The colonel's wife still looked doubtful, but Lance Cooper had a way of pressing a point hard when his interests were at stake. He began talking rapidly and convincingly. He got in. * * * * * The light indoors was better. Lance's eyes squinted, as they adjusted from the gloom of the porch. Somehow, Mrs. Sagen didn't look quite as he remembered. Her hair was much darker now; he was sure of that. Maybe she had dyed it. Yet her features were certainly harder and bonier. More like a replica of her husband's. And her breath smelled alcoholic. Could a mere month have made that much difference? The house had been refurnished too, Lance noticed. The living-room decor was more severe and functional. And the pictures on the wall were garish. Not Mrs. Sagen's type, at all. _Hey, wait a minute!_ he told himself; _speaking of pictures_--his glance skipped to the far corner of the room. A triptych of photos of Carolyn had always been on display on the mantelpiece. _They would prove that--_ Lance's jaw dropped. The photos had been removed. "Can I get you anything?" Mrs. Sagen inquired. A little nervously, Lance thought. "A cup of coffee?" "No, thanks. I'd rather hear about Carolyn." "Coffee won't take a minute. I was just making some fresh in the kitchen." Lance shrugged. "Well, O.K., if you've already got it ready." Mrs. Sagen's mouth managed a fleeting smile; then she disappeared through a swinging door. Lance sat down in a wrought-iron chair. Finding it not comfortable, he sprang back to his feet and paced the floor. There sure was something wrong about the colonel's house. Something very oddly wrong. But he couldn't quite put his finger on it. Suddenly, his quickened hearing caught the faint murmur of a human voice. Was it Carolyn? The talk seemed to be issuing from the kitchen--where her mother had gone. Lance tiptoed across the room, pushed the door slightly open. Mrs. Sagen was on the phone. Her voice was excited; she was obviously straining to keep it at a low level. "I'm telling you, he's here! Right in our living room. And he insists I know somebody named Carolyn ... Yes, that's right. But do hurry ... Please. He's acting much odder than the others did." Lance had eavesdropped enough. He turned away, glided rapidly out the front door and into the night. Where should he go next? The jeep would serve to hustle him around the base for a while--but eventually he would be chased down and recaptured. And as for crashing any of the exit gates and thus attaining to greater freedom, he knew they would all be barricaded and heavily manned by now. Lance was still burning over Mrs. Sagen's double-cross. Did he want coffee? she had asked. _Coffee!_ his mind repeated, disgusted. What he needed was something stronger. A good stiff drink.