Darkly Dreaming Dexter | Page 7

athe r D onova n. So he knew. H
e w as a bout to j oin t hem. “
H ail M ary, ful l of gra ce—” he sta rt ed. I j erke d ha rd on t he noos e. “
N one of t hat, F athe r. N ot now . Now is for re al t rut h.” “
P le ase ,” he choke d. “
Y es, be g m e. T hat's good. M uch be tte r.” I ya nked again. “ Do you t hink t hat's i t, F athe r? S eve n
bodi
es? D id t hey be g?” H e ha d not hing t o say. “ Do you t hink t hat's a ll of t hem, F athe r? Jus t s eve n?

D
id I ge t t he m all ? ” “
O h, G od,” he raspe d out , with a pa in t hat w as good t o hear. “
A nd w hat a bout the ot her tow ns, F athe r? W hat a bout Faye tte vi lle ? W oul d you l ike to t alk a bout
F
aye tte vi lle ?” H e j us t c hoke d out a sob, no w ords. “And w hat a bout East O range ? W as t ha t t hre e?
O
r di d I m is s one the re? It 's s o ha rd to be sure . W as i t four i n East O range , Fathe r?” F
athe r D onova n tried t o s cre am . T here w as not enough l eft of hi s t hroa t for i t t o be a ve ry good
s
c re am , but it ha d re al fe eling be hind i t, w hich m ade up for t he poor t echni que . Then he fell forw ard
ont
o hi s fa ce a nd I l et hi m sni ve l for a while be fore I pul le d hi m up a nd ont o his fe et. H e w as not
s
te ady, a nd not in c ont rol. H is bl adde r ha d let l oos e a nd t here w as drool on his c hi n. “
P le ase ,” he said. “ I coul dn't he lp m yself. I j ust c oul dn't he lp m yself. P le ase , you ha ve to unde rsta nd —”
“
I do unde rsta nd, F athe r,” I s aid, a nd t here w as s om ethi ng i n my voi ce, t he D ark P ass e nge r's voi ce
now
, and t he sound of i t froz e hi m. H e l ift ed hi s he ad s low ly t o fa ce m e a nd w hat he saw in m y
e
ye s m ade hi m ve ry s ti ll. “ I unde rsta nd pe rfectly,” I told hi m, m ovi ng ve ry clos e t o hi s fa ce. T he
s
w eat on hi s c he eks turne d to ice . “ You s ee ,” I s aid, “ I can' t he lp m yself, e ithe r.” W
e w ere ve ry c los e now , alm os t t ouc hing, a nd the di rtine ss of hi m w as s udde nly t oo m uch. I j erke d
up on t
he noos e a nd ki cke d hi s fe et out from unde r him aga in. F athe r D onova n spra wle d on t he
fl
oor. “
But chi ldre n?” I s aid. “ I coul d ne ver do t his t o c hildre n.” I put my ha rd cle an boot on the ba ck of
hi
s he ad a nd s la m med hi s fa ce dow n. “Not like you, F athe r. N eve r ki ds. I ha ve to fi nd pe ople l ike
you.”
“
W