Converging Forces

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=90 BGCOLOR="#CC9900" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="047005a0dwnjzk.gif"> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Cassies Writing"><U><B>home</B></U></A><B>     | </B><B> </B><B> </B><B>  </B><FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#FFCC66" FACE="Arial" ><B>Cassie's Writing</B></FONT></div> <div> <A HREF="id87.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="All Hallows Eve"><U><B>All Hallows' Eve</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id88.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Fall Camoflage"><U><B>Fall Camoflage</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id89.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Puzzle Pieces: Cyrus"><U><B>Puzzle Pieces:  Cyrus</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id90.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Puzzle Pieces: Roxanne"><U><B>Puzzle Pieces:  Roxanne</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id91.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Puzzle Pieces: Claude"><U><B>Puzzle Pieces:  Claude</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id92.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Christmas Magick"><U><B>Christmas Magick</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id93.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Puzzle Pieces: Maggie"><U><B>Puzzle Pieces:  Maggie</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id94.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Winters Deep Freeze"><U><B>Winter's Deep Freeze</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id95.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Puzzle Pieces: Sabrina"><U><B>Puzzle Pieces:  Sabrina</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id96.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Frostbite"><U><B>Frostbite</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id97.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Puzzle Pieces: The Collins Family"><U><B>Puzzle Pieces:  The Collins Family</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id98.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Biding Time in Purgatory"><U><B>Biding Time in Purgatory</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id99.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Puzzle Pieces: Quentin"><U><B>Puzzle Pieces:  Quentin</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id100.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Family Secrets"><U><B>Family Secrets</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id102.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Vortex"><U><B>Vortex</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id101.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Spring Whirlwind"><U><B>Spring Whirlwind</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id103.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Den of Vipers"><U><B>Den of Vipers</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id104.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Puzzle Pieces: Angelique"><U><B>Puzzle Pieces:  Angelique</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><B>Converging Forces</B><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id106.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Flames of Purification"><U><B>Flames of Purification</B></U></A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=210 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B>Converging Forces</B></div> <div> <A HREF="id85.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Adam in Parallel Time"><U><B>Adam in Parallel Time</B></U></A></div> </td> <td valign="top" height=390 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <I>Damn Quentin!</I>  Adam thought angrily, as he tried to think of an answer for his friend's Aunt Nancy.  How were they going to help Quentin when he continued to be so impulsive and unpredictable?  He was supposed to wait here at the cave for Adam to return-they were going to go to Collinwood together, get Maggie out of there, and then meet T.J. Sheridan so that Quentin could turn himself in.  He tried to think of some reassuring words for Quentin's aunt, who looked at him with a stricken expression on her face.  Adam thought he'd like to give his friend a good punch in the nose when he got his hands on him, swallowed hard, and counted to ten before trying to speak to Nancy.  </div> <div> "I will take you back to the Inn," he said in what he hoped was a calm voice.  Nancy was nodding; good, he must sound calm to her ears then.  "You should tell Mr. Sheridan the truth.  I will look for Quentin.  I think he may have gone to Collinwood."</div> <div> "For Maggie and Daniel?"  Nancy wondered.  "Oh dear!  Adam, after what Gabriel told me, I'm really frightened for all of them!"</div> <div> Adam thought.  "I will take you to the Inn, and you can talk to Mr. Sheridan.  I will go to Collinwood.  If I can find Quentin, Maggie, and Daniel, I will bring them to town."</div> <div> "You must be careful, Adam," Nancy cautioned.</div> <div> Adam was touched that, even though she was worried about her nephew and his family, she was also concerned for him-a stranger.  "Don't worry," he assured her softly.  "I still feel Gabriel close by.  I think he will help me."</div> <div> Nancy grabbed Adam's hand and squeezed it gratefully.  He led her back to the car and drove her back to the Inn.  The Eagle Tavern wasn't so far away-he thought about going there first before searching for Quentin.  If it wasn't for Nancy, Adam thought grimly, he might be tempted to abandon Quentin to his fate and focus his entire attention on searching for Roxanne.  He shook his head.  He couldn't; he'd promised-but he could still search for Roxanne as well.</div> <div> The Tavern was empty when he entered, to his great disappointment.  He remembered Joe Haskell saying it was unusually quiet because people were afraid of all the strange things going on.  Adam recognized Debbie and decided to ask her if she'd seen Randy.  He was glad he did because Randy had left a message with her.  "He's gone to see if he can find some guy named North.  He left with Buzz," Debbie said.  "He said to tell you to try the cemetery-some family mausoleum."  She shuddered visibly.  "I think maybe Mr. Haskell was right about this town."</div> <div> Adam thought he knew what Randy was referring to-it must be the place he'd followed Yeager-no, not Yeager, Cyrus--one night.  Even Cyrus--,no, Alex--had mentioned it.  Just thinking of Cyrus now was enough to start his head spinning.   Which way would he go?  He was glad that Collinwood and the cemetery were in the same general direction-he could decide at the last minute which way to turn.</div> <bR> <div> Quentin knew he was supposed to stay in the cave, but he'd become impatient rather quickly.  He was afraid for Maggie and for Daniel, too, although he didn't think Angelique would hurt the boy-he hoped not, anyway.  He'd learned in the years he was married to her that she was capable of cruelty to everyone, including Daniel, if it suited her purposes.  He paced back and forth in the cave almost all afternoon, waiting for Adam to return.   Just when he thought he could no longer stand it, he heard movement outside the cave.  He started to come out, grumbling impatiently:  "It's about damn time!"  He stopped short, shocked, looking into the face of the witch's lover, Hoffman.</div> <div> "Quentin, I have to talk to you," he heard her say.  How did she dare take that familiar tone with him?  His face darkened with anger, and he reached for her.  He pulled her roughly into the cave and pushed her against the wall, placing his hands on her throat.  She cried out and grabbed his wrists.  "Quentin!  No!  What are you doing?"</div> <div> "What the hell are you playing at, Hoffman?" he snarled.</div> <div> An odd look of realization crossed her features.  "You don't understand-I am not that Hoffman!"  He tightened his hold on her throat.  In return, she tightened her grip on his wrists.  "I am not a housekeeper, Quentin, please!  Listen to me!  I am from another place!"</div> <div> Abruptly, he let her go and stared at her with disbelief.  "Another place?  From parallel time?"</div> <div> Now it was her turn to look shocked.  "Do you-you know a-about that?" she stuttered.</div> <div> "You're from the same place as Barnabas?" he demanded.</div> <div> "Yes-he told you?"</div> <div> "Well-I found out," Quentin answered, evasively.  His brows rushed together.  "If you're not Hoffman, then where is she?"</div> <div> The woman drew in a deep breath.  "I will tell you what happened to her in a minute.  But first, I have something extraordinary that I must tell you.  It has to do with Alexis."</div> <div> He laughed mirthlessly.  "Yes-she is really Angelique.  I know."</div> <div> Again, the woman looked shocked.  "How did you know that?"</div> <div> Quentin didn't want her to know about Adam.  If she was who he suspected she was, then she'd been a party to Adam's wrongful imprisonment-she'd given him sedatives against his will, chained him, and helped keep him prisoner.  Was she any better than Hoffman, even if she was a doctor?  "Never mind," he said abruptly.  "Maybe you'd better tell me how you know it."</div> <div> The woman considered and then apparently decided to confide in him.  "Barnabas returned to our time for just a few minutes.  He came back long enough to tell me that you and Maggie and everyone in your family was in danger because Angelique had returned and was plotting against you.  When I realized that the Hoffman of your time intended to kill Barnabas, I followed to stop her."  Her eyes dropped away, and she looked upset.  "I did stop her," she whispered softly.</div> <div> It was incredible-this talk of travelling back and forth between bands of time.  Quentin realized something:  "You killed Hoffman, didn't you?  Then you took her place?"</div> <div> "Yes-we had to stop Angelique.  You were under her spell and in grave danger.  You're still in danger, Quentin.  That's why I came here-to take you away.  Angelique knows that you are here."</div> <div> "Where are we going to go?  I'm supposed to wait here for…" Quentin stopped himself abruptly, turning away.  "If I'm in danger, so is Maggie.  I have to go back for her."</div> <div> "Barnabas and I will help you.  We'll tell you everything-including how Angelique managed to come back."</div> <div> Quentin considered.  He could go with her now and find out more information from her and Barnabas about how Angelique had accomplished this astonishing feat.  He could sneak back out later and try to meet Adam back here.  "Why are you so interested in helping us?" he had to ask.  He was still suspicious.  She and Barnabas had nothing to do with this world.</div> <div> "I care for Barnabas," she told him honestly.  "Although you are not his real family, you bear resemblance enough to his cousins that he thinks of you as family, too."</div> <div> "I saw you in that other room," he admitted to her.  "I saw you talking to someone who looked like my cousin Elizabeth."</div> <div> "Yes, she is Barnabas' cousin Elizabeth.  