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She calmed instantly and blinked "What?"

I blinked back

"Why would I kill you?" she asked, her voice suddenly soft Confused "Why would I kill a baby?"

I blinked again "Because that’s what you do?"

"I have never!" she said, appalled She slapped my hands away

I dropped the like that I’ve tried to stop hiht of the planet crept over ether "The hter The one who had me locked away in an asylum for the rest of my life when I tried to tell people he’d done it My husband, Delbert Smeets"

An eerie silence settled about the rooht back

"He killed my precious Rose and told everyone I’d done it"

"And they just believed him?"

"He was The Mayor," she said, matter-of-fact "No one questioned The Mayor He had half the town in his pocket"

I crunched over to a rickety dining chair, cursing when I stepped on a Lego No idea "Novalee, I don’t knohat to say We thought it was you"

"No" She sat in the other dining roo table, for thateach other

"I would never harto tellto scare you"

"Well, it worked Holy rusted metal, Batman"

The smile she flashed seemed so rational So… sane If not for her solid white eyes and that touch of decomposition

"Do you still want your doll?"

She lowered her head Twisted her hands in her lap "It’s not my baby, is it?"

I shook an to believe them"

"I’m so sorry, Novalee But I need to know, did your husband kill Erin’s first two children?"

She lowered her head farther "Yes I tried to stop him

"But why?" I asked, saddened and sickened

"My sister She was the only one who stood by et me released Tried to convince the authorities that Delbert had killed our child Tried to get people to come forith all the atrocities he’d done to them Because she defied him, because she dared to stand up to hihters, too And all of her son’s daughters And so on He’s been doing it ever since Only the girls and only until they reach a full year If they survive that long, he leaves theirls"