Sheriff Patterson, talkative as usual, said that when the police dogs were set to track Maggie's scent, they were scared. Apparently, then, the police dogs are not the dogs that howl in response to Barnabas’s agitation. Maybe the howling dogs are supernatural manifestations conjured up by Barnabas’s agitation. This may be stretching things a bit far, but perhaps howling dogs are ghosts of dogs. The reason I'm suggesting this is that, months later,[spoiler]Julia suggests that Sarah's ghost is an expression of his unquiet conscience, or something. Maybe Barnabas’s agitation stirs up the ghosts of dogs, and his conscience stirs up the ghost of Sarah.[/spoiler]What other ghosts might Barnabas’s emotions conjure up?
Vicky had previously said, I believe, that she thought Willie might have made the phone call that sent them to Widows Hill during Maggie's first disappearance. But she didn't volunteer that today. Maybe it was just clumsy writing, but I like the idea that Vicky wasn't willing to take the initiative on accusing Willie.
When Patterson asked Willie if there was a witness to his having been in Bangor the previous night, Willie cited Barnabas, and didn't mention what hotel he stayed at. Interesting.