In our time, she is the mistress of Collinwood."</div> <div> In spite of himself, Quentin was curious.  "There is a Quentin Collins in your time, that's why Barnabas seems to know me so well?" Julia nodded.  "His last name is Collins?  He was born a Collins?"</div> <div> Looking puzzled at Quentin's intensity, Julia answered:  "Why, yes.  I don't understand…"</div> <div> "Neither do I.  Maybe we can enlighten each other."  They turned toward the mouth of the cave and went outside.  Quentin wondered what twist of fate had occurred in that world.  Perhaps his father had married his mother there.  Maybe something else had happened.</div> <div> "Quentin!"  At her voice, Quentin's blood ran cold.  He looked into his wife's blue eyes; they were flashing with anger.  Involuntarily, he took a step back before he realized that the anger was not directed at him.  She was glaring at the woman.  "Hoffman, what are you doing here?"</div> <div> "I thought to take Mr. Collins to another, safer place," the woman replied weakly, her face pale.</div> <div> "That's not a good idea right now," Angelique replied coolly, continuing to glare daggers at the parallel Hoffman.  "The police are everywhere."  Now she looked directly at Quentin.  "You should go back into the cave and hide.  Wait for me to return later-I'll bring you food."</div> <div> "All right," Quentin mumbled, eager to get away.  He retreated as far back into the cave as possible, breathing shakily.  Coward!  He berated himself.  He wondered what Angelique would do to this other Hoffman-he really should have tried to protect her.  No!  It was more important to save Maggie-this woman meant nothing to him.  Maggie! He thought, anguished.  How could I have been so stupid?</div> <div> Castigating himself was useless.  He moved back toward the mouth of the cave and realized that the women had left.  I can't stay here now, he realized. Angelique will come back.  I don't want to see her again-I just want to find Maggie.  He began to climb the path to Widow's Hill.  He skulked about the woods until dark, planning to return to the cave and see if Adam had returned.  </div> <div> He saw a light go on in the tower room and stopped.  Who could that be?  He felt in his pocket for his Boy Scout knife-he still had it after all these years.  It had been Angelique who'd taken him to the tower to hide him-she was probably there now, torturing that other Hoffman-or worse.  I can put an end to everyone's misery, he thought, fingering the knife.  He had no idea how she'd come back to life, but he had no doubt that she was a witch.  He had no doubt that this would be justifiable homicide-she'd killed his cousin and his mother, had put his life in danger, and Maggie's as well.  No-no one could hold it against him for finishing her off.  She should have stayed dead.</div> <div> He didn't remember how he got up the stairs of the tower.  He found himself in front of the door.  He had to be very, very careful.  He put his hand on the knob and slowly turned it, pushing it open a crack.  He could see a figure by the window, long blonde hair flowing.  He threw the door open and leaped into the room, stopping himself short.  This woman was too small to be Angelique.  She turned around, her face streaked with tears, and screamed in terror when she saw him.</div> <div> "Carolyn, sssh!" Alarmed, he was beside her in an instant, pulling her into his arms.  She'd covered her mouth and buried her face in his chest, weeping wildly.  He held her tightly, feeling her shoulders shake convulsively.  "Carolyn, I'm sorry I scared you," he whispered soothingly, stroking her hair gently. </div> <div> "Oh, Quentin!" she wept.  She looked up at him, and now he could see that her eyes were bloodshot from liquor as well as tears.  She smelled as if she'd poured a whiskey bottle over her head.  "I thought for sure you were Will!"  She began to hiccup.</div> <div> "Hold your breath," he advised her, rubbing her back.   He'd always loved her, the tiny little golden haired child who'd followed him around whenever she could get away with it.  </div> <div> "Oh, oh!"  She was trying to pull herself together, her breath coming in hitching sobs.  "He'll never come back, will he?  I thought that if <I>she </I>could, if I wished hard enough he would come back too.  He died here, did you know that?"</div> <div> "Yes."  He felt grieved for her, realizing that she was another of Angelique's victims.  So-she'd really loved Will after all.  He had felt guilty about her marriage to his old acquaintance from Penn State.  They'd seemed so happy at first and then Will had written a book that sold moderately well, but then things had fallen apart after that.  Quentin had felt his friendship for Will turn to contempt as he watched him deteriorate into a drunken swaggering fool.  He suspected that Will was one of Angelique's lovers as well-or perhaps not.  Angelique liked to string weak people along.  Something about Carolyn's words made him stiffen.  "Carolyn?  What do you mean-you thought if you wished hard enough he would come back too?"</div> <div> Carolyn began to laugh hysterically.  She was very drunk.  "Oh, you don't have to lie to me, Quentin, dear.  I know the truth."</div> <div> He began to panic.  "What are you talking about?"</div> <div> "I know that Alexis is really Angelique!"</div> <div> "No, Carolyn!"  Now he was truly alarmed.  If Angelique heard Carolyn raving like this, she wouldn't hesitate to kill again.  "You're imagining it-you're just drunk."</div> <div> "I am not drunk!" Carolyn tried to pull away, her tone becoming truculent.  "I know what I'm talking about!"</div> <div> He had to get her out of here.  "Let me take you home," he cajoled.</div> <div> She tried to pull away.  "No!"   He was stronger than she was, though, and began to pull her with him out the door.  He meant to get her back to Loomis House, hoping that Barnabas was there.  He wasn't entirely sure how he felt about Barnabas but he did think that Barnabas would help keep his cousin safe.  Carolyn managed to kick him on the shin.  He grunted with pain.  "Let me go, Quentin, or I'll kick you again!"</div> <div> "No, you don't!" he exclaimed, turning her toward him again and abruptly lifting her over his shoulder.  She was so tiny and light, it was like lifting a doll.  She was furious, though, and began to beat him on the back and kick with her legs.  "Christ, Carolyn, please!  You're hurting me!"  He hoped he sounded plaintive enough to reach her.</div> <div> She immediately stopped struggling.  "I'm sorry," she wept again, beginning to sound sloppily sentimental.  "You were always so good to me when I was little, Quentin!"  He began to move down the stairs of the tower swiftly, hoping she'd remain passive.  "Do you remember playing hide and seek here when we were little?  It wasn't always so bad here, was it?"</div> <div> "No, not then," he answered truthfully.  He managed to get to the door and out into the open.  Relieved, he turned and headed for Loomis House.</div> <div> At once, she began struggling again.  "No!  I don't want to see him!  He's a monster, a monster!"</div> <div> "Carolyn, Jeez!"  He had to put her down, holding on to her to keep her from running away.  "Come on, please!  Let me help you!"</div> <div> "No one can help me now!" she exclaimed bitterly.  "No one!  Not unless you can get that bitch wife of yours to bring him back!"</div> <div> "Maggie is no bitch!" </div> <div> Carolyn's eyes widened with surprise, and then she began to laugh wildly.  "Oh, my God!  I've forgotten-you have two wives now, don't you!"  Then she began to sob.  "And I have no one!"</div> <div> "Carolyn, stop talking like that!"  He shook her, hard, frightened that someone would hear her-Angelique.</div> <div> Carolyn quieted for a moment, looking at him with pity and compassion.  "Poor Quentin," she whispered softly.  "She won't ever let you go, will she?"</div> <div> "I don't know what you mean," he muttered roughly.  He began to walk toward Loomis House again, pulling her along with him.  He refused to admit Carolyn was right.  He was sure if he did, he would be placing her in more danger.  He meant to get her to Loomis House and then return for Maggie and Daniel.</div> <div> Carolyn stomped on his foot, and he almost lost her then.  He was furious and was tempted to shake her some more but managed to control himself.  She was drunk; she couldn't help it.  Suddenly, someone loomed out of the darkness.  Carolyn gasped and nearly leaped back into his arms.  It was Adam.  "Thank God, Adam!" Quentin exclaimed.</div> <div> "Adam?"  Carolyn repeated.  </div> <div> "Quentin-I'm glad I found you!  You aunt is very worried about you-we must get Maggie and Daniel and go to town," Adam said urgently.  He saw Carolyn then.  "What is wrong?"</div> <div> "I know you-you're the same man who was here last year, aren't you?  I thought you looked familiar at the wedding-you knew me.  You called me by my name!"</div> <div> "Carolyn," Adam assented, very softly.  He could see that she was ill and disturbed.  It hurt him.  He realized that she must be grieving for her dead husband.</div> <div> "We have to get Carolyn home safely first," Quentin insisted.</div> <div> "Of course," Adam agreed.</div> <div> "No!  Not there!" Carolyn shouted.  Adam moved swiftly, covering her mouth with his hand, and winced when Carolyn bit down on it.  He picked her up easily and strode away with her.  Relieved, Quentin trotted after them.  He saw Adam shift Carolyn around in her arms; her head dangled back.</div> <div> "Is she all right?" Quentin called, worried.</div> <div> "I think she has fainted," Adam answered, not slowing his pace.  "She has been drinking quite a lot, has she not?"</div> <div> "Yes-and she knows about-about <I>her</I>."  Quentin found he was afraid to say her name out loud, as if that would cause her to suddenly appear.  "She's got to stay away from Collinwood."</div> <div> "Yes," Adam agreed again, thinking.  He could take Maggie, Quentin, and Daniel into town and then come back for Carolyn.  He remembered that Randy would sleep for hours after he'd had a lot to drink.  He remembered it was called "passing out".  After a few more minutes, he saw the Old House looming ahead.  He began to feel very odd but realized it was because Barnabas must be nearby.  He had to be very, very careful.  As they came around the side of the house, Adam said, "You must go ahead, Quentin, and see if Barnabas is there.  If he is there, I will leave her here-you and Barnabas bring her inside and then meet me on the path."</div> <div> "Okay," Quentin agreed.  He knew well how Adam felt about Barnabas and why.  As he approached the door and reached out to knock, Quentin realized that his suspicion and ambivalence about Barnabas stemmed from the things Adam had told him.  He was positive that Barnabas was from the same place Adam was but never let on-not after the initial and only confrontation about the odd goings-on in Angelique's old room.  Barnabas was adamant that he was not from another time.</div> <div>   Although Barnabas had been nothing but helpful and kind to him, Quentin sensed that he could be a very dangerous man when crossed.  Sometimes a very odd thought crossed Quentin's mind: was Barnabas a normal man or not?  