She stepped through the small cloakroom with its hooks and shelves for coats and boots. As she rounded the corner, she saw her sister.

Jolene stood at the front of the classroom, her back to the wall. A large, bloody knife on the floor at her feet. Her sister didn’t seem to hear her come in.

Oh, God, where was Russell? “Jolene?” Dulcie said cautiously.

“Run!” Jolene yelled. “Run, she has a—”

Gun. Dulcie saw the gun before Jolene got the word out.

Ronda Carpenter stepped out from behind the door to the supply room, holding a semiautomatic in both hands, the barrel pointed at Dulcie’s chest. Her face was twisted into a nasty sneer and the left side of her blouse was soaked with what looked like blood.

A trail of blood drops led from Ronda to the computer on the side of the classroom. Next to the chair was a small pool of blood where Ronda had apparently been sitting. Sitting typing the murder story, Dulcie realized.

“Close the door and lock it,” Ronda ordered.

“Where’s Russell?” Dulcie asked, her voice cracking as she closed the door and pretended to lock it. She was soaked to the skin and shivering, terrified for the man.

“Now go over and stand by your sister,” Ronda ordered.

Dulcie met Jolene’s terrified gaze and read more than fear in it. “Where is Russell?” she asked, this time of Jolene.

Jolene looked as if she were in shock. “I’m starting to remember,” she whispered. “It’s my fault. I wished our mother dead. I—”

“That’s right,” Ronda said. “You killed her.”

“No, I loved her. I didn’t want her killed.”

“You told my son you wanted her dead!” Ronda cried. “You told my son. My beautiful boy.”

Jolene was crying now. “I didn’t mean it. I was angry at her for making me go with the rainmaker to live somewhere else. I knew things wouldn’t be better there. I knew.”

Dulcie thought she understood now. Nine-year-old Tinker Horton wanting to help his little friend, wanting to protect his pregnant mother because he thought his stepfather was having an affair with Laura. Wanting to spare Angel from trying to take care of a self-absorbed mother.

“Ben was having an affair with Laura,” Dulcie said. “Was he going to leave you, and Tinker thought he could keep Ben from going and you from being hurt by killing Laura?”