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I poured a shter fluid on the clothes and said a set the fire out before anyone smelled the smoke and became curious I lit a match and tossed it on the pile, and totihter fluid, adding it carefully when the fire would die, until I was confident nothing could be identified I didn't burn the clothing to pure ash, but I burned h that I knew there'd be no amount of DNA they could ever pull off of it

At least that's what I hoped

I easily put out any reeneral stoathered the mess that was left and hiked south for several hundred yards where I was able to stuff theround I pulled dead brush to help ca, not much of which was left, but I wasn't too worried about it Chances of a hiker co was virtually nonexistent toEven if they did, chances of the police was even smaller And if that did happen, I didn't believe there was any way they'd connect that to JT's murder

I felt I had done all I could

So with hands completely filthy with dirt and h the smallperhaps for soe place at a very strange time in my life I knew if I could just et into the shower to wash away the evidence of my crime of concealment, Sela and I could rest easier

When I get to orously scrubuish the fire I wipeit onto the passenger seat along with the e a deep breath of co the A/C up so I can cool down

I take a es and see I have two voice mails

The first is from my mother and it's short, to the point, and completely offensive to me

Beckthis is your mother

No shit

Just wanted to let you know the Townsends have arranged for JT's funeral to be held on Friday at two PM They'd like you to give the eulogy and I accepted on your behalf Oh, and will you talk Caroline into co? If there's one function she should attend, this is it

Yeah, Mo to happen No way is Caroline going to give you even ato let her attend the funeral of her rapist

But joylooks like I'll be giving a eulogy for the s I'd really love to say

I delete my mom's voice mail and listen to the second, which is froto have lunch with Caroline I'h every angle of hoeforward, but I also know Caroline will stay firs are between us

But I also expect it's because she and Caroline now understand they have a deeper bond with each other, forged by circulad that they each now have a true confidante if they need to discuss what happened to them

Except they now have one difference Sela has identified her attacker Caroline never will

Laying ainst the cushioned rest, I take athe truth that he knew about our relation to each other So he wasn't lying in an effort to get ahead

I have to assu Caroline I suppose there's a small chance he did that just to torture her, but mostly I think he did it because he was a sadistic fuck

Regardless, I' the truth

But the thing I can't get past is the DNA evidence DNA was collected from Caroline and ere told that there was no match If JT really raped both women, it should have matched up to the evidence collected froical explanation for it notup is that perhaps Sela was confused about whose seht it was JT's, but she had two other attackers Perhaps it was their semen

But another explanation bothers ht otten a copy of Sela's criation file, he said the paperwork for the Combined DNA Index Systeht, but it could have slipped through the cracks

I consider calling Dennis He flew out to Vegas last night to deliver theto Ireland After that Panama The man is on a much-needed vacation and he more than earned soh I'm quite sure he wouldn't be put out to check on that for me

Still, I hesitate to make the call partly because it truly shouldn'tDNA would be unequivocal proof that JT raped both the loves of ood as DNA in my opinion

But mostly I don't call hi, and I sure as fuck ale soul in on ent doith JT If I call Dennis, I'll have to tell hi, he'll connect the dots, and then he'll probably push at me for details It's too risky, and hence my decision is made not to involve Dennis

At least not yet