He seemed to know things that no one else knew-how?  He was very strong and always seemed to appear when help was needed-like he had some kind of sixth sense.  </div> <div> In spite of his ambivalent feelings, Quentin was grateful to Barnabas-it was he who had rescued Maggie from Cyrus.  Barnabas had berated him for his strange behavior, demanding to know why he'd left Maggie alone and gone off on a trip with Alexis.  Quentin felt a deep sense of shame-even though he realized now that he'd been under a spell cast upon him by his first wife, he felt he'd betrayed Maggie and been unfaithful to her.  He didn't understand what was happening at the time, feeling confused and frightened.  </div> <div> He realized as he began to knock that the door wasn't closed.  Odd, he thought.  He pushed the door open and stepped into the foyer.  "Barnabas?" he called.  He walked down the hallway.  The lights were on, but it was very quiet.  He looked into the drawing room.  The wall with the bookcase looked odd for some reason; he barely glanced in the room, though, realizing it was empty.  He walked toward the basement door.  "Barnabas?"  There was still no answer.  He turned and went to the foot of the stairs.  "Barnabas!" he called loudly.  Not a sound.  He went back out and around the house; Adam looked ready to drop Carolyn and flee.  "It's all right-no one's there."</div> <div> "He is gone?" Adam asked cautiously.</div> <div> "He's definitely out-although the door was left open.  That's weird," Quentin answered.  "Well, maybe Carolyn left the door open."</div> <div> Adam moved toward the door.  "We will put Carolyn down and go."  He carried her through the door, which Quentin had left standing open.  He'd already started up the stairs by the time Quentin got back in and shut the door.  "Where is her room?" Adam called down.</div> <div> Quentin started up the steps after him.  "You know what?  I don't know.  I've only been here a couple of times, and then it was just to go into the drawing room."  He joined Adam at the top of the stairs and saw the hesitation on his friend's face.  "I guess any room would be all right," he decided and went to the closest room.  He opened the door.  "Here is all right."</div> <div> Adam laid Carolyn gently onto the bed.  She sighed and shifted slightly.  Adam took a coverlet and pulled it over her tenderly.  Watching, Quentin was touched.  He really must have cared for her in that other world, he thought.  He heard the door open downstairs and saw Adam leap about a foot into the air.  Adam's eyes were huge with terror-and something else.  There was a look of danger about him; he crouched, as if he was about to defend himself.</div> <div> "Adam," Quentin whispered urgently.  "It's all right-I'll talk to him.  I'll take care of it."</div> <div> "He mustn't see me!"  Adam's voice was hoarse.  He had to get out of there.  He turned to the window and lifted it.  It slid up easily.  "Quentin, I will climb down.  You talk to Barnabas if you must, but then meet me on the path.  It's important-we must go back to Collinwood for Maggie and Daniel!"</div> <div> "I know," Quentin agreed.  He was about to say that perhaps Barnabas could help them, but Adam was already out the window and beginning to climb down.  He sighed.  He checked Carolyn again; she was still, her breathing slow and deep.  He went back out of the room and started down the stairs very quietly.  He couldn't hear anything at all until he stood in the entryway to the drawing room.  He could hear Barnabas' voice; he sounded as if he was soothing someone, but Quentin couldn't see him.  With a start, he realized what was wrong with that far wall:  it was standing open, too!  Barnabas' voice was coming from within-it was a hidden room!</div> <div> Quentin stepped into the drawing room, walking toward the wall.  He wondered who Barnabas was speaking to.  No one else lived here.  Quentin nearly jumped out of his skin.  That was Roxanne's voice, and she was behind that wall!  Quentin darted into the next room.  He heard footsteps crossing the drawing room.</div> <div> "Hello!" Barnabas was calling.  "Who is there?"  Quentin went cold with shock.  Roxanne?  Why was she here with Barnabas?  I've got to get out of here, Quentin thought.  He wished he'd climbed out the window with Adam.  He suddenly realized he had to find Adam-he'd found Roxanne!</div> <div> "Where is Claude?" he heard Roxanne ask in a dreamy voice.</div> <div> Quentin knew that name-Claude North!  He was the one who'd been following Roxanne around, that strange classmate of his he could barely remember.  He couldn't remember what North looked like if he tried.  Somehow Cyrus had turned Roxanne over to that man Claude North-and Barnabas knew about him, too!  He realized he must have shifted his weight because he heard Barnabas hiss a warning to Roxanne to be quiet a moment.  Quentin held his breath, not daring to move a muscle.  After a moment, he heard Barnabas speaking again. "Please, you must let me help you," he was saying.  Their voices receded as they went back into that secret room.  As quietly as possible, Quentin backed up until he reached the back hallway.  He made his way down the hall, found the back door, and escaped gratefully.</div> <div> He headed back toward Collinwood.  Now he was sure he had to get Maggie and Daniel out of there.  He looked for Adam along the path but was surprised that his friend was not waiting nearby.  Adam really must have panicked, he thought.  I'll catch up to him eventually and tell him I've found Roxanne. </div> <bR> <div> After Adam had climbed out the window, slithered down part of the way and dropped down to the ground, he'd made his way to the path back to Collinwood.  He meant to wait for Quentin there, hoping that his friend didn't take too long.  He also hoped his friend knew enough not to try and bring Barnabas.  Adam knew how forceful Barnabas could be, so he was worried that Quentin might feel compelled to bring him.  Just when he'd been waiting so long he was sure that that must have happened, he heard a noise behind him.</div> <div> Whirling, he looked into the startled eyes of Claude North!  "You!" Adam cried.  North turned and ran swiftly down the path.  Without thinking, Adam began to chase him.  North veered off the main path and went crashing through the trees.  Adam ignored the branches whipping into this face and arms, desperate to catch the man who must have Roxanne somewhere.  As they came into a clearing, North stopped running and turned to face Adam.  Adam stopped at the edge of the clearing.  "Where is she?" he demanded.</div> <div> Claude snarled at him contemptuously.  "Unnatural monster!" he spat.  "You'll never get your filthy hands on her!"</div> <div> Adam stepped forward.  "You killed her!" He cried, anguished.  He felt his fury building.</div> <div> "No, fool!" Claude laughed at him.  "How could I kill her?  I love her!  I am looking for her myself!"</div> <div> Adam stopped in his tracks, stunned.  "What?"  He was shocked.  He was sure that North knew exactly where Roxanne was.</div> <div> "I don't know," North whispered bitterly.  "But I will find her-and then she will be mine!"  As Adam started for him again, North held up his hand.  Adam's hands flew to his throat.  "You'll never touch her again, ungodly creature that you are!"  North clenched his fist, and Adam fell to his knees.</div> <div> He was choking, Adam realized.  North was doing something to him; he was being strangled and he would die without seeing Roxanne again.  The last thing he saw was North's pale face, his mouth opened wide to laugh loudly at him.  He felt no pain as his head hit the ground and his eyes closed.  Everything became dark.</div> <div> Claude intended to finish him off-it was the merciful thing to do, after all.  As he prepared to squeeze the life out of the creature, he suddenly felt her and stopped.  He lifted his head sharply, all of his senses heightened now as he searched for her.  She was nearby.  He'd been so close to having her again-she was in the great house that this creature had just come from!  Forgetting Adam, Claude moved swiftly back toward Loomis House.  Roxanne, he thought desperately.  I need you, Roxanne!</div> <bR> <div> Quentin moved through the secret corridors within the great house, flashlight in hand.  He was looking for the room he shared oh-so-briefly with Maggie.  He'd never wanted to return to that East room suite he'd shared with Angelique, and he couldn't remember what he was thinking when he told Hoffman to make this room ready.  Had it been in the back of his mind to always have a room he could escape from?  There was a secret door leading from this room to the middle labyrinth of passageways in the gut of the house; eventually one of the corridors would lead them out.  He wished he'd thought to move Daniel to such a room.  As it was, the boy was sensitive and easily upset about everything and so he'd left him where he was for the time being.  </div> <div> He was outside his room now and hesitated, hearing voices within.  Maggie and Angelique!  He reached into his pocket for his knife, raising it to his mouth to pull the blade out with his teeth.  He'd had the knife for years, using it to whittle when he was nervous.  Angelique had teased him when she caught him at it once, contemptuously stating, "So, I see where you get your moodiness from, darling.  It's this `artistic' personality-oh, no!  don't put it away on my account.  Just what is it supposed to be anyway?"  He'd made sure never to let her see him whittling again, hating the superior way she had of laughing at him.  It was infuriating.</div> <div> He used to play a game with this knife-he and Cyrus, when they'd first earned their whittling chips in Scouts years and years ago.  It was a game of skill, involving throwing the knife into the ground in an ever smaller and smaller circle and then having to pull it out of the ground while balancing on one foot.  As the circle became smaller, it also moved further away from each boy.   He'd used it only once to draw blood, cutting his own thumb while Cyrus, whey-faced, slit his thumb with his own knife.  They'd pressed their thumbs together; then, the blood mingling…Quentin shut his eyes tightly, almost overcome with pain.  His best friend!  But there was Maggie to think about-he pushed the memories of Cyrus away and held the knife loosely in his left hand, right hand on the door, ready to move as quickly as possible as soon as was necessary.  He listened.</div> <div> "Are you sure you're feeling all right now, Alexis?" Maggie asked in a timid voice.  "It frightened me-you just passed out so suddenly."</div> <div> "I assure you I am quite all right now," Angelique answered in her cool, efficient voice.  "Do you really think it was wise to send Daniel away like that without consulting Quentin?" the witch asked now.  He no longer thought of her as Angelique.  She'd become The Witch, the cause of a good deal of his adult pain.  He hated her for that.</div> <div> "I-I-I felt it was in Daniel's best interest to have him go-under the circumstances, I thought it would be so difficult for him.  He loves his father so," Maggie replied, sounding unsure of herself.  </div> <div> "Well, it's just that you know how unpredictable Quentin can be," the witch continued.  Quentin gritted his teeth.  He knew the tone.  She was trying to make Maggie feel incompetent, and apparently she was succeeding!</div> <div> "I know," Maggie agreed, sounding intimidated now.  "It's just that when Chris offered to take Daniel to keep Amy company, I-I just thought it would be a good idea.  I didn't have time to call Quentin, I really didn't."  She almost sounded as if she was pleading for understanding.  No, Maggie, no, Quentin thought furiously.  You did the right thing!  He said a silent prayer of thanks to his cousin for getting the boy out of this madhouse.</div> <div> "Well, there's nothing that can be done about it now.  I just wouldn't like to be the one to tell Quentin.  I wish you luck, my dear," the witch said in a carefully controlled voice. Quentin knew that meant she was having a little difficulty containing her rage.  Of course she wouldn't want Daniel taken away-she needed him, and not just because he was her son, the bitch!</div> <div> "Have you seen Quentin?" Maggie asked in a tremulous voice.</div> <div> "Not since he hit Inspector Hamilton over the head."  Quentin tensed at the words.  That was your idea! He thought, bitterly.  "I had no idea he was so violent-did you know that, Maggie?"</div> <div> "Not like that, no," Maggie answered softly.  </div> <div> "Well, do you think he killed Bruno, then?  He almost killed the inspector, after all."</div> <div> "I don't know what to think."  Maggie's voice sounded soft and sad.  Quentin felt a moment of irritation at her lack of faith in him.  He remembered, though, that he'd treated her very badly and writhed with shame again at the thought of where he'd been when the call came from Barnabas with the news about Maggie and Cyrus.</div> <div> "I don't know what to think, either.  And now with the investigation into the murder of my sister…" The witch's voice broke off; she sounded as if she was going to cry.  What a Sarah Bernhardt!  Quentin thought with increasing bitterness.   She should win an academy award for that one!  He realized that he couldn't hear them talking anymore and wondered what had happened.  Did Maggie leave with Angelique?  He wondered what to do-maybe he would wait five minutes and then slip into the room.</div> <div> As he stood waiting, he began to feel dizzy.  He leaned against the wall, fighting the feeling of vertigo.  Both of them were against him, he thought.  Even Maggie-and he really believed she'd loved him.  Perhaps she wasn't being timid at all-she just didn't believe in him.  She hadn't come to see him once after his arrest!  He felt anger building in him.  Did she really need to be protected?  She was probably siding with all of them anyway-with Elizabeth, Roger, and the rest of the family.  As for Daniel, she'd never liked him anyway!  The only person who'd really stood up for him against the family was Angelique.</div> <div> He shook his head, confused.  No!  That was wrong!  Angelique might have stood up to the family for him but it was because she felt her own position was slighted-not because she felt he was being treated unjustly.  What the hell is wrong with me?  He wondered, aghast.  Why was I thinking those things about Maggie?  Horrified, he realized that Angelique might have sensed his presence here and was trying to exert her influence over him again.  It was time to get Maggie out of here-now!</div> <div> He slid the door back carefully to find the room in darkness.  Where are they?  He wondered, stepping into the room.  He saw a form on the bed and realized it must be Maggie-Angelique had left the room and Maggie had turned in for the night.  Good-he could get her out of here now.  He meant to put his hand on her shoulder, the other ready to cover her mouth if she made a noise.  As he approached the bed, he felt the sensation of vertigo again and heard a strange, buzzing sound in his ear as if a mosquito was nearby.  She doesn't love you, it seemed to be saying in his ear in that obnoxious buzzing whine.  Go away! He commanded the mosquito-voice, but he only heard again: She doesn't really love you.</div> <div> "Quentin!" Maggie screamed.  "Stop!"</div> <div> He came to his senses, realizing his hands were around her throat.  "Maggie!" he cried.  "Maggie, I didn't mean to!"  He pulled away from her, staring at his hands as if they were alien appendages, manipulated by something other than his own brain.</div> <div> "You tried to kill me!" Maggie screamed again.</div> <div> "I'm sorry!"  He realized it was true-he had tried to kill her.  He wanted to tell her that it was because of Angelique, that they were both in danger, and that he had to get her out now.  He heard the sounds of voices and people running in the hall.  There was no time now-he'd have to come back.  "I didn't mean to, Maggie!" he exclaimed to her urgently, even as he ran back to the secret door, pulling it closed behind him.</div> <div> It was none too soon, because Quentin could hear Elizabeth, Angelique, and Roger, all of them shouting and crying out, causing confusion.  He ran.  As he ran down the corridor, he heard the secret door open and heard someone coming after him.  "Quentin!  Quentin!" he heard Roger shouting.  "I have a gun, Quentin!  I'll kill you if I catch you!"  Quentin had no doubt that Roger meant it-he'd known that Roger had always hated him, even more so since he'd looked at Roger's pictures.  He turned down one of the corridors which would take him to the East wing, hoping to lose Roger.  He came to another of the doorways, slipped into that room, opened the door and continued to run through the East wing.  There was another way out-he just had to get there.  He'd hide in the woods for an hour or two and then return for Maggie.  </div> <div> He was badly frightened now.  Angelique knew he was about-she was the one who was causing him to think those crazy thoughts!  He wished that Adam was here and wondered what had happened to his friend.  Perhaps he'd find Adam out on the path.  I'll go look, he thought.  Adam will help me.  Another thought occurred to Quentin, too.  Apparently for whatever reason, Adam was some sort of conduit-a way for Gabriel to come through.  Maybe Gabe will come back, Quentin thought hopefully.  He found the door that led outside of Collinwood and slipped through, relieved to have escaped once more.</div> <div> He made his way through the woods to the caretaker's cottage, looking for Adam and disappointed not to find him.  There were no lights on inside the cottage.  Mr. Morgan, who was about as ancient as Jamison would have been had he lived, must either be asleep or visiting his grown daughter in Rockport.  Quentin checked the door and found it unlocked.  Hoping that Morgan was out or sleeping so heavily he wouldn't be heard, Quentin quickly found the phone and called the Inn.  He had a feeling Chris would stay there first before heading out of town.  The phone rang twice before Chris picked up.  "Quentin, for God's sake!" his cousin exclaimed in a strangled voice.  "Where in God's name are you?"</div> <div> "Now, Chris, you know I can't tell you that-that would make you an accomplice," Quentin answered calmly.  He'd learned all that from Adam, who told him what his aunt had said.  "Look, I just wanted to make sure you've really got Daniel."</div> <div> Chris sighed.  "Yes, I really have him-had him.  He's with your Aunt Nancy now-he and Amy both.  Quentin, you know you've got to come in.  Your aunt's beside herself!"</div> <div> "I will, but I want to get Maggie out, too," Quentin answered, relieved to hear that Daniel was safe.  "Have you seen my friend-the tall guy, Adam?"  He hoped  Adam had returned to the Inn.</div> <div> "No.  Look, Quentin, I wanted to take Maggie, too, and I tried to convince her to come with me, but it was hard enough getting Daniel out with Elizabeth and Alexis there," Chris said somewhat defensively.</div> <div> "I know, believe me-I know.  Chris, I'm just grateful you got Daniel out.  He's with my aunt now?  He's really okay?"</div> <div> "Yes, he's really okay," Chris assured him.  "Look, maybe we can work this all out.  Why don't you let me pick you up and bring you back to town?"</div> <div> Quentin considered.  "Come to the drive at Collinwood.  I'm going back for Maggie.  We'll come and meet you by the gate."  After a moment, he added:  "I want to see my Aunt Nancy and Daniel first, but don't bring them."</div> <div> "Sure, Quentin," Chris sounded relieved.  "I'll come out now and wait for you."</div> <div> Quentin hung up and slipped back outside.  He hoped that Maggie was alone again so that he might talk to her and persuade her to come with him.  He'd carry her away by force if necessary. </div> <bR> <div> Adam moaned, feeling someone slapping him lightly on either side of his face.  His cheeks stung.  He reached up and grabbed two wrists tightly.  "Ow, man, leggo!" Randy cried out.</div> <div> Adam blew out a sigh of relief and released Randy's wrists.  "I was afraid you were Claude North."</div> <div> "You saw the dude?" Randy asked, sounding clearly disappointed.  "He's gone?  What did he do to you?  He's just a little twerp, isn't he?"</div> <div> "He's little but he is very powerful.  I think he would have killed me except for Roxanne…" Adam broke off confused.  How did he know that?</div> <div> "How can he kill you?"  Randy asked.  "You're bigger than him."</div> <div> "He is dangerous.  He held his hand out, and I began to choke."</div> <div> "Then I'll have to surprise him."  Randy pulled a wicked looking hunting knife from under his pants leg.  "Any idea where he might have gone?"</div> <div> "Perhaps back to the cemetery.  Where is your friend?"</div> <div> "He's not a friend.  The dude is a dealer-just someone who'd seen Claude North with someone else you might know.  Stokes?"</div> <div> "Stokes?"  Adam repeated, confused.  "What has he to do with this?"  Wait!  He remembered that John Yeager had gone with Stokes to the mausoleum.  Perhaps Yeager and Stokes both knew Claude North-perhaps while Yeager waited outside the mausoleum, Stokes had gone inside to talk to North.  But what would Stokes want with Roxanne?  "Perhaps he knows where we can find Roxanne," Adam whispered softly.  "She is very nearby."  He began to get up unsteadily.  "Did you see Quentin at all?"</div> <div> "The Boy Scout?  Hell no!  I'm lucky I found you as it is."</div> <div> "I was supposed to meet Quentin," Adam muttered, feeling torn between Roxanne and his promise to Nancy.  "Well, perhaps Quentin got Maggie and went to town already.  Let's look in the cemetery and see if North went there."</div> <div> They'd just gotten back onto the path and were headed back to Loomis house when they heard the scream.  Both turned as one toward Collinwood.  Adam looked up and saw a light in the tower room.  Two figures passed in front of the lighted window, struggling.  "There!"  he cried, beginning to run.</div> <bR> <div> At about the same time, Quentin was rounding the tower and was heading toward a side door that would take him to the inner network of hallways within Collinwood again.  He'd seen the light up in the tower and assumed he'd just left it on when he'd taken Carolyn out.  