Lauren stared at her with ghostly eyes.

"But you were almost a baby yourself. You were only six years old when Kelly drowned."

"It doesn't take much strength to hold a baby's head under water," Lauren said matter-of-factly. "She was only a little bit of a thing. That's what Daddy always used to say, that she was just a little bit of a thing." Lauren's eyes flashed in sudden anger. "Everything was all right until she was born."

Bonnie thought of Joan, of her long, sad decline after the death of her youngest child. "Your mother knew it wasn't an accident," she said.

Lauren nodded. "She lied to protect me. She did everything to protect me."

"But you killed her."

"I didn't want to kill her," Lauren protested. "But she didn't leave me any choice. After she found my sc.r.a.pbook, she got so suspicious. She started watching me all the time. I tried to reason with her. But when she discovered her gun was missing, she panicked, called you. She was going to tell you everything. Just like she told my grandmother everything one night when they were drinking." She stared accusingly at Bonnie. "It's your fault my grandmother's dead," she said. "You had to go and find her. You couldn't just mind your own business."

"Lauren...."

"And now my father's going to be angry at me. He's going to think I'm a bad girl. He's going to go away again."

"Your father's not going anywhere, Lauren. He loves you. He loves you very much."

"Do you think so?" Lauren asked, wide oval eyes filling with tears. "That's all I ever wanted, you know. For him to love me. Can you understand that?"

Another silence, then, "Yes," Bonnie told her honestly. "I can understand that."

Lauren swatted at her tears with the back of her hand, rubbing them into her cheeks.

Like a little girl, Bonnie thought, looking back at Amanda.

"Bonnie," a voice called suddenly. "Bonnie, are you there?"

Lauren's head snapped toward the sound, temporarily loosening her grip around Amanda's throat, as footsteps bounded up the stairs. In the next instant, Amanda propelled herself out of Lauren's arms and across the room.

"Mommy!"

Bonnie caught sight of Lauren fumbling furiously inside her tote bag. The gun, Bonnie realized, lunging toward the bag, grabbing hold of Lauren's arm just as her hand grasped the gun's handle.

Lauren's arm stiffened, resisted, refused to surrender. Like a G.o.dd.a.m.n snake, Bonnie thought, slamming Lauren's wrist against the floor, hearing it snap, watching the gun fall from her limp hand.

And suddenly, Josh Freeman was at her side, kicking the gun out of reach, pulling Bonnie away. "Where the h.e.l.l did you come from?" Bonnie asked, eyes still on Lauren, watching as she curled into a fetal ball.

"The front door was wide open. I just walked in. Are you all right?"

"I will be," Bonnie said, eyes closing with relief.

Amanda ran into her mother's arms, buried her face in her neck. "Mommy, Mommy!"

"My sweet angel, are you all right?" Bonnie's shaking fingers touched the drop of blood beneath Amanda's chin.

"What's the matter with Lauren, Mommy?"

"She's not well, sweetie."

"Will she get better?"

Bonnie kissed her daughter's cheek. "I don't know." She smoothed some hairs away from Amanda's forehead. "What about you? How are you feeling?"

"I'm okay." She gently extricated herself from Bonnie's grasp, cautiously approached the young girl lying motionless on the bedroom floor. Bonnie watched, holding her breath. "Don't cry now, Lauren," Amanda told her. "Everything's going to be all right. You'll see. Don't cry. Don't cry." Then she sat down beside her, stroking her long auburn hair until the police arrived.

Rod was waiting for her in Captain Mahoney's office. He jumped immediately to his feet when he saw her, the chair in which he'd been sitting tumbling backward to the floor. "Bonnie, are you all right?"

Bonnie closed the door behind her. "I'm fine."

He took a step toward her, stopped when he saw her body tense. "Amanda?"

"She's frightened, confused. But I think she'll be okay. I'm going to take her to see Dr. Greenspoon next week."

"Doctor Greenspoon?"

"We're old friends," Bonnie replied, not bothering to elaborate. "You look exhausted."

"It's been a h.e.l.l of a day," he said, and tried to smile.

"They've taken Lauren to the hospital for observation," Bonnie told him. "You should probably get over there as soon as possible."

Rod looked stricken. "G.o.d, Bonnie, I don't know if I can do that. I don't think I can face her."

"You have to," Bonnie said forcefully. "She's your daughter and she needs you."

Rod said nothing for several seconds. "Will you come with me?" he asked finally.

Bonnie stared into her husband's deep brown eyes, looking for some trace of the man she once thought she knew. But all she saw was the face of a stranger, a handsome man whose gray hair made him seem curiously younger than he was, even now, in spite of everything that had happened. "No," she said simply.

He looked toward the floor. "So what happens now?" he asked.

"I'd appreciate it if you could have your things moved out of the house by the end of next week," she told him.

He nodded acceptance. "If that's what you want."

"I have to check into Boston Memorial for a day or two," she continued. "I've arranged for Amanda to stay with my father. Nick is going to drive her over there in a few minutes. I'll join them as soon as Doctor Kline gives me the okay."

"Bonnie...."

"Sam is going to stay with Josh Freeman overnight. You can talk to him in the morning, decide together what you think he should do."

"Christ, Bonnie, you know I can't look after him...."

"I've already told him that Amanda and I would like him to stay on with us," Bonnie said.

"I think that would probably be best," Rod quickly agreed.

Bonnie smiled sadly. "Yes, I thought you might." She turned to go.

"Bonnie...."

She stopped, waited, held her breath.

"Can I give you a lift to the hospital?"

Out of the corner of her eye, Bonnie saw Josh waiting by the station door. I sensed you could use a friend, he once told her. I know I could. "No, thank you," she told Rod. "I'm getting a ride with a friend."

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS.

I would like to thank Jane Lonergan for her help and support in driving me through Boston and suburbs during the worst snow storm in decades. Her heart, as well as her home, is always open. Special thanks as well to George Kampoures for introducing me to the world of reptiles and giving me much needed information and insight. Once again, thanks to Dr. Terence Bates for his medical expertise.

About the Author.

Joy Fielding is the author of the New York Times best-sellers Whispers and Lies, Grand Avenue, The First Time, See Jane Run, and other acclaimed novels. She divides her time between Toronto and Palm Beach, Florida.

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