"I suppose I am."

She lay back on the padded table. Alex held on to oneof her hands.

"You can stay if you like, Mr. Kincaid. It mightbe easier if you didn't."

"Not for me," the girl said. "I feelsafer when he's with me. I want Alex to know all about—everything."

"Yes. I want to stay."

Codwin filled a hypodermic needle,inserted it in her arm, and taped it to the white skin. He told her to countbackward from one hundred. At ninety-six the tension left her body and an innerlight left her face. It flowed back in a diffused form when the doctor spoke toher:

"Do you hear me, Dolly?"

"I hear you," she murmured.

"Speak louder. I can't hear you."

"I hear you," she repeated. Her voice wasfaintly slurred.

"Who am I?"

"Dr. Godwin."

"Do you remember when you were a little girl youused to come and visit me in my office?"

"I remember."

"Who used to bring you to see me?"

"Mommy did. She used to bring me in in AuntAlice's car."

"Where were you living then?"

"In Indian Springs, in Aunt Alice's house."

"And Mommy was living there, too?"

"Mommy was living there, too. She lived there,too."

She was flushed, and talking like adrunken child. The doctor turned to Jerry Marks with a handing-over gesture.Jerry's dark eyes were mournful.

"Do you remember a certain night," he said,"when your Mommy was killed?"

"I remember. Who are you?"

"I'm Jerry Marks, your lawyer. It's all right totalk to me."

"It's all right," Alex said.

The girl looked up at Jerry sleepily. "What doyou want me to tell you?"

"Just the truth. It doesn't matter what I want,or anybody else. Just tell me what you remember."

"I'll try."

"Did you hear the gun go off?"

"I heard it." She screwed up her face as ifshe was hearing it now. "I am—it frightened me."

"Did you see anyone?"

"I didn't go downstairs right away. I wasscared."

"Did you see anyone out the window?"

"No. I heard a car drive away. Before that Iheard her running."

"You heard who running?" Jerry said.

"I thought it was Aunt Alice atfirst, when she was talking to Mommy at the door. But it couldn't have beenAunt Alice. She wouldn't shoot Mommy. Besides, her gun was missing."

"How do you know?"

"She said I took it from her room.She spanked me with a hairbrush for stealing it."

"When did she spank you?"

"Sunday night, when she came homefrom church. Mommy said she had no right to spank me. Aunt Alice asked Mommy ifshe took the gun."

"Did she?"

"She didn't say—not while I was there. They sentme to bed."

"Did you take the gun?"

"No. I never touched it. I was afraid ofit."

"Why?"

"I was afraid of Aunt Alice."

She was rosy and sweating. She tried tostruggle up onto her elbows. The doctor eased her back into her supineposition, and made an adjustment to the needle. The girl relaxed again, andJerry said:

"Was it Aunt Alice talking to your Mommy at thedoor?"

"I thought it was at first. It sounded like her.She had a big scary voice. But it couldn't have been Aunt Alice."

"Why couldn't it?"

"It just couldn't."

She turned her head in a listeningattitude. A lock of hair fell over her half-closed eyes. Alex pushed it backwith a gentle hand. She said:

"The lady at the door said it had tobe true, about Mommy and Mr. Bradshaw. She said she got it from Daddy's ownlips, and Daddy got it from me. And then she shot my Mommy and ran away."

There was silence in the room, except forthe girl's heavy breathing. A tear as slow as honey was exuded from the cornerof one eye. It fell down her temple. Alex wiped the blueveined hollow with hishandkerchief. Jerry leaned across her from the other side of the table:

"Why did you say your Daddy shot yourMommy?"

"Aunt Alice wanted me to. She didn'tsay so, but I could tell. And I was afraid she'd think that I did it. Shespanked me for taking the gun, and I didn't take it. I said it was Daddy. Shemade me say it over and over and over."

There were more tears than one now. Tearsfor the child she had been, frightened and lying, and tears for the woman shewas painfully becoming. Alex wiped her eyes. He looked close to tears himself.

"Why," I said, "did you try to tell usthat you killed your mother?"

"Who are you?"

"I'm Alex's friend Lew Archer."

"That's right," Alex said.

She lifted her head and let it fall back. "Iforget what you asked me."

"Why did you say you killed your mother?"

"Because it was all my fault. I told my Daddyabout her and Mr. Bradshaw, and that's what started everything."

"How do you know?"

"The lady at the door said so. She came to shootMommy because of what Daddy told her."

"Do you know who she was?"

"No."

"Was it your Aunt Alice?"

"No."

"Was it anyone you knew?"

"No."

"Did your mother know her?"

"I don't know. Maybe she did."

"Did she talk as if she knew her?"

"She called her by name."

© Alexander Sviyash, 2009