He heard a piercing shriek which turned his blood cold-it came from the tower!  He pulled the door open and ran up the stairs, fumbling around in his pockets for his pocketknife.  There was another scream and then he heard Roger's voice:  "Shut up!  For the love of God!  I'll have to kill you!"</div> <div> As Quentin opened the door, he had the sickening realization that he'd dropped his pocketknife somewhere in Maggie's room.  He saw that very knife in Roger's upraised hand as he plunged it into Carolyn's chest.  He was shocked to the very core and screamed, "No!"  Roger's eyes met his, and Quentin knew without a doubt that his cousin was out of his mind.  There was no recognition in them at all-not even hatred.  Roger pulled the knife out of Carolyn's chest, grabbed her, and pulled her to him, holding the blade to her throat.  "Roger, for the love of God, let her go!"</div> <div> "No, I'm afraid I can't do that, my boy, she knows too much," Roger replied in a calm voice seemingly filled with sad regret.  He was oblivious to Carolyn's sagging body, the blood from her chest wound pouring out over the arm he used to hold her against him.</div> <div> "She doesn't know anything, Roger, please!  Let her go!"  Quentin was frightened by Carolyn's ashy pallor and by the amount of blood running over Roger's arm, soaking Carolyn's blouse and dripping to the floor.</div> <div> "Quentin-he's the killer," Carolyn managed to say.  Her voice sounded strange, as if she was speaking to him under water.  "He's the one that killed Angelique."</div> <div> "Shut up!" Quentin shouted, even as his body grew cold with this shocking revelation.</div> <div> "Pity," Roger whispered regretfully.  He drew the knife across Carolyn's throat, slitting it, and pushed her roughly to the ground as Quentin screamed again.  Roger looked at him with maddened eyes.  "Now you," he mumbled.  "You heard.  No one can know."  He rushed at Quentin, intending to run him through with the knife.  Quentin grabbed his arm tightly, trying to turn the knife away and back toward Roger.</div> <div> As they struggled, Quentin became aware that someone had arrived to help.  He heard a roar of rage.  He was pushed to one side and, as he fell, he saw that Adam was in his place, struggling with Roger.  Quentin scuttled over to his cousin's body, turning her onto her back.  There was so much blood; Carolyn's face was paper white as her life drained away onto the floor.  "We can save her, man, move it!" someone was shouting into his ear.  There were tearing sounds, and then Randy came into view, his shirt torn in two.  Randy pressed half of the shirt against her throat.  "Stop the bleeding, Boy Scout, we can save her!"</div> <div> Quentin came to his senses.  Grabbing the other half of the shirt, he wadded it against the ugly chest wound.  It bubbled around the edges, and he wondered if the knife had punctured Carolyn's lung.  There was a dull thwack! Looking up briefly, Quentin saw that Adam had knocked Roger to the ground.  "We gotta get her to the hospital!" Adam shouted down at them, but he didn't sound like himself.  "Let me carry her, Buddy, move!"</div> <div> "Man, I didn't bring my fucking car!" Randy berated himself as Adam pulled Carolyn's limp body into his arms.   He positioned her so that her throat pressed against his shoulder, adding additional pressure to the shirt Randy had placed there.</div> <div> "Chris!  Chris is at the gate!"  Quentin remembered.</div> <div> "Let's go!" Adam ran for the stairs, racing down as quickly as he dared.</div> <div> Quentin turned to see if Roger was dead, but he felt Randy yank at his arm.  "Don't fuck with him.  Let the sheriff get him-if he's not dead now, he'll wish he was.  Let's go!"</div> <bR> <div> Chris had gotten out of his car and was waiting impatiently.  He'd lit a cigarette and puffed at it, nervously, wondering how long it would take Quentin to get here.  He wanted to get off the estate and out of Collinwood as quickly as possible.  He heard the scream, too, and threw his cigarette down.  He briefly considered checking out what had happened but decided against it.  He was all Amy had in the world-what would she do if he got killed, too?  He decided to wait just a few more minutes and then he'd leave, Quentin or no Quentin.  Quentin's safety wasn't his problem.</div> <div> Just as he decided he was going to get in the car and leave, he heard crashing sounds coming toward him through the woods and the sound of heavy breathing.  Shit! Whatever happened is coming this way!  He climbed into the car and started up the engine.  He was just starting to pull away when he heard Quentin shouting:  "Chris!  Wait, for the love of God, stop!"</div> <div> He jammed on the brake.  He seemed to be surrounded on all sides.  Stunned, he realized all the doors were being pulled open except his.  Quentin jumped into the passenger seat beside him, and he could see that his cousin was splattered with blood.  To his horror, he realized two men were getting into the back with Carolyn-all of them seemed to be drenched with blood.  "What the hell happened?" he cried.  "Is she dead?"</div> <div> "Not yet!" the big man in the back barked at him.  "But she will be if you don't move your ass and get us to the hospital, quick!"</div> <div> Chris took his foot off the brake and jammed on the accelerator.  "What happened?" he yelled as the car swayed from side to side momentarily and then straightened out.</div> <div> "Roger-it was Roger the whole time, Chris!" Quentin exclaimed.  "That's what Carolyn said right before he cut her throat."</div> <div> "Cut her throat!  Christ!"</div> <div> "Just drive, squirt!"</div> <div> Chris glanced up into the rear view mirror suspiciously.  "Who are you?  You're that guy from the wedding?"</div> <div> "Yeah, yeah, whatever, just get us to the hospital, Chris, or we're gonna have another body here!"</div> <div> There was something familiar about that guy, Chris thought, and it wasn't just that he'd seen him at the jail and at the wedding before that.  The other man, shirtless, was a stranger.  Carolyn's stillness scared him.  He could smell the blood on all of them, and that was even worse.  "You said Roger cut her throat?  Why?"</div> <div> "Roger killed Angelique," Quentin answered.  "That's what she said, Chris."</div> <div> "Oh, God." Chris groaned.  He was pulling into the emergency room lot of the hospital.</div> <div> "You tell them, Chris-you tell them what she said, you hear?  And stay with her!"  the big man had opened the back door and was laying Carolyn gently on the back seat.  The shirtless man had gone running inside, yelling for help.</div> <div> "Me?  Wait!  You can't leave me alone here with her!"   Chris protested.</div> <div> The big man pulled Quentin by the arm.  "Let's go, Buddy!"  As the two of them began to run, the man called back, "You'll be all right!  Just tell them what happened!"</div> <div> Already two doctors and several nurses had reached the car.  They were much too concerned with Carolyn to worry about three bloody men running off into the darkness.  Shit!  Chris thought.  He looked down at Carolyn with growing horror, wondering if she would live.  I better call Elizabeth and warn her, he thought.  I better call the sheriff, and then I better call T.J. Sheridan.  I think I'm going to need his help…</div> <bR> <div> Quentin and Adam-who was now apparently Gabriel-ran side by side for several blocks before Randy finally caught up with them.  They were on the outskirts of town now.  Quentin knew they were going back to Collinwood for Maggie-and probably Elizabeth.  Angelique was not the only killer on the loose.  If Roger wasn't dead, he might have gotten up and gone back to the main house already.  Maggie!  Suddenly, Adam fell to his knees and then fell forward onto his face.  "Gabe?" Quentin shouted.</div> <div> "Gabe?" Randy looked at him confused, then knelt beside Adam.  Quentin stopped and got down too.  "Hey!  Adam!  What's the matter?"</div> <div> Adam groaned, his eyes rolling back into his head.  "Help me, he's going to kill me," he muttered.</div> <div> "Jesus!  He means Maggie!"  Quentin cried, panicking.  He shook Adam.  "Gabe, come on, snap out of it!"</div> <div> "Must find Barnabas," Adam muttered gutturally.  "Barnabas will help."</div> <div> Randy looked at Quentin.  "This is what he was doing before-he said Claude North did something to him.  And he did this before that, too-he said he felt Roxanne."</div> <div> Quentin understood and remembered what he was supposed to tell his friend.  Adam was channeling all the spirits-why?  Perhaps it had something to do with this Barnabas.  He wasn't Gabriel anymore and while he was bitterly disappointed, he was also frantic to rescue Maggie.  "Look, Randy, he's right about Barnabas helping-maybe.  Barnabas has Roxanne.  She's safe.  He's got her hidden in a little room off the drawing room at Loomis House."  Randy reacted with shock.  "She is really okay-I heard her talking.  Stay with him until he's okay, willya?  Then go to Loomis House-that's where she is.  But I've got to get Maggie-you understand, don't you?"</div> <div> "I don't understand none of this shit, man, but you got to get your wife outta Collinwood, I do know that.  Go on!" Randy answered, looking back down at his prostrate friend.  He didn't watch the Boy Scout sprint off into the darkness.  "Adam, Adam!"  he called again.  He lightly slapped Adam's cheeks again.  That was how he'd been able to bring him back before…</div> <div> Adam's eyes fluttered open suddenly.  "The woods-Roxanne is in the woods near the Old House.  We must go and find her!"  He sat up, looking around.  "Quentin?"</div> <div> "Man, he had to go back for Maggie.  Listen, Adam, he says that Barnabas has Roxanne-that she's safe, in some little room at Loomis House."</div> <div> "Barnabas?" Adam gaped at him, terrified.  </div> <div> "Yeah-Boy Scout says she is safe…what's the matter?"</div> <div> Adam was shaking his head.  "She isn't there now.  She's gone into the cemetery.  I could see her walking among the tombstones.  We have to find her!  We'll find Roxanne and then we will go and help Quentin, too."  Adam got up and began to walk unsteadily.</div> <div> "You okay?"</div> <div> "Yes, I have to be okay," Adam said in a determined way.  He continued to walk until he seemed to have his balance back.  Then he began to jog, and Randy kept pace with him.</div> <div> "Do you know where she is in the cemetery, Adam?" Randy asked.</div> <div> "I am not sure-I feel drawn to the mausoleum," Adam replied.</div> <div>  "Let's go there first, then."</div> <div> Eagle Hill Cemetery was a dark, lonely place at night.  Randy switched on a large flashlight that cast a huge beam.  "Where did you get that?" Adam asked.</div> <div> "From our camping stuff, of course," Randy answered surprised.  "You weren't ever a Boy Scout were you, Adam?"</div> <div> "No," Adam answered, wondering what that had to do with anything.</div> <div> "Be prepared," Randy said, as if he'd read Adam's mind  "That's the Boy Scout motto-something like that, anyway.  Actually, I copped this out of that lawyer's car.  He'll understand-he seemed like a nice guy."  He shone the light over several tombstones.  "Where's this mausoleum?"</div> <div> "This way."  Adam led the way.  They were almost to the mausoleum when Randy stopped abruptly, grabbing Adam's arm.  "What?"</div> <div> "Sh!" Randy hissed.  He turned to the side, shining the light around.  "I heard something."</div> <div> Adam was amazed at the acuity of Randy's senses when he wasn't drinking or using drugs.  Randy was moving toward one of the tombstones, and Adam followed quickly.  He'd heard it now, too: a low moan.  Randy was already bending over Claude North, and he was obviously dying.  The handle of a large chef's knife protruded from his chest.  His hands were on the knife, but he was too weak to do anything but gasp for air.  </div> <div> Adam had never heard a sound like that in his life.  He didn't understand why Randy just knelt by the man's side, not doing anything.  He put his hands on the handle of the knife.  "No!" Randy said sharply.  "You'll kill him sure if you pull it out!  We have to find out about Roxanne!  He's going to die anyway-listen to him!  He's almost gone."  Randy leaned over North's body and looked into his eyes.  "Claude!  Claude, do you know me?"</div> <div> For a long moment, Adam thought that Claude North wasn't going to answer.  His eyes looked glazed, and his breathing was loud and tortured.  Finally, in a gurgling voice, sounding as if he was drowning, North gasped out:   "Little Randy!"</div> <div> "Claude, listen to me!  Where's Roxanne?  Do the decent thing now, man!  Help her-you loved her, didn't you?  Whoever did this to you is gonna hurt her, right?  Help her, Claude!"  Randy shouted, trying to keep Claude with them.  Bloody bubbles appeared on North's lips.  "Damn, man!  You die now, you go straight to hell, you demon!  You understand me?  Where is she?"</div> <div> "Stokes!" North croaked finally.  </div> <div> "Stokes!" Adam exclaimed, shocked. "Why Stokes?"</div> <div> But Claude was unable to tell them.  "Stokes," he repeated.  The strange, strangled sounds continued from his throat a few moments more and then abruptly stopped.</div> <div> "He's gone," Randy said flatly.  He looked up at Adam.  "He wasn't so powerful after all.  Okay, who is Stokes?  Where is he?"</div> <div> "Not far from here," Adam said.  "Come on!"</div> <bR> <div> Quentin made his way back through the house and edge the door open to Maggie's room.  He heard a sharp intake of breath from within as he swung the panel open. He heard the sound of a gun being cocked.  "Stop where you are!"  It was Maggie, and her voice sounded deadly cold.  The lights went on, and he blinked, realizing that Maggie had the gun pointed at his head.  Her eyes widened at the sight of him.</div> <div> "Maggie, for God's sake!" he cried.  "Put the gun down!"</div> <div> "You tried to kill me!" she declared.  She raised the gun a little.</div> <div> "Maggie, I didn't mean to.  I didn't know what I was doing, I swear it!"  He couldn't believe his eyes-looking down the barrel of that gun.  "Maggie, are you really going to shoot me?"</div> <div> "Quentin, my God!"  Maggie's eyes filled with tears.  The gun wavered, and she began to lower it.  "I love you!  I could never hurt you!"</div> <div> "You have to believe me," he said to her earnestly.  "I never meant to hurt you, either-it was a spell.  It was her-Angelique."</div> <div> "I know it now," she wept.  She dropped the gun and collapsed to the floor in a heap.  He ran to her side, kneeling down beside her.  He pulled her into his arms and, struggling to carry her limp body, carried her to the bed and put her down gently.  She'd just fainted.  He sat on the bed beside her, holding his hand between his, rubbing it.  After a few moments, she began to rouse, her eyes fluttering.</div> <div> "Maggie?  I'm so sorry," he whispered to her.  "Please forgive me."</div> <div> He wasn't sure she'd heard him.  Her eyes flew open wide, looking panic-stricken.  "Quentin, we have to get out of here-Roger's gone mad!"  Maggie's voice was frantic.  "That's why I was locked in here.  He tried to kill me.  He killed your cousin Elizabeth-and, quite possibly, Angelique, too."</div> <div> "Jesus!"  Quentin exclaimed, his mind reeling.  Elizabeth?  Then he looked at Maggie sharply.  "You know about Angelique?"</div> <div> "Julia was trying to explain it to me," Maggie said faintly.  "I thought she was going mad, but now I realize she isn't crazy at all.  She isn't really Hoffman, Quentin."</div> <div> "So I just found out, too.  We've got to get out of here.  Let's go," Quentin decided.  "We can get out the way I came in."  He began to reach for her, but then he drew his hand back, afraid to touch her.  He bent down for the gun.  When he straightened, he was looking into Maggie's eyes.  They were filled with tears of pain.  They'd hurt each other repeatedly, and very badly.  "I'm sorry," he told her again.  He meant it.</div> <div> She reached out as if to touch her face and pulled back as if burned.  "Whose blood?" she asked, suddenly realizing that he was spattered with bloodstains.</div> <div> "Carolyn's," Quentin answered thickly.  "Roger stabbed her-in the tower room."</div> <div>  "Oh, my God!  Why would he do that?  It doesn't make sense!"  Maggie interrupted.  "I heard screaming from Elizabeth's room.  I burst in without thinking, and I found Roger stabbing her over and over.  He looked up and saw me.  He dropped her-the knife was in her stomach, and she was still trying to scream.  He grabbed me!"  Maggie began to weep, and Quentin put his arms around her, pulling her into his arms. "Oh, God, I thought he was going to kill me for sure!  He put his hands around my throat and said that he didn't care how many people he had to kill to keep it secret that he killed Angelique."</div> <div> "How did you ever get away from him?"  Quentin asked, thoroughly shaken.  He castigated himself for the fool he'd been.  Roger had almost killed her, and he'd allowed it to happen by not being with her!  The thought of Maggie lying cold and dead moved him suddenly to tears, and they spilled over his cheeks and onto her hair.</div> <div> "Angelique came in.  She looked at him, and he just stopped.  I ran away from them both and locked myself in here."   Maggie had begun to cry, too.  "When you opened the door, I-I didn't know who you were.  I-I thought maybe you were-you were Roger!"</div> <div> "Maggie, I am so sorry about everything that's happened," he said again.  He moved her so that he could look her in the face.  "I don't know what I would have done if anything had happened to you-my God!  I can't believe how stupid I was!  When did you find out about Angelique?"</div> <div> "Julia Hoffman confided in me-she said she's really a doctor and not Hoffman at all.  She told me she was going to try and find you-but that was hours ago.   I began to wonder if-well, it all sounds so crazy, Quentin.  She says that Angelique came back to life because her father used a young girl in a coma as some sort of life force!"</div> <div> Quentin drew his breath in sharply.  "How could he do that?" </div> <div> "I don't know!" Maggie sounded distressed.  "It all sounded so incredible!  Dr. Hoffman said that every time she and Barnabas tried to wake the girl, something would happen to Angelique.  And I remember it happening, too-one time she fainted.  She wouldn't let me call a doctor, Quentin-she made me call her father!"</div> <div> "She killed the real Alexis," Quentin mumbled, stunned.  "How could she?  How could her father choose one daughter over the other like that?"</div> <div> "I don't know.  The last thing Julia told me was that she had to find you because they were close to bringing the girl awake and that it would probably kill Angelique-and that she would be more dangerous than ever."  Maggie was looking at him very closely, he realized, looking for his reaction.</div> <div> "We'd better get out of her now, then.  Can you walk?"</div> <div> She looked relieved.  "Yes, I think so."  She held on to his hand, and he helped her get up.  She turned toward him, still squeezing his hand.  "Quentin, what's happened to us?"  He looked at her mutely.  He knew what she meant.  "Why didn't we help each other?"</div> <div> "Magic," Quentin whispered.  "Evil magic-I was under a spell.  I'm sure of that, Maggie, or I wouldn't have behaved so stupidly.  I would have protected you."</div> <div> "Do you think we can start over?"  Maggie asked timidly.</div> <div> Now he felt relieved.  "You can forgive me, Maggie?" he asked humbly.</div> <div> "There's nothing to forgive.  I know you love me as much as you can-I know that you'll always love her in spite of everything, and I can accept that."</div> <div> "Love her?  Who?  Angelique?"  Quentin was horrified.  "My God, Maggie, I don't love her!  I haven't loved her for a long time.  How could you think that I love her?"</div> <div> "But…" Maggie looked confused.</div> <div> "Maggie, come on, let's get out of here and then we can talk.  Come on."  He suddenly felt the urgent need to get out.  A moment later, he could hear Angelique's voice below, rising in anger.  Against who?  Roger?  At the sound of her voice, Maggie moved, practically running through the opening and into the inner hallway.  Quentin quickly pushed the secret door back in place.  "Come on, I'll get you out of here," he assured her, feeling protective toward her for the first time since they came here.  I must've been acting like a real ass, thanks to Angelique, he thought bitterly, holding Maggie's hand and leading her out.</div> <div> Once they were outside, he didn't stop until they were on the path leading back toward Loomis House.  Maggie held back a little.  "Where are we going?"</div> <div> "Loomis House-to Barnabas," Quentin answered.  "I'm not sure that I trust him, Maggie, but he does have a phone-and he's got Roxanne."</div> <div> "Roxanne!"  Maggie exclaimed, her eyes becoming huge.  </div> <div> Just as suddenly, Quentin realized it too.  "Oh, my God-she was the girl who was keeping Angelique alive!  That's where she's been all this time!"  They began to hurry toward Loomis House.</div> <bR> <div> Adam and Randy reached Stokes' cottage.  Adam pounded at the door while Randy went from window to window.  Suddenly, he appeared at Adam's side, pushing him aside.  He kicked the door, hard, knocking it off its frame with the force of the blow.  Adam was too startled to say anything; he spilled into the cottage behind Randy, who ran straight to the back.</div> <div> Turning on the lights, they looked around the room.  Adam flinched and felt faint.  This room reminded him of the place he'd awakened for the first time-Dr. Lang's laboratory.  "What is this place?" he whispered, horrified.</div> <div> Randy was already rifling through some of the drawers.  He held up Roxanne's wallet.  "She was here!" he exclaimed.</div> <div> Adam smashed his fists on the hospital bed in frustration.  "She's gone!" he shouted.</div> <div> "But she was here-and she couldn't have been gone long!" Randy shouted back.  "Come on-where else could she be?"</div> <div> Adam knew, without a doubt:  "With Barnabas.  At the Old House."</div> <div> "Well, let's go, then!" Randy was racing back out the door, stopping short when he saw Stokes' car.  "What's the crazy son-of-a-bitch up to?"  