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Xylda, as carrying a cane, didn’t greet us, or even acknowledge ere there I couldn’t reo or not It gave her a rakish air I noticed that Manfred kept his hands lightly on her waist, as if she ht topple over all of a sudden

She pointed with the cane to one of the slightly mounded areas in the dirt floor Then she stood absolutely still The men who’d come in with her - everyone who’d been outside, with the addition of the boy and theher with derision, and a few of theh But now they were silent, and when Xylda closed her eyes and appeared to be listening to so no one else could hear, the level of tension rose almost palpably

"Tortured aniility as you can expect from a rather old and hefty wo animals, you little son of a bitch"

You couldn’t accuse Xylda of ainst you," she said, her voice falling to an eerie monotone "Your future is written in blood"

The boy looked as if he wanted to break and run when those old eyes fixed on him I didn’t bla coat He looked at the boy with a heartbreaking doubt in his face "Is what she says true? Could you have done soly, as if his father could stop ould happen next "Don’t htened around my waist

The ave the boy a little shake "You have to tell them," he said

"It was already hurt," the boy said, his voice exhausted and dead "I just watched it till it died"

"Liar," Xylda said, her voice dripping with disgust

After that, things really went downhill

THE deputies did their digging and found the afore, some rabbits - baby rabbits - and a bird or two They kicked around the stalls,dust from the stale hay rise up in thick clouds All they discovered was the stalls had bare-board flooring, so there couldn’t be any animal corpses underneath The father, Tom Almand, seemed absolutely stunned Since he was a counselor at the mental health center, he would knoell as anyone there that one of the early signs of a developing serial killer was the torture of animals I wondered how row up to be murderers, but I assumed that would be i so vile and yet become a well-adjusted adult with healthy relationships? Maybe I hadn’t studied the phenomenon, and I sure didn’t plan to do any research on it I saw enough in my day-to-day work life to convince sand wonderful things, too Soe thirteen, budding sadist, I couldn’t feel optimistic

I was sure that Sheriff Rockould be pleased We’d kept the locals froenuinely disturbed source of future trouble, and I wasn’t going to charge a penny on h They did owe Xylda soh, and I wanted to be sure they’d pay it

The sheriff was not looking sunny, though In fact, she looked tired, discouraged, and disheartened

"Why so glu conversation with Manfred; he’d forced hi Xylda had hold of the ar him an earful of talk He looked dazed

"I hoped we’d wrap it up," she said She seehts and emotions "I hoped this would be it We’d find more bodies here We’d find evidence -someone, maybe Tom, to all the murders It would all be over We would have solved the case ourselves, instead of having to turn it over to the state boys or the FBI"

Sandra Rockas not the clear pool she’d seemed at first

"There aren’t any huic wand and make that come true for you," I said And I was sincere Like ht, I wanted justice to prevail, and I wanted punishet all three at the saree "Can we leave now?" I asked

The sheriff closed her eyes, just for a second I had a creepy-crawly feeling in my belly She said, "The SBI has asked that you remain on site for another day They want to question you so resolved into a knot of anxiety "I thought we’d get to leave after we did this" My voice one up, because a lot of people turned to look at us Even the boy at the heart of this brouhaha turned to look I stared right into Chuck Almand’s face, and for the first tiht as well shoot hi I wondered if this was how Xylda saw things, if this hat had o the same way It wasn’t like free choice had been taken away fro by his nature It was more like I could see what choices he wouldone of those people who end up as the subject of a docu the truth? Was it inevitable? I hoped not And I hoped I never experienced it again Maybe I was able to see inside Chuck Alenuine psychics, and their proximity sparked a touch of it in myself Maybe it was the ruhtning feelings in itation Maybe I had the co perspective

"Tolliver," I said, "we have to find a place to stay They’re not going to let us leave after all" We should have taken off from the pharmacy, taken off and never looked back

My brother was besidemoment "Then you have to find us a place to stay," he said "We gave up our motel room"

With unexpected lucidity, Xylda said, "You can stay with us It’ll be craht of squeezing in a bed with Xylda while Tolliver and Manfred slept two feet away I thought of other possible sleeping arrangeht be better "Thanks so much," I said, "but I’"

"I’lad to find so to be , and I’ll try to think of so It’s your fault the town’s this crowded"

There was a long e stared at her

"Not exactly your fault," she said

"I think not," I said

"Everyone in town has rented out every rooot," a deputy said His uniforhbor, then "The only place I can think of is Twyla Cotton’s lake house"

The sheriff brightened "Give her a call, Rob" She turned back to us "Thanks for coure out what to do with the juvenile delinquent here"

"He won’t go to jail?"