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we couldn't look to them for victories of the human 。spirit； who could we look to？ They had an example to set just as she did as a reader and morale…booster。 But she was professional in her duty； reading to him with high earnestness； as to a child； about dead men who leave messages on answering machines。
Wilder and I waited in the car。 The plan was that after the reading the three of us would meet the Wagon Wheel group at the Dinky Donut； where they would have dessert and we would have dinner。 I'd brought along a copy of Mein Kampf for that segment of the evening。
The Treadwell house was an old frame structure with rotting trellises along the porch。 Less than five minutes after she'd entered； Babette came out； walked uncertainly to the far end of the porch and peered across the dim yard。 Then she walked slowly toward the car。
〃Door was open。 I went in； nobody。 I looked around； nothing； nobody。 I went upstairs； no sign of life。 There doesn't seem to be anything missing。〃
〃What do you know about his sister？〃
〃She's older than he is and probably in worse shape if you disregard the fact that he's blind and she isn't。〃
The two nearest houses were dark； both up for sale； and no one at four other houses in the area knew anything about the Treadwells'
movements over the past few days。 We drove to the state trooper barracks and talked to a female clerk who sat behind a puter console。 She told us there was a disappearance every eleven seconds and taped everything we said。
At the Dinky Donut； outside town； Bob Pardee sat quietly as the family ate and talked。 The soft pink golfer's face had begun to droop from his skull。 His flesh seemed generally to sag； giving him the hangdog look of someone under strict orders to lose weight。 His hair was expensively cut and layered； a certain amount of color bed in； a certain amount of technology brought to bear； but it seemed to need a more dynamic head。 I realized Babette was looking at him carefully； trying to grasp the meaning of the four careening years they'd spent as man and wife。 The panoramic carnage。 He drank； gambled； drove his car down embankments； got fired； quit； retired； traveled in disguise to Coaltown where he paid a woman to speak Swedish to him as they screwed。 It was the Swedish that enraged Babette； either that or his need to confess it； and she hit out at him—hit out with the backs of her hands； with her elbows and wrists。 Old loves； old fears。 Now she watched him with a tender sympathy； a reflectiveness that seemed deep and fond and generous enough to contain all the magical coun…terspells to his current run of woe； although I knew； of course； as I went back to my book； that it was only a passing affection； one of those kindnesses no one understands。
By noon the next day they were dragging the river。
13
The students tend to stick close to campus。 There is nothing for them to do in Blacksmith proper； no natural haunt or attraction。 They have their own food； movies； music； theater； sports； conversation and sex。 This is a town of dry cleaning shops and opticians。 Photos of looming Victorian homes decorate the windows of real estate firms。 These pictures have not changed in years。 The homes are sold or gone or stand in other towns in other states。 This is a town of tag sales and yard sales； the failed possessions arrayed in driveways and tended by kids。
Babette called me at my office in Centenary Hall。 She said Heinrich had been down at the river； wearing his camouflage cap and carrying an Instamatic； to watch them drag for the bodies； and while he was there word came that the Treadwells had been found alive but shaken in an abandoned cookie shack at the Mid…Village Mall； a vast shopping center out on the interstate。 Apparently they'd been wandering through the mall for two days； lost； confused and frightened； before taking refuge in the littered kiosk。 They spent two more days in the kiosk； the weak and faltering sister venturing out to scavenge food scraps from the cartoon…character disposal baskets with swinging doors。 It was sheer luck that their stay at the mall coincided with a spell of mild weather。 No one knew at this point why they didn't ask for help。 It was probably just the vastness and strangeness of the place and their own advanced age that made them feel helpless and adrift in a landscape of remote and menacing figures。 The Treadwells didn't get out much。 In fact no one yet knew how they'd managed to get to the mall。 Possibly their grandniece had dropped them off in her car and then forgotten to pick them up。 The grandniece could not be reached； Babette said； for ment。
The day before the happy discovery； the police had called in a psychic to help them determine the Treadwells' whereabouts and fate。 It was all over the local paper。 The psychic was a woman who lived in a mobile home in a wooded area outside town。 She wished to be known only as Adele T。 According to the paper； she and the police chief； Hollis Wright； sat in the mobile home while she looked at photos of the Treadwells and smelled articles from their wardrobe。 Then she asked the chief to leave her alone for an hour。 She did exercises； ate some rice and dahl； proceeded to trance in。 During this altered state； the report went on； she attempted to put a data trace on whatever distant physical systems she wished to locate； in this case Old Man Treadwell and his sister。 When chief Wright re…entered the trailer； Adele T。 told him to forget the river and to concentrate on dry land with a moonscape look about it； within a fifteen…mile radius of the Treadwell home。 The police went at once to a gypsum processing operation ten miles down river； where they found an airline bag that contained a handgun and two kilos of uncut heroin。
The police had consulted Adele T。 on a number of occasions and she had led them to two bludgeoned bodies； a Syrian in a refrigerator and a cache of marked bills totaling six hundred thousand dollars； although in each instance； the report concluded； the police had been looking for something else。
The American mystery deepens。
14
We crowded before the window in Steffie's small room； watching the spectacular