Bristol worked at one of Winnipeg’s top firms, had nine years of trial experience and had won 80 percent of his cases. He’d already gone through most of Marie’s files before leaving Winnipeg on his Harley. He had reread them when he stopped for coffee at Olek’s Diner, where a TV mounted on the wall was tuned to a national news network broadcasting updates over the breaking news graphic: Bloodbath In Eternity, Manitoba: Arrests Made in Mass Murder.

Now, in Morden, Bristol looked up from his work when a police officer opened the door and Marie entered wearing an orange jumpsuit, handcuffs and an expression of fear.

Bristol introduced himself, shook her hand and got on with business.

“I’m going to represent you,” he said, nodding to the files. “I’ve read through everything and for me to help you, I need you to take me through that night, specifically what you did and what the others did. Can you do that?”

Marie nodded and in a trembling voice began recounting everything, describing how they’d made their pact. Stopping occasionally to answer Bristol’s questions, Marie continued, tears rolling down her cheeks.

“My heart was pounding so hard. I’d never been so scared in my life. There was blood everywhere.”

As Marie spoke, Bristol had her go back over details and asked more questions until she ended by telling Bristol something he’d remember all of his life.

“I’ll never forget the smell of the blood. It smelled like the slaughterhouse.”

About an hour east, lawyer Ed Tracy was at the RCMP detachment in Morden sitting across from his client, Jane Elizabeth Klassyn, in a chair that creaked.

Tracy, a white-haired man with bearlike gruffness, had decades of courtroom experience. He exuded gentle confidence and wisdom. He was a partner of a respected firm who, unlike others of his stature, still did pro bono work through Legal Aid. After a brief introductory conversation, he unscrewed his fountain pen then gestured for his client to tell him about that night.

“Go ahead, Janie.”

Tracy had a soft but gravel-like voice and blue eyes that could see through her to the truth. After Janie recounted that night, she lowered her head and sobbed.

“There was so much screaming, I thought the whole world could hear it. I couldn’t stand it. I had to do something to stop the screaming. Everything became a hazy blur.” Janie brushed at her tears.

“So you did have a knife in your hand?”

“Yes. Then we wrote on the wall so they’d think it was a serial killer. After that, we ran to the basement window. We swore to each other we’d keep the pact and never tell. We ran and ran and the whole time the screaming was ringing in my ears, like it was trapped there.”

Tracy let a moment pass for Janie to recover before continuing.