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"Did you suspect he was the one?" Stuart asked.
"Yes," I said, and they all seemed surprised…especially Tolliver. "Because when I was sitting there in the car, I was thinking about the hole under the barn, and I was thinking how strange it was that Barney Simpson knew there was a hole there. He said something about it when I was visiting Manfred here at the hospital. I might not even have thought about it, but when Doak Garland asked me a question about it, it was clear that Doak had no idea there was a pit under the stall. So it was not common knowledge. Yet Barney had known about it. And then I thought about the way so many of the boys had had a trip to the hospital. That would have been a good place for Barney to spot them and mark them for future attention. And he said something to me about that."
That was what they were anxious to hear, so I tried to remember the way Barney had talked about their methods, and explain about the pit and why it had been built, when the old house out of town was really more isolated.
"They would take turns," Stuart said. "Because it was hard to park two cars behind the old house. But sometimes, on weekends, they'd go together. Like double dating."
I felt sick, and put the coffee down on the rolling table. Tolliver patted me.
"Sometimes the boys would last four or five days, if they gave them food and water," Klavin said.
"Okay, enough," Tolliver said, and it was clear he was angry. "We know as much about this as we want to know."
"So, we're charging him with attempted homicide on you and Ted Hamilton," Klavin said, when he'd absorbed the rebuke. "But with the murders, we got enough to put him away forever. We'll just throw in other charges if there's any way at all he might get off. I mean, you can only give him life so many times."
"Some of the forensic evidence will tie both of them in, I hope. So it's not just their confessions."
"There was so much there, some of it's definitely going to come through. For one thing, there are hair matches already. And I'm sure we'll get some DNA matches."
I nodded. Though these men would eat, breathe, and sleep the case until it came to trial, to me it was at a close.
"How are you doing, by the way?" the sheriff asked. She just wanted to point out that Klavin and Stuart hadn't inquired. They both looked only a tad sheepish.
Tolliver said, "Her arm is broken all the way through. Her scalp stitches had to be redone and there are more of them now. The scalp wound is infected. She has multiple severe bruises and two loose teeth. You can see the black eye. And now she's got an upper respiratory infection, too."
Also, a torn fingernail, but he left that out.
Tolliver was glaring at them so indignantly that I expected they would break down and weep, but they just shuffled around uncomfortably until they thought of a good reason to leave. It didn't sound as though I'd have to come back to Doraville, maybe. At least, not anytime soon. That suited me just fine.
Manfred called, but I didn't talk to him. Tolliver did. I was too tired—too emotionally tired—to want to talk to him again.
The only guest I was glad to see was Twyla Cotton. She came in moving even more heavily, it seemed to me. Her face was so serious that it didn't seem she would ever smile again.
"Well," she said. She was standing right by my bed, and she couldn't meet my eyes. "They're caught, and my grandson's gone for good."
I nodded.
"I did the right thing bringing you here, and I'm glad I did. They had to stop what they were doing, even if it was too late for Jeff."
It had been too late for Jeff by months.
"They'll rot in hell," Twyla said with absolute conviction. "And I know Jeff is in heaven. But it's hard for us left here."
"Yes," I said, because that was something I knew about. "It's hard for those left behind."
"You're thinking of your sister who's missing?"
"Yes, Cameron."
"Kind of ironic, huh?"
"That I can find everyone else but her? Yes, you could put it that way."
"Then that's what I'll pray about for you. That you find your sister."
Looking at Twyla's stricken face, for the first time I wondered if I really wanted to find Cameron. If it would really give me peace. I switched my gaze over to Tolliver. He was looking at Twyla with an unpleasant face. He thought she was making me unhappy, and he didn't think I needed any more unhappiness.
"Thank you, Twyla," I said. "I hope…I hope your remaining grandson brings you joy."
She almost smiled. "He will. Ain't nothing can replace Jeff, but Carson is a good steady boy."
She left soon after, because we didn't have anything left to say.
Tolliver said, "Tomorrow, if you don't have a fever, we're leaving this place."
"Absolutely," I said. "Maybe by the time I get to Philadelphia I will have healed enough that I won't scare the clients."
"We can cancel and go to our apartment and just relax for a couple of weeks."
"No," I said. "Back in the saddle again." And then I made an effort to smile. "And when I'm a little better than that, we'll see about really getting back in the saddle." I tried to leer, but the result was so ludicrous that Tolliver had to choke back a laugh.
But I poked him in the ribs, and he let it out.
Back in the saddle again.