He writes them a somewhat unclear letter, and then goes to call on them. Julia is still not terribly convinced that she's a medium, but Emil is still enthused by the idea of ghosts, and mostly talks her into it (without having to say anything). A séance is arranged with Miss Saravelda (they aren't as frequent as they used to be, this being the Depression).
Tommy calls Roderick to ask if he should bring Andy to the séance. Roderick says no, "you should probably leave him at home, with yourself." Tommy is unwilling to take such a blanket no for an answer. Roderick explains that there are two options - one, Adele was a good person, and has gone on to her reward, and Tommy will be dragging her out of heaven. Two, Adele was an evil spirit, and summoning those are never a good idea. This still doesn't quite talk Tommy out of it, though, but he is eventually convinced that leaving Andy home is a good idea.
"You already have enough of a connection to her. If you bring the baby too, you won't just be opening the door a little, you'll be propping it wide open." - RoderickThe séance happens. In addition to Miss Saravelda, Tommy, Emil, and Julia, there's an older woman who wants to talk to her beloved Fifi, and a traumatized-looking younger man. There are the requisite rappings and knockings (which Tommy mostly ignores), a dog barking, which makes the woman happy. Some yes-or-no knockings tell the man that it's not his fault. Then, to Tommy's eyes, Julia suddenly turns into Adele (nobody else can see anything, though they do find it odd when she starts talking). She seems completely puzzled why she's there, and when Tommy asks if she knows why it all happened, still claims to not know. Tommy tells her that her baby is okay, which seems to completely surprise her. He also says that she understands, that he knows she would do anything for her baby - she mostly realizes this is tied to his having said she was killing him before, and starts to get upset ("I still don't understand what I'm being accused of!"). Emil is also getting rather upset, and wants whatever it is that's going on to stop. Adele kisses Tommy at some point, which causes Emil to punch him in the nose. Tommy tells Adele she has to go back, to let go, but she doesn't seem to know how. Emil finally drags Adele/Julia off, and the séance concludes.
Tommy goes to see Roderick, insisting that Roderick told him so and he wouldn't listen. Roderick doesn't really think he meant possession, but it's still a bad outcome. They ponder whether to descend on the Maillets to perform an exorcism now, or wait until morning.
"We could wait until morning. By morning they'll be thoroughly in need of rescuing. Now they're probably just mad." - RoderickThey converge on the Maillet's house, which has a light on, making up a line about post-séance traumatic regression to use on Emil. Adele (well, it looks like Julia to him) answers the door to Roderick's knock; Tommy gestures from the car to indicate that it's Adele. She says that Emil has gone to bed, and she had said she'd sit up for a while; she leaves a note for Email and leaves with Tommy and Roderick.
They proceed to Roderick's house for an exorcism - Adele asks if she could see Andrew? Tommy calls Eddie, and gets him to bring the baby. Adele is entranced (and says that he has Tommy's nose). Much angsting ensues.
Roderick performs an exorcism, which Adele is willing to sit still
for, and she vanishes. Tommy loses it, and starts warning Eddie to
put his coat on, it's cold outside, and wondering if it's time for
dawn patrol yet. After a substantial amount of dithering about
whether Dr. Schreber can actually cure insanity, not just cause
it, he is finally summoned. (Sheila has previously advised him to
pack sedatives, and happens to be wandering by when he leaves for the
Bellesby house).
Tommy takes Dr. Schreber prisoner, and makes sure that on his honor as
an officer and a gentleman he won't try to escape before the army
comes in. The Red Baron used to watch the pendulum of a clock to
focus his mind late at night - did Tommy know that? With this as a
sideways introduction, Tommy gets hypnotized. He is eventually
snapped back into the present. Everyone goes to sleep (except
Sheila, apparently).
The next morning, Gerti (the only one who seems to have gone to work) receives a phone call from a somewhat hysterical Emil, who accuses Tommy of having kidnapped his wife. It takes Gerti a while to get who his wife is out of him, but eventually promises to have Tommy call him. Gerti eventually tracks people down at Roderick's and warns them of this. Roderick wakes Julia up - she is not terribly pleased at the turn of events, and is not impressed by bacon as a peace offering, either. She puts her shoes on, says she's going home, and will please none of them ever call her again.