Where are the children?

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

The five-o'clock television news gave little coverage to the Mid-Eastern crisis, spiralling inflation, the automobile workers' threatened strike or the dismal standing of the New England Patriots. Most of the half-hour broadcast was devoted to the disappearance of the Eldredge children and old film clips from the sensational Harmon murder case.

The pictures that had appeared in the Cape Cod Community News were reproduced. Special attention was focused on the one of Rob Legler leaving the San Francisco courthouse with Professor Carl Harmon after Nancy Harmon's conviction for the wilful murder of her children.

The commentator's voice was especially urgent when that picture was shown. 'Rob Legler has been positively identified as being in the vicinity of the Eldredge home this morning. If you believe you have seen this man, please call this special number at once: KL five, three eight hundred. The lives of the Eldredge children may be at stake. If you believe you have any information which may lead to the person or persons responsible for the children's disappearance, we urge you to call this number: KL five, three eight hundred. Let me repeat it again: KL five, three eight hundred.'

The Wigginses had closed their store when the power failed and were home in time to catch the broadcast on their battery-operated television set.

'That fellow looks kind of familiar,' Mrs Wiggins said.

'You'd say that anyhow,' her husband snorted.

'No… not really. There's something about him… the way he bends forward… Certainly is nothing to look at.'

Jack Wiggins stared at his wife. 'I was just thinking he's the type that might turn a young girl's head.'

'Him? Oh, you mean the young one. I'm talking about the other fellow – the professor.'

Jack looked at his wife condescendingly. 'This is why I say women don't make good witnesses and never should be jurors. Nobody's talking about that Professor Harmon. He committed suicide. They're talking about the Legler fellow.'

Mrs Wiggins bit her lip. 'I see. Well, guess you're right. It's just… oh, well…'

Her husband got up heavily. 'When'll dinner be ready?'

'Oh, not long. But it's hard to worry about food when you think about little Michael and Missy… God knows where… You think you just want to help them. I don't care what they say about Nancy Eldredge. She never came in the store much, but when she did, I liked to watch her with the kids. She had such a nice way with them – never upset, never cranky, the way half these young mothers are. It makes our little annoyances so unimportant, you know.'

'What little annoyances do we have?' His tone was sharply suspicious.

'Well…' Mrs Wiggins bit her lip. They'd had so much trouble with shoplifters this past summer. Jack got so upset even discussing it. That was why, all day, it just hadn't seemed worthwhile to tell him that she was absolutely certain that Mr Parrish had stolen a large can of baby powder from the shelf this morning.