"I want to go home," Amanda wailed, as Bonnie scooped her into her arms.

"How about we go get some ice cream?"

"I want to go home," Amanda insisted stubbornly.

"We can't go home yet, sweetheart," Bonnie told her.

"Is L'il Abner missing again?" Amanda asked. "Because I'm not afraid of him, you know. Sam told me that he was just mean because he was hungry, and that he'll make sure he doesn't get hungry again."

"That's good, pumpkin."

"I like Sam."

"So do I," Bonnie told her, and realized it was true. Could he really be a cold-blooded killer? She opened the front door and stepped outside, locking it after her.

"And I like L'il Abner too. He's cool."

"Yes, he is."

She carried Amanda down the stairs, trying to decide her next move before she got to the car. She'd buy Amanda an ice-cream cone, call the police station again, insist on being put through to Captain Mahoney wherever he was, tell him about her discovery. Maybe he'd have some ideas. There had to be something she could do.

"Bonnie?" the woman said, waiting for her by the side of her car.

Bonnie's eyes shot to the tall blond woman in the paint-stained green smock. How long had she been standing there? "h.e.l.lo, Caroline," Bonnie said, lowering Amanda to the ground.

"I saw the car pull up, and I thought it might be you," Caroline began. "But you looked so different, and I didn't recognize the little girl...."

"This is my daughter, Amanda," Bonnie told her, not sure what else to say.

"It's nice to meet you, Amanda." Caroline Gossett knelt down, extended her hand toward Amanda, who grabbed it and shook it vigorously. "Does anyone ever call you Mandy?"

"My uncle Nick does."

"Well, Mandy, you're a very beautiful little girl."

"Thank you."

Caroline Gossett rose to her feet, looked at Bonnie. "Are you all right?"

"I've been better," Bonnie admitted.

"Can I do anything to help?" Caroline asked.

"I could use a gla.s.s of water."

"Me too," said Amanda. "Mommy said we couldn't have any water in that house because it wasn't ours." She pointed at Joan's house.

"Well, not only do I have nice cold water at my house," Caroline said, "I also have ice cream and cookies."

"Ice cream!" Amanda parroted. "Cookies."

"Come on," Caroline directed, taking Bonnie's elbow. "You look like you could use a place to sit down."

"Do you want to tell me what's been going on?" Caroline asked once Amanda was comfortably ensconsed in the family room in front of the TV with her bowl of Hagen-Dazs cookie dough ice cream.

"I'm not sure I know where to start."

"Start with that haircut."

Bonnie smiled. "I haven't been feeling very well lately," she began. "My hair was a mess. I thought cutting it might help."

"Did it?"

"Did you know that lifeless hair, bleeding gums, and acute nausea are all symptoms of a.r.s.enic poisoning?" Bonnie asked, reciting what the druggist had told her.

"What?" Caroline Gossett leaned forward on the living room sofa. "Are you saying that you've been poisoned?"

"Apparently there's a high level of a.r.s.enic in my bloodstream."

"I don't understand."

Bonnie sank back into her chair, took another long sip of water, her eyes filling with tears. "Someone's been trying to poison me."

"My G.o.d. Do you know who?"

Bonnie shook her head. "Obviously someone close to me," she admitted reluctantly. "Probably the same person who killed Joan."

"What do the police say?"

"That I'm in the wrong jurisdiction."

"What?"

"It's a long story. Captain Mahoney wasn't there. I'll have to try him again later."

Caroline stood up, walked to her kitchen, returned with her portable phone. "Try him now," she said.

Bonnie punched in the number for the Newton police station, told the operator she wanted to speak to either Captain Mahoney or Detective Kritzic, was told they were still out, did she want to leave a message?

"Give them this number," Caroline said, and Bonnie did as she was told.

"Thank you. I hate imposing on you this way."

"Christ, you're amazing." Caroline shook her head. "Someone's trying to kill you and you're worried about being an imposition. Do me a favor-don't worry. I'm delighted for the company. Besides, you obviously can't go home until you sort this out. You and your daughter will sleep here tonight."

"I can't do that."

"You can, and you will."

"But your husband...."

"I didn't say you could sleep with him."

Bonnie smiled, almost managed a laugh. "I can't stay here forever."

"I didn't say forever either." Caroline squeezed in beside Bonnie on the chair. "But if someone close to you is trying to kill you, then you can't go home until the police figure out who it is. Besides, you obviously need a few days to rest and recuperate. Should you be in a hospital?"

"No," Bonnie lied. "I have some pills." She indicated her purse on the floor beside her feet.

"Okay then, it's settled. You'll stay here, at least until tomorrow."

Bonnie checked her watch. "There's a friend of mine I'd like to call," she said. "Would you mind?"

"Call anyone you like."

Bonnie punched in Diana's number at home. It was answered on the first ring.

"Diana?" Bonnie said, grateful to hear her voice.

"Bonnie, is that you?" Diana shouted into the receiver. "Where are you?"

"I'm with a friend," Bonnie told her, alarmed by her friend's voice.

"Rod's been calling here every five minutes," Diana told her. "He's absolutely frantic. I've never seen him like this. He's beside himself. He says you just disappeared."

"I haven't disappeared." She pictured her husband, imagined him barking questions into the phone, her brother and her stepson hovering nearby, listening. "How's your bathroom?" she asked suddenly.

"I beg your pardon?"

"Your bathroom. I know that Sam was working hard to finish it before you got back."

"It's fine," Diana said, clearly distracted by the sudden twist in the conversation. "He still has a little left to do, but it looks great."

"And how was New York?"

"It was okay," Diana said dismissively. "Bonnie, what's going on? Rod says he went out for a few hours, and that when he left, you were so sick, you could hardly stand up. When he came home, you weren't there. No note as to where you went, nothing. He's going crazy with worry."

"Diana," Bonnie interrupted. "Listen to me. I'm all right. I'm safe now."

"Now? What are you talking about?"

"Someone's been poisoning me."

"Poisoning you? Bonnie, you're talking crazy."

"I'm not crazy. I had blood tests taken. They show a high level of a.r.s.enic in my system."

"a.r.s.enic?"

"Someone's been adding a.r.s.enic to my food."

Diana's voice dropped to a whisper. "Rod?"

"I don't know," Bonnie said after a pause. She could feel Diana shaking her head in astonishment.

"I don't believe it. I can't believe it," Diana said. Then, "Where are you?"

Bonnie glanced at Caroline. "At a friend's."

Caroline smiled.

"What friend?" Diana asked.

"I think it's safer if I don't tell you," Bonnie said, suddenly understanding the things her brother had told her. If her brother was who he claimed to be, that is.

"Safer?"

"If you don't know where I am, then you don't have to lie to anyone. You can't be persuaded or tricked...."

"I'm not easily tricked, Bonnie," Diana said.

Unlike me, Bonnie thought.

"Have you talked to the police?"

"Not yet."

"But you're sure about this? I mean, it couldn't have been an accident?"

"How does one accidentally swallow a.r.s.enic?" Bonnie asked.

There was a slight pause. "All right, look, what do you want me to say to Rod?"

"I don't want you to say anything."

"Bonnie, are you kidding? He'll be calling here in two minutes. You just want me to pretend I haven't heard from you?"

"I'll speak to Rod."

"You will? When?"

"I'll call him now."

"What will you say?"

"I don't know. I'll think of something."

"This is crazy, Bonnie," Diana said. "I feel so helpless. There must be something I can do."