"Oh dear Jesus, the doctor is in! But the damp wildness of the shadows and the boom of her laughter were too much and he shrieked for her not to do this to him, not to leave him, but she only went on laughing and there was a click as the door was shut and her laughter was muted but her laughter was still there, her laughter was on the other side of the door, where there was light, and then the lock clicked, and then another door closed and her laughter was even more muted (but still there), and another lock clicked and a bolt slammed, and her laughter was going away, her laughter was outside, and even after she had started the cruiser up, backed out, put the chain across the driveway, and driven away, he thought he could still hear her. If she had insisted on testifying in her own behalf at her trial, Paul thought, her lawyer probably would have shot her to shut her up. Saw him melting magically through the bulkhead and reintegrating his corpses body down here.
Someone important to me.
The scenario had called for him to effect his escape through one of the parlor windows. He had gone out with no more in mind than buying a VCR for the townhouse on 83rd Street.