He wondered.  There was a length of tubing protruding from the gas tank.</div> <div> "What is it?"  Adam asked.  As soon as he saw the tubing, though, he knew-Stokes had siphoned gas from his car.  But why?  He shook his head furiously.  What difference did it make now?  He turned and loped off in the direction of the Old House, Randy on his heels.</div> <bR> <div> Quentin and Maggie reached the portico of Loomis House.  Quentin knocked sharply at the door and waited.  There was no answer.  He knocked again.  When no one came to answer after a few more moments of impatient waiting, he put his hand on the knob.  "Do you think you should?" Maggie asked timidly.</div> <div> "Probably not, but technically, it's my house now," Quentin answered.  The door swung open easily and he stepped into the foyer.  It was very quiet.  "Barnabas?"  He called out.  I've just done this, he thought-last time Adam was with me.  "Barnabas!"  Maggie followed him in, clutching at his hand nervously.  "He's not here.  Come on!"  He strode into the drawing room and went straight to the bookcase.  He began pulling the books out and throwing them onto the floor, feeling around on the shelves.</div> <div> "What are you doing?" Maggie asked, shocked.</div> <div> "There's a room behind this wall.  That's where Roxanne was," Quentin answered.</div> <div> "My God!  Surely Barnabas isn't helping Angelique!"</div> <div> Quentin laughed bitterly.  "I doubt it!  The only one who works with that bitch is Hoffman, and Lord only knows where she is know!"</div> <div> "Quentin!"  Maggie sounded shocked.</div> <div> Quentin looked at her.  She still doesn't believe I really love her, he realized, appalled.  Suddenly, he could hear Gabe's words again: Talk to her, Buddy.  "Maggie, she was a witch.  She tricked me into marrying her-she was pregnant with my brother's child.  She told me she would have to abort the baby, and so I married her."</div> <div> Maggie's jaw dropped.  "Daniel, you mean Daniel isn't your son?"</div> <div> "Well, he is now-I wouldn't let her get rid of my brother's child!  And since then, she's done nothing but make my life a living hell!  Maggie, she'd have affairs with other men-and women, too-and then she'd tell me about them.  And when I got mad, she'd laugh at me.  She would-she would do other things, too, to hurt me."  Quentin's words poured out in a torrent of emotion.  He stopped himself from telling her about how Angelique hit him; he was too ashamed.  He would tell her all of it, later, but now they had to find Roxanne and get away. He saw the look on her face:  shock and disbelief.   He took her into his arms.  "Maggie, I felt dead inside for the longest time.  I didn't start to feel alive until you came back into my life."  He began to choke up again, thinking how close he'd come to losing her-Angelique surely would have killed her to get him back.  But why?  The hot tears spilled over.  "I hated her!  I thought my life was over-until Thanksgiving, and I saw you again."  He stopped abruptly, overcome.  </div> <div> She reached up gently to wipe away some of the tears that had fallen.  "You do love me?" she asked hesitantly, her voice beginning to break, too.</div> <div> He pulled her too him again, cradling her.  "With all my heart, Maggie, and all my soul." </div> <div> "Quentin!" She cried, throwing her arms around her neck.  She was crying freely now, too.  Gently, he kissed the tears, tasting the salt in them.  His lips moved toward hers.  The first kiss was a tentative, shy touching of the lips.  Then he held her face between his hands and kissed her deeply.  He could feel her beginning to respond-it really wasn't too late for them, Gabe had been right!</div> <div> "About time, Boy Scout!" Randy shouted in approval from the door.  Quentin and Maggie broke apart, dazed.  </div> <div> Adam was already in the drawing room, ignoring the fact that Quentin and Maggie had just been kissing each other passionately.  "Roxanne!" he roared.</div> <div> "I think she's back here!" Quentin indicated the wall.</div> <div> Adam was at the wall in an instant, tumbling the books out.  "I think I know this room.  There is a lever!  I just don't know where!"  He was like a wild man; the books went flying.  Finally, he found what he was looking for, pulled the lever, and the wall swung open.  Adam went into the room.  "Roxanne!" he cried.  She wasn't there.  His own eyes filled with hot tears of rage and frustration.  Where was she?  He swung around toward Quentin.  "Where is he?" he roared.  Quentin had never seen him this angry.  "Where is Barnabas?  I will kill him if he's harmed her!"</div> <div> "I don't think he was trying to do that!"  Quentin protested.</div> <div> Adam glared wildly at his friend.  Of course he would protect Barnabas-Barnabas could always make people believe him.  He moved toward his friend.  "Adam!" Randy shouted in warning.  He looked at Quentin.  "Where do you think he went, Boy Scout?"</div> <div> "Collinwood, maybe," Quentin guessed, looking at Adam and wondering if his really intended to hurt him.  He looked as crazy as Roger had.  Red in the face and breathing heavily,  Adam looked like he was about to explode.  "Angelique was arguing with someone."</div> <div> Adam bolted out the door.  Randy turned and ran after him.  Maggie put her hands to her face.  "My God, this is so insane!  What are we going to do now?"</div> <div> "I think I should call my aunt," Quentin said softly.  "She brought a lawyer.  They still think I'm the killer, you know."</div> <div> "I heard Roger say otherwise," Maggie answered, her chin going up.  "I'll tell them."</div> <div> "I think I still have to turn myself in," Quentin said.  Maggie squeezed his hand and he went to the Loomis' phone.  "I wonder if Chris has talked to the police already."  He looked over his shoulder at Maggie.  "About Roger-and Carolyn."</div> <div> "I wonder if she's dead," Maggie whispered.</div> <div> "I guess we'll find out."  Quentin lifted the phone and then held it against his chest, squeezing his eyes shut.  "My God, Elizabeth," he muttered.  "What if Carolyn is alive?  And Vicki-my God!"  He shook his head again, as if to clear it.  "Maggie, you know what?  When I was little, I thought Elizabeth was even more beautiful than my mother was.  I thought she was glamorous, you know?  I wished she liked me, and then I hated her because she didn't.  And now she's dead."</div> <div> "But it's not your fault!" Maggie told him.  "It's not your fault!"</div> <div> He nodded and then dialed the number of the Inn, asking to speak to his aunt.  When he heard her quavering voice on the phone, he broke down again, like a child, weeping into the phone.  Maggie hugged him from behind as Quentin struggled to tell his aunt where to come and pick him up.  He hung up and turned to face Maggie, pulling her into his arms.  "Thank God it wasn't you," he managed to say, running his hands through her hair.</div> <div> "Quentin!" Barnabas exclaimed from the door. "Maggie!  Thank God you're here and safe!  Have either of you seen Julia?"</div> <div> Interrupted again, Quentin and Maggie untangled themselves.  Quentin turned away, still ashamed of his tears.  "I haven't seen her," Maggie managed to answer.  "Roger killed Elizabeth, Barnabas, and he tried to kill me-he would have, except Angelique came in."</div> <div> "Yes, and now she is gone, too!"  Barnabas' normally solemn face was lively with some kind of internal excitement.  He was almost smiling.  </div> <div> Quentin turned to face him, shocked.  "Gone?  What do you mean, gone?"</div> <div> "She is dead!  I roused the young woman who was held captive as her life force.  I went to Collinwood and before she died, I forced her to write a confession!"  Barnabas really was beaming now, displaying the paper.  Quentin looked at it dully.  He recognized her handwriting.  He felt weak in the knees suddenly, and collapsed into a chair.  Barnabas noticed the open wall and, for the first time, looked angry.  He strode to the opening and look in.  He swung around, glaring at Quentin accusingly.  "What have you done?"</div> <div> "He hasn't done anything!"  Maggie protested, coming to Quentin's defense.  "Roxanne was already gone."</div> <div> "Roxanne?"  Barnabas' heavy brows drew together in consternation.  "You know the girl?"</div> <div> "Yes, of course!  She belongs to-"  Maggie broke off when Quentin grabbed her hand and frantically squeezed it.  Startled she looked down at him.  It was barely noticeable, but he shook his head no.</div> <div> "She no longer belongs to Claude North," Barnabas declared.  "He is dead."</div> <div> "Dead!  How?" Quentin asked, stunned.</div> <div> "I've no idea.  His body is lying in the cemetery.  Did you see where Roxanne went?"</div> <div> "No, she was gone when we got here," Quentin answered.  He thought he might be going into shock after everything that had happened tonight.  He felt dizzy and put his head down.</div> <div> "I must find her-and Julia, too!"</div> <div> "Julia," Quentin repeated dully.  "Barnabas-I saw her this afternoon.  She tried to take me away from the cave.  But then Angelique came-and the two of them left together."</div> <div> "My God!"  Barnabas exclaimed.</div> <div> "Oh!"  Maggie gasped.  Barnabas turned, and Quentin looked up.  He felt an electrical shock course through his body.  I don't think I can take much more, he thought.  Roxanne was walking toward them slowly, dressed in a long diaphanous gown.  She looked dazed.  "Roxanne!"</div> <div> Roxanne ignored Maggie.  She went directly to Barnabas and took his hands.  "Thank God you've come back!"  Barnabas cried out in relief.  "I was afraid for you, my dear.  It is almost finished.  We need to talk to the police-you must tell them what Stokes did to you, and then we must find Julia."</div> <div> Roxanne came to life.  "Police?  No, no police!  The police are baaaad!  They are mean!"  She cried out.  She didn't sound like herself at all-there was a familiar tone to the words, Quentin thought.  It made his head ache.  Something was very familiar about this.  Roxanne turned and ran.</div> <div> "Roxanne!"  Barnabas cried, running after her.  He stopped in the doorway when Quentin got up to help.  "No-stay here!"  Quentin sat back down.  Fine, he thought.  I have had enough.  Maggie knelt down beside him and lay her head on his knee, holding onto his leg tightly.  Absently, he began to stroke her hair.  He could hear a car approaching-very fast.  Aunt Nancy and T.J. Reardon, he thought.  He hoped so.</div> <bR> <div> Collinwood was deserted except for the recently dead.  Were their spirits still here?  Adam wondered, gazing with detachment and distaste at the body of Angelique, lying cold and still on the floor of the drawing room.  Randy hung up the phone.  "Sheriff Patterson's on the way," he said.  "Apparently Inspector Hamilton is royally pissed off-it looks like his favorite suspect didn't do all the dirty deeds."  When Adam didn't answer, he went on:  "I wonder how the blonde guy bought it?  There's not a mark on him."</div> <div> Where is Roxanne, Adam wondered.  He didn't care about Angelique or Roger, although he'd felt some distress at seeing the body of Elizabeth.  He didn't know her at all, except in that other world.  