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〃It's my wife you want；〃 he said。 〃She's out of town for a few days。 Can I take a message？〃
〃Yes； please。 Would you tell her that Polly called from Maugham & Crichton？〃
He jotted the name down on a note pad。 〃And what's this in reference to？〃
〃Dr。 Tracy was here yesterday afternoon with a young girl who's suffering from amnesia。 。 。
〃Yes；〃 Paul said； suddenly more interested than he had been。 〃I know the case。〃
〃Dr。 Tracy was asking if we'd ever heard of anyone named Millicent Parker。〃
〃That's right。 She told me about it last evening。 It was another dead end； I gather。〃
〃It seemed to be a dead end yesterday；〃 Polly said； 〃but now it turns out that one of our doctors is familiar with the name。 Dr。 Maugham himself； in fact。〃
〃Listen； rather than waiting for my wife to call you back； why don't you just tell me what you've e up with； and I can pass the information along to her。〃
〃Well； sure； why not？ See； Dr。 Maugham is the senior partner in the practice。 He bought this property eighteen years ago and personally oversaw the restoration of the outside and the renovation of the interior。 He's a history bug； so it was natural for him to want to know the history of the building he purchased。 He says this place was built in 1902 by a man named Randolph Parker。 Parker had a daughter named Millicent。〃
〃1902？〃
〃That's right。〃
〃Interesting。〃
〃You haven't heard the best part；〃 Polly said； the eagerness of a gossip…monger in her voice。 〃Seems that back in 1905； the night before Millie's sixteenth birthday party； Mrs。 Parker was in the kitchen； decorating a big cake for the girl。 Millie snuck in behind her and stabbed her in the back four times。〃
Unthinking； Paul snapped the pencil he'd been holding ever since he'd written Polly's name on the note pad。 One broken piece popped out of his hand； spun across the top of the desk； and fell to the floor。
〃She stabbed her own mother？〃 he asked； hoping that he had not heard correctly。
〃Isn't that something？〃
〃Kill her？〃 he asked numbly。
〃No。 Dr。 Maugham says that according to the newspaper accounts at that time； the girl used a short bladed knife。 It didn't sink in far enough to do really major damage。 No vital organs or blood vessels were affected。 Louise Parker…that was the mother's flame…managed to grab a meat cleaver from a kitchen rack。 She tried to hold the girl off with that。 But I guess Millie must have been pletely off her rocker； 'cause she charged straight at Mrs。 Parker again； and Mrs。 Parker had to use that cleaver。〃
〃Jesus。〃
〃Yeah；〃 Polly said； obviously enjoying his shocked reaction。 〃Dr。 Maugham says she put that cleaver right into her daughter's throat。 Pretty much cut the girl's head clear off。 Isn't that a terrible thing？ But what else could she do？ Just let the kid go on jabbing that knife into her？〃
Stunned； Paul thought about yesterday's hypnotic regression therapy session； which Carol had recounted for him in some detail。 He remembered the part about how Jane had claimed to be Millicent Parker and had insisted on writing out her answers to questions and had written that she was unable to talk because her head had been cut off。
〃Are you still there？〃 Polly asked。
〃Oh。 Uh。 。 。 sorry。 Is there more to the story？〃
〃More？〃 Polly asked。 〃Wasn't that enough？〃
〃Yes；〃 he said。 〃You're absolutely right。 That was enough。 More than enough。〃
〃I don't know if this information is of any help to Dr。 Tracy。〃
〃I'm sure it will be。〃
〃I don't see how it could have anything to do with the girl she brought in here with her yesterday。〃
〃Neither do I；〃 Paul said。
〃I mean； that girl can't be Millicent Patter。 Millicent Parker has been dead for seventy…six years。〃
***
In the study； Grace stood at her desk； looking down at the open dictionary。
REINCARNATION （re'…in…kár…na'shen）； n。 1。 the doctrine that the soul； upon death of the body； es back to earth in another body or form。 2。 rebirth of the soul in a new body。 3。 a new incarnation or embodiment； as of a person。
Bunk？ Nonsense？ Superstition？ Bullshit？
At one time； not long ago； those were all the words she would have used to write her own irreverent definition of reincarnation。 But not now。 Not any longer。
She closed her eyes； and with only the slightest effort； she was able to bring back the image of the burning house。 She wasn't just envisioning it； she was there； hammering with her fists on the cellar door。 She was not Grace Mitowski now； she was Rachael Adams； Laura's aunt。
The fire scene was not the only part of Rachael's life that she could recall with perfect clarity。 She knew the woman's most intimate thoughts； her hopes and dreams and hates and fears； shared her most closely held secrets； for those thoughts and hopes and dreams and fears and secrets had been her own。
She opened her eyes and needed a moment to refocus them on the present…day world。
REINCARNATION
She closed the dictionary。
God help me； she thought； do I really believe it？ Can it be true that I've lived before？ And that Carol's lived before？ And the girl they're calling Jane Doe？
If it was true…if she had been permitted to recall her previous existence as Rachael Adams in order to save Carol's life in this incarnation…then she was wasting valuable time。
She picked up the phone to call the Tracys； wondering how in God's name she was going to make them believe her。
There was no dial tone。
She jiggled the receiver…cradle buttons。
Nothing。
She put the receiver down and followed the cord around the side of the desk to the wall； to see if it had e unplugged。 It wasn't unplugged； it was chewed。
Bitten in two。
Aristophanes。
She remembered other things that Palmer Wainwright had said in the garden： There are certain forces； dark and powerful forces； that want to see this played out the wrong way。 Dark forces that thrive on tragedy。 They want to see it end in senseless violence and blood。 。 。 There are forces aligned。 。 。 good and evil； right and wrong。 You're on the right side； Grace。 But the cat…ah； the cat's a different story。 A： all times； you must be wary of the cat。
She also remembered when the series of paranormal events had begun； and she realized that the cat had been an integral part of it all； from the very start。 Wednesday of last week。 When she had suddenly awakened from her afternoon nap that day…catapulted out of a nightmare about Carol…there had been an incredibly brilliant and violent barrage of Lightening beyond the study windows。 She had staggered to the nearest window； and while she had stood there on unsteady； arthritic legs； half…awake and half…asleep； she'd had the eerie feeling that something monstrous had followed her up from the world of her nightmare； something demonic with a hungry grin on its face。 For a few seconds that feeling had been so strong； so real； that she had been afraid to turn around and look into the shadowy room behind her。 But then she had dismissed that weird thought as nothing more than the cold residue of the nightmare。 Now； of course； she knew she shouldn't have dismissed it so quickly。 Something strange had been in the room with her…a spirit； a presence； call it what you will。