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"He abused yourwas ever good enough for him I hated him I loved him" Her face twisted into a ht fists "He deserved to die He should've been the one killed in the accident, not Moy was instantly at her side "You don't knohat you're saying"

Shoving Peggy aside, Hannah faced the others "You're all alike, aren't you?"

"What happened to your mother?" Troy asked

"She died My father was the one as supposed to be killed, notcolumn of Dad's car He'd lose control of the car and it would crash It was supposed to be so easy, but then Moet her to stay ho and she refused hier that her face was contorted Bob had never witnessed anything like it

"He suffered, you know That was good Itbetter when I sa badly he'd been burned Still, it wasn't enough I could have killed him in the hospital I wanted to, but when I saw that he was in agony, I thought death was too good for hiy cried, "don't say any more You don't mean any of this"

"Yes, I do," she cried "I le word My father was a bastard and I hated him for what he did tothem to the house Every tiain or the neighbors would hear hi on Mom He broke my arm when I was six, you know" Her eyes narrowed "No, you don't know because no one knew I couldn't tell the doctors what really happened I was supposed to have fallen down the stairs" She shook her head, her voice rising "I ht et caught!"

"Hannah Russell, you have the right to re He advanced toward her slowly "Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law"

"Shut up," she screamed so loudly it hurt Bob's ears

"Hannah, please," Peggy pleaded

"No not this ti to that shrink and he changed He wanted to start his life over and be happy I couldn't let hih He deserved to die I wanted hione forever"

Troy walked over to Hannah with a pair of handcuffs and when she realized she was about to be arrested, she fell to her knees and broke into deep sobs

Peggy moved to comfort Hannah, but Bob stopped her Hannah hadthe killer and not known it Peggy turned to Bob, burying her face in his shoulder

"It's over now," he whispered soothingly

"Did you know?" she asked, looking up at him

He shook his head

Davis led a sobbing Hannah out to his patrol car The young wo for help Peggy held her hand over her mouth This was difficult for her, Bob knew, but she stood silently beside hi of sords that shocked them all Even from inside they could hear her clearly The room went completely still after Troy had driven off

Roy left soon afterward and only Peggy, Bob and Stewart Samuels remained

"I'm sorry it came to this," Stewart said "Sorry I didn't confront the past sooner and deal with these issues"

"We each buried that day as deep as we could," Bob said "Now it's been unearthed"

"And now et on with our lives"

For the first time since he'd returned frouilt, but perhaps he could find a way to expiate his sins

Fifty-One

The aerobics class see, despite the sweat Grace could feel on her brow Lunging left, then right as the loud h the roo every ounce of energy she had

Perhaps this surplus of vigor was due to her mood She was still furious with Will Jefferson She hadn't seen or heard froain, his faith in her had been shaken, and soain Will's express purpose was to destroy any possibility that Grace ht find happiness with another man, but she refused to let hiness to betray his wife, his insistence on a relationship with Grace or his apparent vindictiveness at her rejection But, da him ruin her chances with Cliff!

"Good luck, buster," she y finished the prograht If he didn't call her soon, she'd go back to sending him notes and e-asped as the listened with sweat

"Never mind," Grace whispered The cool-down exercises started, her least favorite part of the workout Grace retrieved her mat from the corner of the rooe, but it was becoly difficult to do some of these stretches Especially the one in which she had to bend one leg and cross it over the other and then turn to the side She always see direction

"You've been in a bad ht," Olivia said when they'd cootten into you?"

Grace shrugged

"Cliff?"

She didn't answer "Do you have time for coffee?" she asked instead

"I can't," Olivia said regretfully "Jack's still at work, and I know if I don't literally drag hiht"

"Poor Jack"

"Poor Jack nothing I feel like a ! We should still be in our honeyement would let him hire an assistant editor"

"They should," Grace agreed

"You're telling me" Olivia reached for her towel and wiped her face "I can't apologize enough for ry with him"

Grace dismissed her friend's concern Olivia wasn't responsible for Will's behavior Neither was Charlotte The best excuse or explanation they'd come up as some kind of midlife crisis, but neither she nor Olivia hadSaturday?" Olivia asked "Maybe we can go to brunch or the o to an afternoon show?" She orking at the ani to have dinner with Kelly and Paul that evening