There, she'd been Carolyn's mother, kind and good.  No matter what kind of person she was here, she didn't deserve to be butchered the way she was.  "This is a bad place," he whispered.  "It is evil.  When we find Roxanne, we will go away and never return."</div> <div> "I don't know that Roxanne was ever even here, man," Randy said in a complaining tone.  "Look, why don't we leave the door open here for the sheriff and go back to-what did you call it?  The Old House?  Maybe she went back there already."     </div> <div> Adam shook his head.  "No, she isn't there either."  He was alarmingly calm.   He could feel Roxanne's confusion.  "I think Stokes has her-but not at his house.  They've gone elsewhere."</div> <div> "Shit!" Randy exclaimed, frustrated.  "What else is here?"</div> <div> "There are cottages,"  Adam answered, remembering.  "There is at least two-we'll look there."  Adam tried to clear his mind, thinking.  Why Roxanne?  He wondered. Where ever she'd been, she wasn't aware of what was going on.  He had a feeling she'd been sleeping all this time.  Now that she was awake, she was confused.  Like Sleeping Beauty, he thought, except she'd awakened without the Prince nearby to help her.</div> <bR> <div> Quentin allowed his aunt to cry and fuss over him for a few minutes; other than Maggie, Gabe, and his mother, no one else had ever made such a big deal over him, and he'd missed the attention.  His aunt was very upset about the blood on his shirt, insisting that they stop at the hotel long enough for Quentin to change into one of T.J. Sheridan's.  </div> <div> "We'll have to take the shirt along as evidence you know, Nancy," the attorney was saying as he drove them toward the sheriff's office and jail.</div> <div> "Where's Daniel?" Quentin asked suddenly.</div> <div> "Mrs. Patterson offered to watch him for us," Nancy answered.  "Under the circumstances, I thought it would be better for him to stay with her than to come out."  She stopped speaking, her eyes filling with sadness at everything Quentin and Daniel had endured in just a few short weeks.</div> <div> "Does he know everything?" Quentin asked.</div> <div> "No, we felt the shock would be too great right now," Nancy replied, and Quentin nodded.  "The only thing we told him was that we found you and you were safe, and that we had evidence to prove that you hadn't hurt anyone.  That we would try and get you out of jail tonight."</div> <div> "Is it possible?"  Maggie asked hopefully.</div> <div> "Depends on how cooperative Hamilton wants to be," Sheridan answered.  "I gather he's not that happy with the Collins family.  It also depends on if we can rouse a  judge at this hour of the night."</div> <div> Quentin took Maggie's hand.  "It's just another night," he said, to comfort her.</div> <div> "What has to happen for Quentin to be freed?" Maggie asked.  "Can't the inspector just take my word for it?"</div> <div> "Actually, if I can deal with Patterson directly, I'm sure we'll have Quentin released on his own recognizance-even if he did break out."  Sheridan looked up in the rear view mirror with a reproving glare, and Quentin found himself squirming.  It was that bitch, Angelique, he thought-yet, if it hadn't been for her, he wouldn't be with Maggie now.  Maybe she would have killed Maggie.  There was no use wondering what happened.  "You might want to know that I spoke with your cousin Chris," Sheridan went on.  "The evidence is stacked up mightily against your Cousin Roger.  Even if he did use your knife to try and kill her, Carolyn Loomis is a stubborn young lady."</div> <div> Quentin brightened considerably.  "She's alive!"</div> <div> "She's fighting.  She's got a punctured lung and, as you know, he cut through her throat so she was unable to talk.  But she did manage to write out the name of her attacker."  Sheridan paused dramatically.  "She wrote the name Roger."  </div> <div> "Poor child," Nancy put in.</div> <div> "Strong young woman," Sheridan said, his voice filled with admiration.  "I'm sure when she's able she'll also testify to the fact that Roger Collins admitted killing Angelique."</div> <div> "I just don't understand why Quentin has to go back to jail with all this evidence against Roger," Maggie complained.</div> <div> "I did hit Inspector Hamilton over the head," Quentin told her.  "And I ran away."</div> <div> When they got to the jail, Inspector Hamilton was the only person waiting for them.  He looked extremely annoyed.  "Patterson and his deputies have gone to Collinwood," he explained tersely.  "I suppose you know about the carnage there?"</div> <div> "That's why we were delayed," Sheridan explained.</div> <div> "This sounds like one big bullshit story coming up to me," Inspector Hamilton grumbled, looking at each of them irritably.  "All right-sit down, all of you!"  He looked at Nancy and Maggie and added in a milder tone, "Please."  Hamilton pulled the typewriter closer to him.  He nodded at Maggie and said:  "All right, let's start with you."  As Maggie told her story, the inspector typed out a statement, striking the keys of the typewriter as if they'd done him a personal injustice.  The phone rang several times and each time, he sighed deeply as if it was a personal affront.  Once, he said into the phone:  "Is that so, Mr. Collins?  That's very interesting.  I'd still like to hear her story.  Have her come down."  </div> <div> Hamilton slammed the phone down, which caused Maggie to jump.  Quentin leaned forward in irritation, but Sheridan put a restraining arm on his shoulder.  "Something happened, Inspector?"  the lawyer asked, his voice soft and calm.</div> <div> Hamilton rolled his eyes.  "That was Barnabas Collins.  The damn housekeeper turned up and says she'll bring me the doll Alexis-I mean, Angelique Collins used to kill Bruno Hess.  This story gets wilder by the minute!"  He glared at Quentin.  "Looks like you're going home tonight, my friend, but not before I get the autopsy on that woman-Alexis or Angelique-whichever one she was.  I'm telling you-this whole thing is crazy!"</div> <div> "Thank God!" Nancy exclaimed, bending down to hug her nephew tightly.</div> <div> Quentin hugged her back.  "Do you think you could go and get Daniel?  I'm sure even with Bea Patterson he's probably scared to death."  At his aunt's questioning look, he went on, "When I get out, I'll come to the hotel.  We're not staying in Collinwood another night."  Nancy sighed with relief.  She looked at Sheridan who signaled to her to go on, and she left to retrieve Daniel.</div> <div> Maggie held onto Quentin's hand.  She was staying with him whether he wanted her to or not.  She felt a little queasy, realized why, and smiled.  Quentin saw the smile and wondered at it-it was a secretive, satisfied smile that seemed to indicate more than just being glad that he was going to be freed imminently.</div> <div> Before long, the woman who looked just like Hoffman opened the door.  She looked exhausted and bedraggled, but she'd brought the promised evidence.  Wearily, she told Inspector Hamilton everything she knew-the whole incredible story.  She told him that Angelique had killed Bruno by using his scarf on the doll and strangling it.  She told him that she'd admitted to killing other people in this manner, speaking in a flat, emotionless voice.</div> <div> My God, Quentin thought, horrified.  I slept with that woman.  She bore Gabriel's child-and none of us realized what a monster she was.  He remembered something Gabriel had said and tried to push the thought away-something about her father.  If it hadn't been for her father…what?  What could he have done that was so terrible?  He'd even brought her back to life!  Remembering, he interrupted suddenly:  "Where is Roxanne?  Did she come back?"</div> <div> "Roxanne?"  Hoffman looked confused.  "The young woman?  Yes, she came back-she was the one who helped Barnabas find me.  Angelique had locked me into one of the rooms in the basement."</div> <div> "Oh!" Maggie exclaimed.  "You poor thing!  Is Adam with her?"</div> <div> "Maggie!" Quentin said sharply, but it was too late.</div> <div> "<I>Adam?"</I>  Julia Hoffman's voice went up two whole scales.</div> <div> Inspector Hamilton threw his pencil down in disgust.  Everyone turned to look at him.  "Oh, go about your business," he said sarcastically.  "This story is just too fantastic.  I don't believe any of it-and I won't until I see that autopsy report."</div> <div> "Adam who?" Julia asked, as if the inspector hadn't spoken.</div> <div> Maggie looked nervous, looking at Quentin for reassurance.  She realized she'd made a blunder, but there was nothing that could be done to change it now.  Quentin smiled at her-he didn't want her to feel worse than she already did.  "Adam Knight," Maggie said, in  a low, soft voice.  Julia looked a little blank-she didn't recognize that name.  "They are engaged."</div> <div> "Engaged?" Julia gasped.  "We-I had no idea!  Barnabas doesn't know this!"</div> <div> "So what?"  Quentin asked.</div> <div> Julia blurted, "We're all to go back together."</div> <div> Quentin got up abruptly.  Now he understood.  "You can't!" he exclaimed.  Hamilton got up, too, glaring at Quentin resentfully; Sheridan had his hands on Quentin's shoulders and pushed him back down into the chair.  Quentin looked around at Sheridan-just who did he think he was?  Sheridan met his eyes and shook his head in warning.</div> <div> "You're right!" Julia exclaimed.  "We've got to get back.  Will you come?  Barnabas won't listen to me.  He'd listen to you, though."</div> <div> "Of course," Quentin began, beginning to get up again.  Sheridan pushed him back down.  "What the hell are you doing?"</div> <div> "You're not a free man yet, son-let's not aggravate Inspector Hamilton, all right?" Sheridan answered firmly.</div> <div> Quentin rolled his eyes.  He looked at Maggie.  She looked as if she was about to refuse but at the intent look in his eyes, she nodded.  "You don't mind if I go with her?"</div> <div> "Adam needs Roxanne-he was frantic before, remember?"</div> <div> Maggie looked at Julia.  "I'll go with you."</div> <div> Julia looked relieved.  "May I go?"</div> <div> Hamilton waved his hand impatiently.  "Get out of here!"</div> <div> "When can I go?" Quentin asked, as the two women left.</div> <div> "Just as soon as I hear back from the coroner.  He's doing an autopsy now on this Alexis or Angelique or whoever or whatever she is.  If she's who you all say she is or was, you can go."</div> <div> Quentin hoped the coroner called soon.  He was worried about Maggie going back to Loomis House with Julia-alone.  This wasn't over yet-not by a long shot.</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <A HREF="id104.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Puzzle Pieces: Angelique"><U>Puzzle Pieces:  Angelique</U></A>    <A HREF="id106.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Flames of Purification"><U>Flames of Purification</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id85.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Adam in Parallel Time"><U>Adam in Parallel Time</U></A>     <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Cassies Writing"><U>Cassie's Writing</U></A></div> </td> </tr></table></body>