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On the night of Michelle's funeral, a fierce storm hit Springfield. The newscasters called it the storm of the century, and it continued to rage into the following day. Bill went to the hospital in the morning to check on the baby. I'm not sure if it was genuine concern on his part, or a sense of loyalty to Michelle. Because, he had not taken much interest in the poor child up until this point, which I had attributed to his grief.
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I was in the living room dusting when Marah burst through the front door. Her hair was wet and matted from the rain, and she was covered in scratches and bruises. I was surprised to see her, as she had not been to this house since her marriage to Danny, and she did not attend Michelle's funeral.
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"Oh Maria, I have just run all the way here from the lighthouse," she said, gasping for breath.
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"Dios mio Chiquita! What in the world has possessed you to go outside in this weather? Come here. Let me get you into some dry clothes before you catch your death," I said, and hustled her upstairs.
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After I had gotten Marah dressed in fresh clothes, and attended to her cuts and bruises, I sat her down in the kitchen with a cup of tea. "Now I want you to tell me what you were doing running around in this storm," I said.
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"I will explain everything to you Maria, but first I need you to take me to the airport."
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"You want me to take you to the airport! Why would you want to go there? There won't be any flights out in this storm," I exclaimed.
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"Please Maria! Help me pack a suitcase with some of the things I left here, and take me to the airport. I have to leave here as soon as possible. I'm afraid he will catch me and take me back to the lighthouse. I'll explain everything on the way there."
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"Marah I told you there won't be any flights in this storm," I said, trying to reason with her.
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"Then take me to the bus station, and I'll catch a bus to Chicago," she cried, and jumped out of her chair. I followed her upstairs, and helped her pack a small suitcase. When we got in the car, she kept looking over her shoulder, and checking the mirrors.
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"Are you going to tell me what is going on now?" I asked.
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" It's Danny, I've left him," she said. "He went on a wild rampage after Michelle died, and smashed up the entire house; then he stormed out. He did not return until dawn, and then went straight up to his room and locked the door--as if anyone dreamt of coveting his company! This continued every night, until last night. I was sitting at the kitchen table, reading a book. Dietz was sitting opposite me, with his head in his hand. He had been drinking all day, and had not spoken a word for hours."
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"Suddenly, we heard a car pull into the driveway. It was Danny, returning earlier than we had expected. I jumped up, meaning to go hide in my room. Then Dietz got a wicked look on his face and said, 'I'll keep him out five minutes. You won't object?' "
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" 'No, you may lock him out the entire night for all I care,' I told him.
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'Quick! Go lock the door.' "
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"Dietz put the chain on the door, and we sat back down at the table. He leaned over in his chair, searching my eyes for sympathy with the burning hate that gleamed from his. As he both looked and felt like an assassin, he couldn't exactly find that; but he discovered enough to encourage him to speak."
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" 'You and I,' he said, 'have each a great debt to settle with the man outside. He has taken my life from me; I was his mother's right hand man. Now I am reduced to being a mere servant. If we were neither of us cowards, we might combine settle our debt. Are you as soft as your cousin? Are you willing to endure forever, and not once attempt a repayment?' "
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" 'I'm tired of enduring now, and I would welcome a retaliation," I replied. 'But I'm afraid it would back-fire, and blow up in my face.'"
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" 'Mrs. Santos, I'll ask you to do nothing but sit still and be quiet. Tell me now, can you? I'm sure you will have as much pleasure as I will in witnessing the conclusion of the bastard's existence. He'll be your death unless you outwit him; and he'll be my ruin. Damn that son of a bitch; he's knocking at the door right now! Promise to hold your tongue, and before that clock strikes midnight, you'll be a free woman!' "
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"He took the gun I described to you from his pocket, and flipped out the knife. I grabbed his arm, and tried in vain to get the weapon away from him."
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" 'I won't let you do this,' I said. 'You must not touch him. Just leave the door chained, and be quiet.' "
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" 'No! I've made up my mind, and by God I'll do it!' he cried. 'I'll do you a favor in spite of yourself, and there is no need for you to protect me. Nobody alive would regret me, or be ashamed, if I cut my throat this minute. It's time to end this!' "
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"I knew there was no use in reasoning with him, he was like a lunatic. So, I ran to the door and cried out a warning to Danny."
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" 'You'd better find another place to sleep tonight,' I yelled, in a rather triumphant tone. 'Dietz has a mind to shoot you if you enter this house.' "
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" 'You'd better open this door you bitch!' Danny screamed."
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" 'I won't meddle in this anymore,' I retorted again. 'Come in and get shot, if that's what you please. I've done my duty.' "
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"Then I sat back down at the table with my book, not being enough of a hypocrite to pretend any anxiety for the danger that menaced my husband. Dietz cursed at me, affirming that I loved the bastard yet, and called me all sorts of names. I, in my secret heart, thought what a blessing it would be for him if Danny put him out of his misery; and what a blessing for me if he sent Danny straight to hell. Danny beat on the door furiously, and I smiled, basking in my fancied security."
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" 'Marah! Let me in!' he thundered."
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" 'I cannot commit murder,' I shouted. 'Dietz is guarding the door with a loaded gun, and he intends to kill you.' "
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" 'Let me in you miserable whore!' he cried. 'It's pouring down rain out here!'
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" 'Dietz will kill you if I open the door!' I returned. 'That's a poor love of yours, which cannot bear a little rain! We were left at peace in our beds as long as the weather was clear, but the moment it starts raining, you run for shelter! If I were you, I'd go stretch myself over her grave and die like a faithful dog! The world is surely not worth living in now, is it? You had distinctly impressed on me the idea that Michelle was the whole joy of your life! I can't imagine how you think of surviving her loss.' "
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"Suddenly, the one of the panels on the door splintered, and Danny's hand reached in searching for the chain. Dietz ran to the hole in the door, and exclaimed, 'If I can get my arm out I can hit him!' "
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"I'm afraid, Maria, you'll think I am really wicked; but you don't know all, so don't judge. I wouldn't have aided or abetted an attempt on even his life for anything. Although I wish he was dead, I was fearful for Danny when he finally got the chain undone, and burst into the room. He flung himself on Dietz's weapon, and wrenched it from his grasp. The gun fired, sending its bullet ricocheting through the room, and the knife, in springing back, closed into Dietz's wrist. Danny pulled it away forcefully, slitting up the flesh, and he thrust it dripping into his pocket."
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"Dietz fell down on the floor, senseless with the excessive pain and the flow of blood that gushed from his wrist. Danny kicked and trampled on him, and dashed his head repeatedly against the floor. He held me with one hand, in the meantime, to prevent me from leaving."
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"I think it took super-human strength for Danny to abstain from finishing Dietz off completely, but getting out of breath he finally relented. Danny tore off the sleeve of his shirt, and bound up the wound with brutal roughness, spitting and cursing during the operation as energetically as he had kicked before. I lost no time in heading for the door, gasping as he descended the steps behind me."
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