. She's even asked Miss Cunningham because she knows you and she are such good friends.” Agatha smiled wickedly. “I'm going to make a special dessert from the colonial cookbook, and serve punch as well as tea ⦠.”
“Wait a minute.” Mrs. Doyle raised her hand to stop the flow. “I may not even be here next Saturday.”
“Not be here?” Agatha's face fell. “Oh, Mrs. Ashley will be so disappointed. She's been planning this party all day, and I'm sure she's asked half the people by now.”
“Well, my employer may need me back at the office ⦠.”
“Surely you can stay a few more days. Just till Saturday.”
“Well ⦔ Mrs. Doyle felt her resolve weakening.
“Listen to this dessert recipe.” Hoping to whet Mrs. Doyle's appetite and convince her to stay, she read from the old cookbook: “Half a pound of sweet almonds; six eggs; four ounces of thick cream; one half cup of raisins ⦔
As Agatha read, Mrs. Doyle reconsidered. It would be a good opportunity to observe Mrs. Ashley's neighbors. Some of them she hadn't even met, such as the Reverend Osborne and that Amory fellow. And what could happen to her here in the house, surrounded by all these people? But she wouldn't take anymore bird walks. “All right,” she heard herself say.
“Oh, Mrs. Doyle!” Agatha clapped the book shut, sending up a shower of dust. She came around the kitchen table and grabbed both her hands. “I'm so glad.”
Agatha is a good soul, thought Mrs. Doyle, unconsciously
crossing her off her suspect list. “Well, I'll be off to bed.” She yawned. “I've had a busy day.”
As she prepared for bed, Mrs. Doyle thought over the day's events. Despite the tale of the black dog, she was convinced her experience at the “haunted” cottage had nothing to do with the supernatural. That bullet and its perpetrator belonged to the very real world. She decided to keep her future bird-watching rambles closer to homeâat least until she had talked to Dr. Fenimore. Tomorrow she would think of an excuse to ask Mrs. Ashley to drive her to town.
W
hile Mrs. Doyle slept, Fenimore laboriously tried to catch up on his back issues of
JAMA
. The telephone rang. Not a house call, he hoped. He would never refuse to make one, but he had just gotten settled. “Hello?”
“Doc ⦔ Very faint.
“Rat?”
“I'm hurt bad ⦠.”
Fenimore shot out of his chair, dumping Sal from his lap. “Where are you?”
“Ninth and Catherine ⦠.”
“What ⦠?”
“Can you make it to the hospital?”
Barely audible, “I dunno ⦠.”
“Get going. I'll meet you in the ER.” He grabbed his briefcase.
“Did a kid just come in here?”
The ER receptionist looked up from her magazine.
“Dark hair, dark skin, brown eyes.” He tried to jog her memory. “Horatio. Horatio Lopez.”
“Oh, yes. They took him to the OR.”
Bad news. If it had been minor they would have treated him in the ER.
“If you're family,” the receptionist said, “could you give me his insurance â¦?”
Fenimore dove into the bowels of the hospital and found the staff elevator. Inside, he punched the button for the ninth floor. As it crawled upward, he repeated prayers from childhood he thought he had long forgotten.
Stepping into the hall, he hailed a nurse in green scrubs who was passing through. “Polly!”
She turned.
“Who's on tonight?” He nodded at the operating room.
“Martinez.” She eyed him keenly. “What's up?”
“Friend of mine.”
“That kid?”
“He works for me.”
“I'll keep you posted.”
“Thanks. You can find me on the eighth.”
He took the fire stairs to the eighth floor where there was a small waiting room. He could have scrubbed up and gone into the OR, but Martinez was one of the best surgeons on the staff. Fenimore would only be in the way. He slumped into a shabby vinyl chair and began leafing through a battered
Sports Illustrated,
not seeing it.
