his silly wife had n't yet grasped the way he saw their relationship working , but as soon as he figured out what she was up to , he 'd make a few things clear . in a long trench coat and bowler hat , he walked slowly and purposefully across my yard and down the street . everything i want to say is stuck in my throat . dread curled its icy fingers around mason 's gut as he looked from one stony face to the other . the virus is kicking in , nick said . 