ride from a stranger。' But； in the vernacular； she had accepted several rides from Steven Kemp； who was almost a stranger。 If the hypothetical man was friendly； and if she was anxious to get her son home； she might have accepted。 And maybe the nice； smiling man was some kind of a freak。 They had had just such a freak here in Castle Rock before； Frank Dodd。 Maybe the nice； smiling man had left them in the brush with their throats cut and had hied on his merry way。 If that was the case； the Pinto would be at Camber's。
Andy did not think this fine of reasoning likely； but it was possible。 He would have sent a man up to the Cambers' anyway … it was routine … but he liked to understand why he was doing each thing he was doing。 He thought that； for all practical purposes； he could dismiss Camber's Garage from the structure of logic and order he was building。 He supposed she could have gone up there； discovered the Cambers were gone； and then had her car conk out on her； but Castle Rock's Town Road No。 3 was hardly Antartica。 She and the kid had only to walk to the nearest house and ask to use the phone in that case； but they hadn't done it。
'Mr。 Townsend；' he said in his soft voice。 'You and Sheriff Bannerman here ought to take a ride out to this Joe Camber's Garage。 Verify three things： no blue Pinto there； license。 number 218 …8 64； no Donna and Theodore Trenton there； no Cambers there。 Got that？'
'Fine；' Townsend said。 'Do you want
'I want only those three things；' Andy said softly。 He didn't like the way Bannerman was looking at him； and with a kind of weary contempt。 It upset him。 'If any of those three are there； call me here。 And if I'm not here； I'll leave a number。 Understood？'
The telephone rang。 Bannerman picked it up； listened； and offered it to Andy Masen。 'For you； hotshot。'
Their eyes locked over the telephone。 Masen thought that Bannerman would drop his； but he didn't。 After a moment Andy took the phone。 The call was from the State Police barracks in Scarborough。 Steve Kemp had been picked up。 His van had been spotted in the courtyard of a small motel in the Massachusetts town of Twickenham。 The woman and the boy were not with him。 After receiving the Miranda；
Kemp had given his name and had since been standing on his right to remain silent。
Andy Masen found that extremely ominious news。
'Townsend； you e with me；' he said。 'You can handle the Camber place by yourself； can't you； Sheriff Bannerman？'
'It's my town；' Bannerman said。
Andy Masen lit a cigarette and looked at Bannerman through the shifting smoke。 'Have you got a problem with me； Sheriff？'
Bannerman smiled。 'Nothing I can't handle。'
Christ； I hate these hicks； Masen thought； watching Bannerman leave。 But he's out of the play now； anyway。 Thank God for small favors。
Bannerman got behind the wheel of his cruiser； fired it up； and backed out of the Trenton driveway。 It was twenty minutes after seven。 He was almost amused at how neatly Masen had shunted him off onto a siding。 They were headed toward the heart of the matter； he was headed nowhere。 But ole Hank Townsend was going to have to listen to a whole morning's worth of Masen's bullshit； so maybe he had gotten off well at that。
George Bannerman loafed out Route 117 toward the Maple Sugar Road； siren and flashers off。 It surely was a pretty day。 And he saw no need to hurry。
Donna and Tad Trenton were sleeping。
Their positions were very similar： the awkward sleeping positions of those forced to spend long hours on interstate buses。 Their heads lolled against the sockets of their shoulders； Donna's turned to the left； Tad's to the right。 Tad's hands lay in his lap like a beached fish。 Now and again they would twitch。 His breathing was harsh and stertorous。 His lips were blistered； his eyelids a purplish color。 A line of spittle running from the corner of his mouth to the soft line of his jaw had begun to dry。
Donna was in middle sleep。 As exhausted as she was； her cramped position and the pain in her leg and belly and now her fingers （in his seizure Tad had bitten them to the bone） would let her sink no deeper。 Her hair clung to her head in sweaty strings。 The gauze pads on her left leg had soaked through again； and the flesh around the superficial wounds on her belly had gone an ugly red。 Her breathing was also harsh； but not as uneven as Tad's。
Tad Trenton was very close to the end of his endurance。 Dehydration was well advanced。 He had lost electrolytes； chlorides； and sodium through his perspiration。 Nothing had replaced them。 His inner defenses were being steadily rolled back； and now he had entered the final critical stage。 His life had grown light； not sunken firmly into his flesh and …bones but trembling； ready to depart on any puff of wind。
In his feverish dreams his father pushed him on the swing； higher and higher； and he did not see their back yard but the duckpond； and the breeze was cool on his sunburned forehead； his aching eyes； his blistered lips。
Cujo also slept。
He lay on the verge of grass by the porch； his mangled snout on his forepaws。 His dreams were confused； lunatic things。 It was dusk； and the sky was dark with wheeling； red…eyed bats。 He leaped at them again and again； and each time he leaped he brought one down； teeth clamped on a leathery； twitching wing。 But the bats kept biting his tender face with their sharp little rat…teeth。 That was where the pain came from。 That was where all the hurt came from。 But he would kill them A。 He would
He woke suddenly； his head lifting from his paws； his head cocking。
A car was ing。
To his hellishly alert cars； the sound of the approaching car was dreadful； insupportable； it was the sound of some great stinging insect ing to fill him with poison。
He lurched to his feet； whining。 All his joints seemed filled with crushed glass。 He looked at the dead car。 Inside； he could see the unmoving outline of THE WOMAN'S head。 Before； Cujo had been able to look right through the glass and see her； but THE WOMAN had done something to the glass that made it hard to see。 It didn't matter what she did to the windows。 She couldn't get out。 Nor THE Boy； either。
The drone was closer now。 The car was ing up the hill； but 。。。 was it a car？ Or a giant bee or wasp e to batten on him； to sting him； to make his pain even worse？
Better wait and see。
Cujo slunk under the porch； where he had often spent hot summer days in the past。 It was drifted sleep with the decaying autumn leaves of other years； leaves which released a smell he had thought incredibly sweet and pleasant in those same other years。 Now the smell seemed immense and cloying； suffocating and well…nigh unbearable。 He growled at the smell and began to slobber foam again。 If a dog could kill a scent； Cujo would have killed this one。
The drone was very close now。 And then a car was turning into the driveway。 A car with blue sides and a white roof and lights on the top。
'Me one thing George Bannerman had been least prepared to me when he turned into Joe Camber's dooryard was the Pinto belonging to the missing woman。 He was not a stupid man； and while he would have been impatient with Andy Masen's point…to…point kind of logic （he had dealt with the horror of Frank Dodd and understood that sometimes there was no logic）；he arrived at his own mostly solid conclusions in much the same way； if on a more subconscious level。 And he agreed with Masen's belief that it was highly unlikely the Trenton woman and her son would be here。 But the car was here； anyway。
Bannerman grabbed for the mike hung under his dashboard and then decided to check the car first。 From this angle； directly behind the Pinto； it was impossible to see if anyone was in there or not。 The backs of the bucket seats were a bit too high； and both Tad and Donna had slumped down in their sleep。
Bannerman got out of the cruiser and slammed the door behind him。 Before he had gotten two steps； he saw the entire driver's side window was a buckled mass of shatter…shot cracks。 His heart began to beat harder； and his hand went to the butt of his 。38 Police Special。
Cujo stared out at THE MAN from the blue car with rising hate。 It was this MAN who had caused all his pain； he felt sure of it。 THE MAN had caused the pain in his joints and t