I turn my attention back to Salome. “Did you know Mose’s parents were killed in a manure pit accident ten years ago?”
She blinks at me. The look of surprise that crosses her face seems so genuine that, not for the first time, I find myself believing its sincerity. “I didn’t know.”
“That’s odd. He didn’t tell you about it?”
Her eyes flick nervously to her uncle, then to Tomasetti, and back to me. “He told me they were killed in a buggy accident.”
Leaning forward, I put my elbows on the tabletop and lace my fingers. “You know what, honey? I think you did know. I think Mose told you all about it. And I think that’s how you conceived the idea to murder your parents.”
“What?” She chokes out a sound of pure shock. “That’s … crazy. I would never do that.”
Next to her, Adam Slabaugh stiffens. “What are you saying, Chief Burkholder? What is this? What are you doing?”
I give him a hard look. “Did you know Solly called Abel and asked him to drive down to pick up Mose and take him back to Indiana?”
He looks baffled and doesn’t respond.
I turn my attention back to Salome. “You knew, didn’t you?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Your parents found out you and Mose were having sex, didn’t they?”
“No!”
Thornsberry crosses to me, slaps his hands down on the tabletop in front of me in a dramatic gesture designed to intimidate. “What the hell do you think you’re doing, Chief Burkholder?”
I ignore him, never taking my eyes off Salome. “When they threatened to send Mose away, you decided to kill your father. Mose had told you about the manure pit accident and you manipulated him into carrying out the plan, didn’t you?”
“No!” she cries.
“Your uncle was expendable, too, wasn’t he? When he fell into the pit, it was no big deal, was it?”
“Stop it!”
“Only the plan went wrong, didn’t it? Your mother fell in when she was trying to help. You hadn’t counted on that.”
“Chief Burkholder!” Thornsberry shouts. “That’s enough!”
Shock waves reverberate through the room. Across from me, Adam Slabaugh shifts uncomfortably in his chair. “Why are you saying these things?” he cries.
“Because they’re true.” I stare hard at Salome. “Aren’t they?”
“Kate.” Tomasetti practically growls my name. “This is not an appropriate time to discuss this.” But he doesn’t sound very convincing, and he makes no move to stop me.
“Maybe we should wait until Ike and Samuel turn up dead,” I snap. “Would that make this more appropriate?”
Salome opens her mouth. This time, the shock I see is real. She can’t believe I’m talking to her like this, can’t believe her act isn’t working on me. She can’t believe no one in the room is coming to her rescue, protecting her from the bad bitch cop.
“You controlled Mose with sex. You manipulated and abused your little brothers by threatening them with violence,” I tell her. “You told them if they didn’t do exactly as you said, they’d be sent to jail.”
“I did not! I’m the one who saved their lives! I was afraid Mose would try to hurt them, so I threw the ball into the pit for them!”
“Is that why Mose’s prints were on that ball, not yours?” I snap.
She makes a choking sound, her mouth and eyes wide. “You’re lying!”
Adam Slabaugh rises abruptly. “Stop this! Right now!”
“Chief Burkholder, you are out of control.” Jabbing a finger at me, Thornsberry snarls the words to Tomasetti. “Get her out of here!”
Tomasetti doesn’t move, doesn’t even acknowledge him.
I barely spare them a glance. I can’t take my eyes off of Salome. I’m waiting for that initial chink in her armor. I want to see the innocent facade crumple and watch the monster emerge. I know better than anyone: Not all monsters are ugly beasts with horns.
“Your brothers told me everything, Salome. Everything. The beatings. The secrets. The sex. The fights. And then they told me about the murders.”
“They’re lying.” She says the words quietly, but her composure is beginning to slip.
“That’s how Solly got the wound on his head, isn’t it? You hit him with the shovel.”
“Stop it.” Salome manages to look crushed. “None of that is true.”
“Your datt didn’t rape you, did he?”
“He came to my room. I was afraid to tell. It went on for months! Years!”
Across from her, Adam Slabaugh covers his face with his hands. “Solly would not,” he says in a broken voice.
“He did!” Salome screams. “I told Mose about it, and he went crazy.” She looks wildly around the room, seeking an ally, any ally. For the first time, Adam Slabaugh doesn’t look prepared to jump in to defend her.
“Miss Slabaugh.” Thornsberry puts his hands beneath her arms, pulls her to her feet. “You don’t have to answer any of her questions. In fact, don’t say another word.” He jabs a finger at me. “What the hell’s your problem? I’ll have your goddamn job for this.”
I hold Salome’s gaze, pushing her hard. “Samuel and Ike overheard you and Mose talking about the murders. They told me everything. It’s over.”
“No!” She raises her hands as if to fend me off. “You’re lying. They didn’t hear anything.” Allowing her attorney to pull her away from me, she looks wildly around the room. “She’s lying. I’m a juvenile. She can’t treat me like this.”
I don’t relent. “You made one mistake, though, didn’t you?”
“Leave me alone!” The facade is breaking away, the rabid creature beneath advancing.
“You didn’t expect your mamm to fall into that pit, did you?”
“Shut up!”
“That’s when your plan starting falling apart. You underestimated the love a child has for his mother. You underestimated Ike and Samuel and the loyalty they felt toward their mamm and datt. Those boys saw through your phony love and empty promises. And they turned on you.”
“Mose did it! He did all of it! Not me!”
“You told him you were being raped every night. Every night. That drove him crazy, didn’t it? You manipulated him. Used him.”
“I didn’t. Mose did it. He killed them.”
“When you could no longer control your little brothers, you pushed them into the manure pit, too, didn’t you? You promised them you’d come back. You had no intention of saving them, did you? You were going to let them die.”
“No!”
“It was Mose who tossed the ball into the pit. He knew you were going to try to kill them and he couldn’t handle it.”
“He couldn’t handle anything! He was stupid and weak—”
“Stop this right now!” Thornsberry shouts at Tomasetti. “She’s badgering this juvenile!” He turns his attention back to Salome, trying to drag her from the room. “Miss Slabaugh, let’s go.”
Salome shakes him off. “I would have pulled my brothers out of that pit if you hadn’t shown up! You bitch, this is your fault! Yours!”
“Earlier, you said you didn’t even know they were in the pit,” I say. “Which is it?”
The attorney grabs her arm. “Let’s go.”
The girl spins and strikes him on the shoulder with her fist. “Get off me!” Her eyes never leave mine. “Mose panicked when he saw you! He dragged me to the shed and forced me into the car. He might have killed me, too!”
“He’s not here to defend himself, is he?” I say.
“Mose did all of it. All of it! I’m innocent.”