Decker paused a moment. Slow it down. “Then where’d the little gun come from?”

“Don’t know.”

“Don’t know?”

“No,” Earl said. “But I threw that one away, too.”

“Where?”

“Don’t remember.”

Chuck the guns for the moment. Decker said, “You said you shot Luke.”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“’Cause he made Linda cry.”

“And you shot Linda.”

Earl hesitated a moment. “Yes.”

“Why?”

“’Cause…’cause he…she made Luke angry.”

“How’d she make Luke angry?”

“She yelled at him. Called him cheap.”

“And that made you angry?”

“Yes.”

“How angry?”

“Just…angry.”

“So what did you do?” Decker asked.

“I shot him.”

“Shot Luke?”

“Yes.” Earl added, “And Mr. Mason, too. I shot them all ’cause they were screaming and yelling and giving me a headache.”

Maybe the boy just freaked out. Decker said, “Giving you a headache?”

“Yes,” Earl said. “A bad headache. Mr. Mason called me a bad name.”

“What did he call you?”

Earl began to rock in his seat. “A stupid, ef word retard.”

“Okay,” Decker said. “Mr. Mason called you a retard—”

“A stupid, ef word retard,” Earl corrected. He was rocking hard by now. Sue Beth told him to sit still, and he put his hands in his lap, chastened.

“Excuse me, Earl.” Decker’s voice was soft. “Mr. Mason called you a stupid, ef word retard. Then what did you do?”

“Shot him.”

“Who’d you shoot first?” Decker asked.

“Mr. Mason,” Earl said.

“Why?”

“’Cause he called me a name.”

Earl began to rock again. Sue Beth simply held his shoulder until he stopped.

“So you shot Mr. Mason first,” Decker said.

“Yes.”

“You’re sure?”

“Yes.”

“Was Mr. Mason yelling at Luke, at Linda?”

Earl didn’t answer right away. Eventually, he said, “Yelling at Luke at first. Then Linda. He made her cry.”

“Mr. Mason made Linda cry?”

“Yes. He yelled at her. And that made me mad.”

“So what did you do?”

“I shot Mr. Mason.”

“Then what happened?”

Earl paused, “I shot…I shot them all. They were giving me a headache.”

Decker paused, carefully keeping his face neutral. “Where were your parents, Earl?” he asked.

“Parents?”

“Your mother and father?”

The boy looked confused.

Decker said, “Granny and Pappy D?”

Recognition in the boy’s eyes.

“Where were they when you shot everybody?” Decker asked.

Earl said, “Away.”

“Where was Sue Beth and B.B.?”

“Away.”

“So who was taking care of you?” Decker asked.

“Linda.”

“Linda?”

“Linda…and Luke…and Carly.”

“Okay,” Decker said. “Now you said you shot Linda and Luke and Carly.”

“Yes.”

“Weren’t you worried that no one could take care of you?”

“No. I can take care of myself.”

“Oh,” Decker said.

“But,” Earl said, “but I knowed I did something bad.”

“You knew?”

“Yes.”

“What did you do that was bad?” Decker said.

“I shot them all with my shotgun.”

“Where?”

“In the kitchen. They were arguing in the kitchen.”

“Who?”

“Mr. Mason and Luke.”

“Anyone else?”