When he answered the door, Shirley was surprised to see that Standish was an ordinary-looking man. He was medium height and weight, about fifty to sixty years old, with dark hair that was sprinkled with silver. He was charismatic without saying a word and Shirley felt safe in his home as they entered and he led them into the living room.
He poured them both a glass of red wine with a cheese spread to nibble on. Shirley was surprised by his hospitality, but she could tell that Chatham was dying to really get right into it. He told Standish about who he was and their situation. Shirley expected Standish to regard them as crazies. Even though he wrote about the occult and the paranormal, it was always difficult to tell how much someone really believed in that sort of thing.
But Standish har
