In the Still of the Night

your household, and Mr. Brewster the men, when they last saw him?“ Walker asked. “I’ll ask the townsfolk who are still around.”
    The result was dissatisfying. Nobody had paid much attention to Henry all day. Raymond and Rachel both claimed they’d seen so little of him before that they’d forgotten that he was even a guest or just what he looked like. Julian West just grumbled that he had better things to think about and Bud said the last time he’d seen him was just after breakfast.
    Phoebe had actually kept an eye out for him, but saw him last inside Grace and Favor in the morning. Mimi hadn’t bothered to wonder about him, but when questioned carefully said she didn’t recall him coming inside to eat anytime. Since she was largely responsible for keeping the food fresh and available, this was bad news, too.
    It seemed, when everyone was questioned, that Lily herself had probably been the last to have run into him. She recounted to Chief Walker how she had questioned him about the tools he was carrying around and he’d said something about tree rings and went off into the woods.
    “And you didn’t see him come back out? Well, we’ll have to have a search. Find all the flashlights you can and I’ll get all the men who are still here to search.“
    “I’ll roust Agatha and let her smell some of his clothes,“ Robert suggested. “Maybe she could find him by scent.“
    “You don’t really think something awful has happened to him?“ Lily asked.
    Walker just looked at her, then turned and started organizing a search of the woods around Grace and Favor.

Chapter 21

    Nearly everyone got involved in the hunt for Henry.
    Men from the village who hadn’t yet left the grounds, most of the men at Grace and Favor, Walker and his deputies. Flashlights were handed out and when the batteries died, kerosene lamps were dragged out of the basement and garage and used.
    The only man who refused to help was Raymond, who said, with a fine combination of cowardice and common sense, that if there was a killer or kidnapper among the searchers he didn’t want to offer himself up as another victim. He didn’t even have the grace to be embarrassed when Addie took his place.
    How could I have thought he was a decent man? Lily chided herself.
    Lily, Mimi and Mrs. Prinney made up sandwiches and Mrs. Prinney turned up a gallon or two of apple cider to warm and spice. Rachel wasn’t any more interested than her brother in participating and stayed in her room.
    “Maybe we’ll find the Lindbergh baby and his kidnapper while we’re at it,“ Robert said with grim humor. “Nobody’s found him yet.”
    Walker assigned Bud Carpenter, Julian West and Addie Jonson to search nearest the house because none of them was familiar with the area and they could get lost themselves. The local people were assigned to the various paths that went through the woods. Each would search both sides of the path. It was a large area and quite dark.
    They were at it for hours. In spite of Howard Walker’s instructions, the searchers kept running into one another in the woods and frightening one another half to death.
    Men came back for fortifying food and drink and went back out again. “He might not even be out there. Somebody might have nabbed him and taken him away, like that poor little baby in New Jersey,“ one of them said, unconsciously echoing Robert.
    “Or he might have just driven off,“ another said. “Has anybody checked how he got here?“
    “Walker said he drove a little truck,“ the first man said. “It’s still here.“
    “Then maybe he found himself on a road and got a ride. He could be on his way back right now.“
    “Wassamatter with you? The guy’s in the woods somewhere.“
    “My wife’s gonna kill me for being so late getting home. Wish we could afford a telephone.”

    It was Robert who found Henry. Agatha had been no help whatsoever and gone running off after a rabbit. Robert raised a great shout and men came crashing through the woods toward him. Henry was on his side, tied up with thin ropes.
    “Is he alive?“ Walker, the first to arrive, asked.
    Robert had turned Henry on his back and put his head on Henry’s chest. “Quiet. Yes. His heart’s beating. Help me get him untied.“
    “Wait a second. Let me get a good look at these ropes.“
    “Hurry up. We’ve got to get him to a hospital. Why do you want to look at the damned ropes?“
    “I’ve got an ambulance waiting, just in case. Look,