Chapter101 The Other Killer

Cindy thinks for moment; then, it dawns on her…she was focusing too much on ‘how' he did it instead of ‘when'…that was the key. "I got it!" Cindy exclaims, "Professor; Tommy had to have possessed Mary right after she killed him. He was going to use her to carry on; but then, Phillip Steinman had Mary killed." "Then; why didn't he possess another body when Mary was killed, Ms. Lidestrom?" The professor goes to clean his glasses, when it dawns on him he's not wearing any…he destroyed his last pair the other night. Cindy tries to keep from laughing at the professor's action as she replies, "I'm not sure; but, there must have been something about her that fascinated and drew him to her. Some quality in her that…" Cindy briefly pauses as she walks over to the crumbling fireplace. "Wait a minute…that night…the eighteenth." "What about that night, Ms. Lidestrom?" "Tommy killed Mary's parents first. Why?" "Why what, Ms. Lidestrom?" "It doesn't make sense if you think about it. An adult would put up more of a fight than a child would…" Cindy pauses and looks over at a smirking Mary before continuing, "Well; in most cases anyway. So; why go to the parents' bedroom and risk causing enough commotion to alert the children? Why not sneak in and silently kill the kids; then, go for their parents?" "I reckon that would be the logical approach to take…in a sort of sick, psycho way of thinking. So; why didn't he go after Mary and Davey first?" "Who's to say he didn't?" "What are you saying, Kiddo?" "I'm saying…Davey was kept chained up in the attic; remember?" "Yeah." "And, his autopsy determined that he was killed by being struck in the head; right?" "Alright." "Think about it, Uncle Mike; what if Tommy didn't go after Mary and Davey first, because he didn't know they were there." "Meaning?" "Meaning; while Tommy was downstairs hacking apart their parents…Mary was up in the attic killing Davey." "Christ, Kiddo!" "That's the quality that attracted Tommy to her. Forget that she was able to overcome and take him out…that was merely self-defense to the extreme…a kill or be killed response. No; Mary already had that murderous instinct in her. She killed her brother…just like he killed his sister." Cindy turns to Mary and asks, "So, did you use a hammer on Davey; like Tommy did on Chelsea?" Mary smirks and says, "Actually; I used his book…it seemed only fitting. After all; he did love that book." "You're sick, Mary; you do know that, right?" Beth shakes her head in disgust at the cocky Mary. "Both her and Tommy; Beth." Cindy goes on to explain, "When they killed Mary…in order to keep her soul here with his…he combined most of his soul with hers; leaving out the parts which he didn't feel necessary to hold on to…or, would hurt him if they realized the truth." "Which would be; Ms. Lidestrom?" "Helene…and ‘four-year-old, little Tommy Steinman'; who's convinced Chelsea killed him…or, is he?" Cindy observes Mary displaying a more arrogant demeanor with her facial expression. "Oh, my God; he doesn't know! He thinks she just hurt him; doesn't he? He doesn't realize he's dead! That's why you're keeping him away from Chelsea …he doesn't know." "What is it they say…oh; yeah…sometimes ignorance is bliss." Mary laughs. "But why, Cindy;" Beth asks, "why keep Tommy thinking he's alive?" Cindy crosses her arms in front of her chest and begins pacing back and forth again. She looks down upon the remains and thinks…and paces…and thinks. Everyone…even the overly smug Mary…remains silent. The only noise heard throughout the cabin at this time is the melody of the music box; and, the creaking of the floor boards where Anna continues to rock back and forth.