whole town suffered from a curious； unexplained epidemic…〃
Sam blinked in surprise。 〃You think the chills are connected with this； with…〃
A deafening crack of thunder interrupted him。
As the sky grew quiet； Sam said； 〃Buddy's not a very reliable witness。〃
〃You believed him； didn't you？〃
〃I believe he saw something strange； yes。 Whether or not it was precisely what Buddy thinks it was…〃
〃Oh； I know he didn't see skin divers。 Skin divers don't wear hip boots。 What he saw…I think maybe he saw two men with empty chemical dispersion tanks。〃
〃Someone contaminated the reservoir？〃 Sam asked incredulously。
〃Looks that way to me。〃
〃Who？ The government？〃
〃Maybe。 Or maybe terrorists。 Or even a private pany。〃
〃But why？〃
〃To see if the contaminate did what it was supposed to do。〃
Sam said； 〃Contaminated the reservoir 。 。 。 with what？〃 He frowned。 〃Something that turns sane men into psychopaths who will kill when told to？〃
Paul began to shake。
〃We haven't found him yet；〃 Sam said quickly。 〃Don't lose hope。 We haven't found him dead。〃
〃Sam … 。 。 Oh God； Sam； I think we will。 I really think we will。〃 He was close to tears； but he knew that； for the time being； they were a luxury that he couldn't allow himself to have。 He cleared his throat。 〃And I'll bet this sociologist； Deighton； is involved with the men Buddy saw。 He's not here to study Black River。 He knows what was put in the reservoir； and he's in town only to see what effect that substance has on the people here。〃
〃Why didn't Jenny and I get the night chills？〃
Paul shrugged。 〃I don't know。 And I've no idea what Mark walked into this morning。 What did he see that made it necessary for him to be killed？〃
They stared at each other； horrified by the idea that the townspeople were unwitting guinea pigs in some bizarre experiment。 Both of them wanted to laugh off the entire notion； dismiss it with a joke or two； but neither of them could even smile。
〃If any of this is true；〃 Sam said worriedly； 〃there's even more reason to call in the state police right now。〃
Paul said； 〃We'll find the body first。 Then we'll call the state police。 I'm going to find my son before he winds up in an unmarked grave way to hell and gone in the mountains。〃
Gradually； Sam's face became as white as his hair。 〃Don't talk about him as if you know he's dead。 You don't know that he's dead； dammit！〃
Paul took a deep breath。 His chest ached。 〃Sam； I should have believed Rya this morning。 She's no liar。 Those bloody dish towels 。。 。 Look； I've got to talk about him as if he's dead。 I've got to think of him that way。 If I convince myself that he's still alive and then I find his body…it'll hurt too much。 It'll destroy me。 Do you understand？〃
〃Yes。〃
〃You don't have to e in with me。〃
〃I can't let you go alone；〃 Sam said。
〃Yes； you can。 I'll be fine。〃
〃I won't let you go alone。〃
〃All right。 Let's get this over with。〃
〃He's a good boy；〃 Sam said quietly。 〃He's always been such a good boy。 I love him like my own。〃
Paul nodded； turned； and went into the dark house。
The telephone pany maintained a narrow； two…story brick building on West Main Street； half a block from the square。 It was a two…minute walk from Pauline Vicker's rooming house。
The front office on the first floor…where plaints could be lodged and bills paid…was small and neat。 It contained eight gray filing cabinets； a cash register； an electronic calculator； a photostatic copier； a typewriter； a long pine worktable； and two Straight…backed chairs in one corner； a large metal desk with a Sturdy swivel chair； a Sierra Club calendar； several telephones；
stacks of pany pamphlets； a radio； and the United States flag in a stainless steel stand。 There was no dust on the furniture； no dirt on the tile floor； and every pile of typing paper； forms； and envelopes was properly squared off and neatly stacked。
