“Yes, this is Mrs. Schuyler. Who is this? Oh—a telegram?”
As she waited for the message, she encountered Alexis’ eyes with a startled inquiry in her own.
“It is for you, Alexis,” she whispered. She held out the receiver and moved aside. He backed away with nervous horror.
“Please take the message for me, Anne!”
She nodded curtly and resumed her listening. A moment passed before she spoke.
“Oh, yes, I’m responsible,” she said shortly, evidently in answer to some remonstrance from the other end. “You may give me the message quite safely. I’ll write it down word for word.”
She held out an imperious hand. Alexis rushed across the room to the desk, secured pencil and paper and prepared to write at her dictation. When she spoke her voice seemed strangely flat and monotonous.
“Claire missing since yesterday morning. Traced to St. Patrick’s by Ito. Then clue lost. Fear worst. Return immediately.
Your Mother”
Anne replaced the receiver in silence and she and Alexis looked into each other’s faces.