Roy began to walk in the forest by himself. His excuse was that he wanted to gather wood for the fireplace but Karyn knew there was all the wood they needed within fifty yards of the house. The real reason had to be that he wanted to get away from her.
She became convinced of it the day of Roy's first trip into Los Angeles. Although he made a show of reluctance to leave their wilderness paradise, his eagerness was not hard to read. She watched the Ford disappear down the narrow lane with an increasing sense of fear and uneasiness.
The day was cool with a high overcast. Karyn vowed to pull herself out of her funk. She put on a heavy sweater and took Lady for a long walk through the woods. For a city girl, she had a remarkable sense of direction, and there was never any problem finding her way back.
Returning home around noon, she washed the walls and windows, even though they didn't need it. She fixed herself a sandwich, fed the dog, and shuffled through the books without finding one she wanted to read. She began looking up the road for Roy long before he was due to return.
When at last he drove into the yard, Karyn ran out to meet him and they hugged each other enthusiastically and walked back to the house arm in arm.
Karyn had prepared a small roast for their meal. It came out perfectly — crispy brown on the outside, pink and tender within. The candles provided an intimate glow, and the talk came easy. It was almost the way it had been before their trouble started.
After dinner Karyn fed Lady and let her outside while Roy poured their brandy. They moved into the living room and sat close together by the fireplace. Their legs touched, and for the first time in months Karyn felt a surge of desire for her husband.
"Roy," she said, "let's go to bed."
"Sleepy already?"
She shook her head, holding the warm pressure of her thigh against him. "Nope."
Roy looked at her closely for a moment, then took her into his arms. He kissed her. She returned the kiss with feeling. Everything about him — his hands on her back, the taste of his mouth, even the short stubble of beard — excited her.
"Let's not waste any more time," he said. They stood up together and he led her into the bedroom.
When they were lying together, Karyn rolled onto her side to face him. Roy's hand roved across her rib cage and up over the swell of her hip. She reached down for his sex and found him erect and hard. The touch of him in her hand was good. His fingers trailed down across her flat stomach and into the blond fluff of pubic hair. She felt herself open willingly and go moist under his touch.
Oh, God, said a part of Karen's mind, let it be good this time. Let it be right, the way it was.
Roy was kissing her breast, teasing the erect nipple with his tongue. His hand was up between her legs, stroking, massaging. Karyn was ready for him. As ready as she would ever be. Then she heard it.
The howling.
Not far off in the woods this time, but close outside. Close, deep throated, and cold as death.
"Roy!" she said, sitting up in bed.
"I heard it," he said. He pulled himself up beside her, but his voice did not reflect the urgency that Karyn felt.
Roy's hand moved between her legs. His head dipped again to her breast.
"What was it?" Karyn said. She was whispering without knowing why.
"I don't know. An owl." His tone took on an edge of impatience.
"Not an owl," she said.
"Who cares? Come on, Karyn, lie down."
Obediently Karyn lay back on the sheet. She tried hard to recover the mood of a few moments before, but the terrible howling still sounded in her brain. How could Roy ignore it?
His head moved lower on her body. She could feel his tongue tracing a moist line across her navel and on down…
Abruptly it was not her husband kissing her down there, it was that horrible other thing. The teeth.
With a startled cry she drew away from him.
He pulled himself up. "What?"
Karyn reached out to him, trying to make her touch affectionate, though she still felt the unreasoning revulsion. "I'm sorry, Roy. I–I don't think I can."
"But just a minute ago — "
"I know," she said quickly. "I know, Roy, but now I can't."
"Jesus," he said through clenched teeth, and turned away from her. His broad naked back was like a wall in the middle of the bed.
"Please, darling," she said, "be patient with me for a little while longer."
He gave her an unconvincing pat on the shoulder. "Sure, Karyn, it's all right. I'm just keyed up after driving out from the city."
But it was not all right, and they both knew it. Karyn's throat filled up with words she wanted to say to her husband but could not: I'm sorry dear, I was all ready and in the mood, and then something howled outside. No, it was not an owl. And after that the only picture in my mind was that filthy animal with his hands up in me and his teeth biting me and then… and then…
Karyn forced her mind back from the brink of hysteria, and at last fell into a shallow sleep.
In the morning she was the first one up. She combed out her hair and went into the kitchen. She would prepare a lovely breakfast for Roy — ham-and-cheese omelet with hot muffins, and rich black coffee. But first she had to feed the dog. She took a can of Alpo from the cupboard, then wondered why Lady did not come trotting in at the sound of the can on the countertop. Then she remembered that no one had let her back in last night. Karyn went to open the front door. The dog was not in sight.
Karyn stepped outside and called the dog's name. The forest was unusually silent on this gray, damp day, the only sound the dripping of moisture from the tree branches. Karyn called again and walked all around the yard. Nothing answered.
She went back inside and into the bedroom, where Roy sat on the edge of the bed pulling on a pair of denim pants.
"Lady's not here," she said. "We forgot to let her in last night. Now I can't find her. She doesn't answer." Karen sensed the rising pitch of her voice, but she did not try to control it. Concern for the dog was an acceptable outlet for the other tangled emotions that she was not ready to examine.
"I'll go take a look," Roy replied. He went outside, whistling and calling for the little dog. He made several forays into the woods, calling louder, and came back with his jeans wet from the damp brush.
"She's probably off exploring somewhere," he said without conviction.
"Roy, do you think something's happened to her?"
"What could happen? We've been here over a week. Lady knows her way around by now. She'll come home when she gets hungry."
Karyn caught the irritability just beneath his words. She said, "I guess we might as well eat breakfast."
She had lost all enthusiasm for the omelet. While she cooked it, Karyn left the front door open. From time to time each of them would look over that way.
Afterward Roy went to work editing his manuscripts. Karyn sat in a chair by the window with a book open on her lap. She tried to read, but the printed words would not register on her mind. When it was almost noon she could sit still no longer.
"Roy, I think we should go out and look for her. She may be hurt and can't get back to us."
Roy looked over at her, and Karyn could see that he was not as unconcerned as he acted. "All right," he said.
The sun was out now, high and pale, but warm enough to dry off the forest. Roy and Karyn walked the trails that interlaced the surrounding woods. Some were so dim and overgrown that they were hardly there. Others showed signs of recent use.
Roy went in one direction, Karyn in another. She concentrated on looking down as she walked, scanning the ground along both sides of each trail. She saw nothing.
When Roy came upon her suddenly walking from the opposite direction, she started and gave a little squeal of surprise.