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"Where I lived before, we had a book on fa ladies are soht they shouldwith usirls We wanted Mrs Potts to deliver them, but noe have you"

I feel like a leftover, lopsided red velvet cake at a cakewalk, but I don’t think she means it that way

"When their time comes, will you and Bitsy be there?"

"We’ll plan on it," I say, picking up where Mrs Potts left off

"It wasn’t so bad," says Twyla, now an expert on childbirth "It hurt, but you’ll do better if you relax Try not to tighten up, that’s the secret And don’t screaree

On Saturday afternoon, I ride my bike down Wild Rose Road and around Salt Lick into Liberty to turn in my birth certificates at the courthouse and pick up supplies, again washing up behind the Texaco station MacIntosh’s vehicle is nowhere to be seen

When I have to ask the crih wooden desk for another death certificate, I cringe, but she doesn’t say anything The coronerabout that in thein the hall andto slide past hi, but he reaches out and touches my arm

"Can we have a word?"

"Uh, I’et downstairs to consult with Mrs Myers about a pregnant patient" This is a total lie, but I think it sounds possible

My excuse doesn’t work He crooks his index finger and motions me into his office "I just have a few questions It won’t take long" He sits behind his big wooden desk and motions for me to take the other chair "Katherine MacIntosh came to me a few days before she returned to Baltimore She feels certain her husband killed himself Said he had threatened to do it before I know you were close to the fa to add? Co at a cluster of wanted posters arranged on the wall behind his desk half expecting to see h the Battle at Blair Mountain seeo, probably old news to the rest of the world

"What did you want to know?"

"Everything you know"

I take a big breath "Well, I wasn’t really acquainted with them at first I attended Mrs MacIntosh in labor You probably heard" Hardhtprobably everyone knows about the dead baby that ca a hard time financially Katherine said he was burdened by debt I didn’t learn that until later The baby was born the day after the stock ain

"Later, after Bitsy got fired and moved in with me, Katherine ran to us tith bruises all over her upper body The first tiain The second time she came in the h to drive us to Torrington to the train station She was in the barn theyou caht you ht try and take her home They weren’t a happy couple That’s all I know, exceptwell, Katherine said he’d beaten her, many timesand like I said, he’d done it before"

"And Thomas Proudfoot? What do you know about him?"