He glanced at his watch. 9:35. How did it happen? He was a careful kid. Streetwise. He didn't belong to a gang. His mother kept a good watch on himâand his associates. A no-nonsense mom, she watched over her kids like a hawk. What about
her?
Should he call Mrs. Lopez? He decided to wait until he had more news.
What the hell had the kid done? Committed the cardinal sin of walking to the corner store? He threw the magazine down and went to the window. Lousy view. If he craned his neck he could just make out the first two letters of the PSFS sign glowing red
against the night sky. The Philadelphia Savings Fund Society had been long gone, but the sign continued to glowâa landmark almost as sacrosanct as the Liberty Bell.
9:40. Had time stopped?
What if he didn't make it?
Maybe he should call his mother. But the family had no phone. The only number Fenimore had for Horatio was at a deli a few blocks away. The owner would have to send somebody over to tell her. And what if they garbled the message and alarmed her more than ⦠He had been about to say “necessary.” How did he know how necessary that alarm would be?
“Doctor?”
“That kid was born under a lucky star. Missed the heart and all the major blood vessels. They're moving right along. Should be closing up soon.”
He sank back into his chair.
“How did it happen?”
He shook his head, feeling his stomach slowly unclench. The nurse reached over and gave his hand a quick squeeze. “I have to contact his mother,” he said. “But she doesn't have a phone. I didn't want to alarm her
unnecessarily,”
he spoke the word with relish.
“Hard to believe someone doesn't have a phone these days, with all the kids jabbering away on their cellulars.”
Fenimore nodded, making a note to buy Horatio a cellular tomorrow. He'd tell him he must have one so he could reach him in emergencies. Would he believe that? Would his mother? Mrs. Lopez was a proud woman. “Thanks, Polly.” He stood up.
“You sure you're OK?” She observed him closely. “You look like shit.”
Fenimore grinned. “I've just experienced what my patients go through all the time. It was a good lesson.” He picked up the battered
Sports Illustrated
from where he had thrown it. “They should get some new magazines.”
When he reached the ninth floor, the twin doors to the OR swung open. An orderly wheeled a gurney out. It passed quickly, IV swinging. Two surgeons followed close behind, removing their masks. One said something. The other laughed and punched his arm. Release of tension. Martinez stopped short when he saw Fenimore.
“How'd it go?” asked Fenimore.
“Another gang victim.” The surgeon shrugged.
“He's a friend of mine.”
Martinez's eyebrows rose. “When he came in he was hemo-dynamically unstable, but he's healthy. He'll be fine.” He took Fenimore's arm. “Let's go see him.”
“He's a good kid,” Fenimore said. “I don't know how he got mixed up in this.”
“Initiations,” Martinez said, tonelessly. “We see a lot of them this time of year.”
“What do they do?”
“To become a member of some gangs, you have to stab somebody. Nothing personal.”
Fenimore heard the bitterness in his voice and glanced at him sharply. Did Martinez know about these things firsthand?
“I'm glad you're here,” the surgeon said. “You can contact his next of kin.”
Fenimore nodded. “I'm going to see his mother.”
They entered the recovery room, the surgeon leading the way. A nurse was adjusting Horatio's IV, another was checking his EKG on the monitor. Fenimore picked up the chart at the end of the cot and flipped through it. No complications. A simple stab wound in the back. An inch to the right or left and the knife would have connected with his heart or a major blood vessel, and the kid would have been â¦
“Everything in order?” Martinez spoke to the nurses.
“His vital signs are good,” said the one with her eyes glued to the monitor.
Taking the chart from Fenimore, the surgeon made a notation.
“Call me at home if anything comes up,” he told the same nurse. “I'll look in first thing in the morning.”
She nodded.
In the hall, Fenimore said again, “Thanks.”
“Check in with me in the morning,” Martinez said.
They parted, the surgeon for home, Fenimore to see Mrs. Lopez and tell her about her son. He must hurry; he wanted to get back before Horatio woke up.