Shep shuddered. His hand slowly came down.

"I'm trying," Sandy continued softly.

"I'm trying harder than I've ever tried in my life to make this family whole. But I can't do it anymore. We failed, Shep. Somewhere we went wrong, and Danny went wrong, and poor Becky -G.o.d knows what's even going on with her anymore. But the way I see it, we have two choices.

We can pretend it never happened and not act too surprised when we get the call someday that our son is dead, or we can give up on what we wish had happened and start dealing with what did.

"Danny was involved in the killings. Danny has problems dealing with his rage. Danny is a deeply troubled boy. But he's a good boy, too, if that makes any sense, and the guilt is tearing him up inside. If we don't let him talk, and talk soon, I don't think he's going to make it.

He'll either finally find tableware he knows how to use or, worse, he'll shut out his emotions. He will become cold and remorseless.

"He's only thirteen, Shep. I want him to have a chance to become the man we dreamed about, not a newspaper headline. I don't know about you, but for me that makes our choice pretty clear."

And Becky's father said tiredly, "What choice, Sandy? Danny's not ours anymore. He belongs to the legal system, and I know that beast. The minute he says he's guilty, he'll be locked away for life. And even if he gets counseling and becomes our good boy again, what the h.e.l.l is our good boy going to do locked away with violent felons for the rest of his life? Why don't we just buy him a T-shirt that says rape me now and let him wear it at the f.u.c.king trial?"

"Shep!"

"Sandy, what do you think is going to happen? Why do you think I'm so scared!"

Her mommy fell silent. Becky thought she looked like she was going to cry. Becky was crying. She had tears all over her cheeks.

"There must be other options," her mommy said at last, but she no longer sounded so certain.

"We need to talk to Avery Johnson, raise the possibility. See what can be worked out .. .."

"He can't go to prison, Sandy. I won't let that happen. I won't."

Sandy rubbed her arms.

"I don't know what to do anymore," she murmured.

"I feel.. . like the worst is still to come."

"I'll think of something, Sandy. He's my son. Give me time, and I'll come up with something."

Becky's mommy finally nodded. Becky clutched Big Bear hard and slid away from the doorway. Her heart was pounding hard in her chest now.

She had the heavy feeling, where she could barely breathe.

She wanted to run into the family room. She wanted to throw her arms around her daddy's legs and beg him to leave Danny alone. But just like at the school, she was too frightened. Her mouth wouldn't work.

She went back to her bedroom. She started throwing blankets and clothes in her closet for cover. Big Bear would need a place to hide.

And Mrs. Beetle and Polly the Pony and her new kitten.

Becky had a lot of work to do.

Bad things were gonna happen if people pushed Danny. Very bad things.

The monster was still out there, and if Danny wasn't smart, if Becky

wasn't smart, he'd kill them all.He had promised.

Rainie started her preparations the minute she got off the phone with Quincy. First she mowed her lawn. Then she took care of the edging.

The high gra.s.s would make the tracks too easy to see for what needed to happen next.

She put on a mask. She grabbed a shovel. She ignored the ringing phone and went to work, not letting herself think about what had to be done. Afterward she raked the gra.s.s back up to cover the marks. Then she took a long hot shower and steamed the rich, moist earth from her hands.

Another hour, toiling with the shotgun, just in case.

A little after two, as she returned from the trunk of her patrol car with her subst.i.tute 9 mm and backup .2.2, her phone started ringing again. She didn't answer but then heard Luke's voice on the machine.

She picked up the receiver as he was still calling her name.

"I'm here."

"Jesus, Rainie. Where the h.e.l.l have you been? Sanders is going nuts trying to find you."

"I mowed my lawn. How are things in Portland?"

"Muddled." Luke sounded confused. She could hear the sounds of traffic, so he must be using his cell phone.

"You took the morning to do yard work?"

The gra.s.s didn't seem to realize murder was a good excuse not to grow.

Why are things muddled in Portland?"

"Daniel Avalon has disappeared. We were supposed to meet at his office this morning, but his secretary's been stalling me with one feeble excuse after another. I finally tried his wife. Looks like Mr. Avalon didn't come home last night. And, get this, I drove by his hunting cabin on the way to Portland. It's definitely been recently used."

"You think he's Dave Duncan."

"Well, with the right disguise .. . h.e.l.l, anything's possible." Luke sighed.

"I put out an APB with his "normal" description, plus a description of his car and the cabin. It's the best I can do for now."

"I'm sure he'll turn up shortly," Rainie said neutrally. Her eyes had already gone to her back deck.

"Rainie ... I made Angelina show me the gun cabinet. One of the shotguns is missing. I don't think that's a good thing."

"Fire with fire," Rainie murmured.

"I'm coming back to Bakersville, okay? There's nothing for me to do here anymore and I'd feel better if I were back in town."

"Whatever you think is best, Luke."

"Good." He hesitated. She could hear the unspoken questions still in his voice. She and Luke went way back. He would come if she asked him to. He would die for her if it came to that; he was that kind of man.

But she was who she was, too, and she couldn't ask anyone to pay for her sins.

He said, "Rainie .. ."

And she said, "I'm a big girl, Luke. I know what I'm doing."

She recradled the phone. The hour was growing late and she didn't have much time to waste. She went with a simple white cotton shirt, covered by a light jacket, perfect for concealing her handgun. She paired the top with long jeans that flared at the ankle. Perfect for disguising her backup .22.