Ken assumed she was bluffing. If she wasn't, the worst-case scenario is that Darrell would show up, and Ken could get rid of him pretty easily. Still, this wasn't going to get any easier, so he might as well try to get it over with.

He tried to think of a credible lie, but couldn't come up with one that made him sound any less deranged than the truth.

"I'm sorry that I told you I strangled them," he said, figuring that starting off with an apology was a good first step. "I shouldn't have lied. The truth is that I do this because it's...because it's worse for them. It's longer. I just like to watch them while they slowly fade away. I like coming back each time and seeing how much more their bodies have wasted away. I like how awful it must be for them." Now that he was finally articulating it, this was easier than he'd expected.

Vivian just stared at him, expressionless.

"A strangling is over in a minute. It can take weeks to starve to death."

"You don't give them any food at all?"

Ken shook his head. "Water but no food."

"And you don't do anything to them? You just leave them in the cages?"

"Right."

"Okay." Vivian was silent for a moment. "You understand why I have a problem with this, right?"

"Yeah."

"I had no idea you were this sadistic. This is seriously disturbed behavior, Ken. How do you even pay for this place? For the cages?"

Ken decided that he might as well continue telling the truth. "That time I came home furious because I wasn't getting a raise? That was a lie. It was a good raise."

Vivian let out a long sigh. "What other lies have you told? Let's just get it all out there."

"That's it. I lied about my raise and I lied about what I did to the women, but that's it."

Vivian didn't respond. She sat there for a while. Ken wasn't sure if she was waiting for him to speak, or trying to think of what she wanted to say. He just stood there, perspiring.

She wiped a tear from her eye and stood up. "Don't you ever lie to me again," she said.

"I won't. I swear."

"If you do, I will leave you."

"I know. I'm done with the lies. They're over."

"All right."

"So what are we going to do about this?" Ken asked. "I'll do whatever you want."

"How many women are still alive?"

"Two."

"I want you to kill them. Right now."

"Oh."

"You just said you'd do whatever I want. Are you now saying that you don't want to kill them?"

Ken shook his head. "No, no."

"Do you agree that it's the right thing to do?"

"I guess."