The only person in the office was as businesslike as the room。 She was a thin but not unattractive woman in her middle or late forties。 Her short…cropped chestnut hair had no more than a dozen strands of gray in it。 Her skin was smooth and milky。 Although her features were very angular； they were balanced by a generous； sensuous mouth that saved her looks but seemed to have been borrowed from another face。 She wore a smart and efficient green pantsuit with a white cotton blouse。 Her glasses were on a chain so that when she took them off they hung ready at her breast。
When Salsbury entered the office； she stepped up to the counter； smiled professionally； and said； 〃Does it still look like rain out there？〃
Closing the mullioned…window door； Salsbury said； 〃Yes。 Yes； it does。〃
〃What can I do for you？〃
〃I am the lock。〃 〃I am the key。〃
He went to the counter。
She toyed with the glasses at her breast。 He said； 〃What's your name？〃
〃Joan Markham。〃
〃Are you a secretary？〃
〃I'm the assistant manager。〃
〃How many people are working here？〃 〃Right now？〃
〃Right now；〃 he said。
〃Six； including me。〃
〃Name them for me； one by one。〃
〃Well； there's Mr。 Puichaski。〃
〃Who's he？〃
〃The manager。〃
〃Where is he now？〃
〃In his office； The front room upstairs。〃
〃Who else； Joan？〃
〃Leona Ives。 Mr。 Pulchaski's secretary。〃
〃Is she upstairs too？〃
〃Yes。〃
〃That leaves three。〃
〃Those are operators。〃
〃Switchboard operators？〃
〃Yes。 Mary Ultman； Betty Zimmerman； and Louise Pulchaski。〃
〃Mr。 Puichaski's wife？〃
〃His daughter；〃 Joan said。
〃Where do the operators work？〃
She pointed to a door at the back of the room。 〃That leads to the downstairs hall。 The switchboards are in the next room； at the back of the building。〃
〃When do these operators go off duty？〃
〃At five o'clock。〃
〃And three more e on the new shift？〃
〃No。 Just two。 There isn't that much business at night。〃
〃The new shift works until…one in the morning？〃
〃That's right。〃
〃And two more operators e on duty until nine o'clock in the morning？〃
〃No。 There's just one during the graveyard watch。〃 She put on her glasses； took them off again a second later。 〃Are you nervous； Joan？〃
〃Yes。 Terribly。〃
〃Don't be nervous。 Relax。 Be calm。〃
Some of the stiffness went out of her slender neck and Shoulders。 She smiled。
〃Tomorrow is Saturday；〃 he said。 〃Will there be three operators on duty during the daylight shift？〃
〃No。 On weekends there're never more than two。〃
〃Joan； I see you've got a notebook and pen next to your typewriter。 I want you to prepare for me a list of all the operators
who are scheduled to work tonight and during the first two shifts tomorrow。 I want their names and their home telephone numbers。 Understood？〃
〃Oh； yes。〃
She went to her desk。
Salsbury crossed to the front door。 He studied West Main Street through the six…inch…square panes of glass。
Presaging a summer storm； the wind whipped the trees mercilessly； as if trying to drive them to shelter。
There was no one in sight on either side of the street。 Salsbury looked at his watch。 1：15
〃Hurry up； you stupid bitch。〃 She looked up。 〃What？〃
〃I called you a stupid bitch。 Forget that。 Just finish the list。 Quickly now。〃
She busied herself with pen and notebook。
Bitches； he thought。 Rotten bitches。 All of them。 Every last one of them。 Always fouling him up。 Nothing but bitches。
An empty lumber truck went past on Main Street； heading toward the mill。
〃Here it is；〃 she said。
He returned to the customer service counter； took the notebook page from her hand； and glanced at it。 Seven names。 Seven telephone numbers。 He folded the paper and put it in his shirt pocket。 〃Now； what about repairmen？ Don't you have linemen or repairmen on duty all the time？〃
〃We have a crew of four men；〃 she said。 〃There are two on the day shift and two on the evening shift。 There's no one regularly scheduled for night shift or for the weekends； but every one of the crew's on call in case of emergencies。〃
〃And there are two men on duty now？〃 〃Yes。〃
〃Where are they？〃
〃Working on a problem at the mill。〃 〃When will they be back？〃
〃By three。 Maybe three thirty。〃
〃When they e in； you send them over to Bob Thorp's
office。〃 He had already decided to make the police c