Chapter 44

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The day after the seance sheriff Duncan and agent Fredo spoke with Prudence Conner. Although they considered Abby a suspect they didn't let on. They couldn't question her without her guardian's consent, and Prudence seemed unlikely to give it. They only asked if Abby had admitted that her mother molested her. Prudence said she hadn't, but then child-molestation was an under-reported crime, many victims feel too ashamed to come forward. After this they went to the prison to speak with Carmen Flint. She could have refused to see them, and excercised her 5th amendment rights, but Carmen agreed to speak with them.

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Carmen: What do you gentlemen want?

Gary: We'd like to speak to you about your daughters, specifically the abuse you put them through.

Carmen: I've already pled guilty and am serving that sentance.

Gary: How long did you abuse Angel?

Carmen: It started when she was 13, went on for a few years, then I stopped.

Gary: When did it stop?

Carmen: When she was 15 Angel fought back, stabbed me, tried to kill me. But she couldn't go through with it, ended up calling 911. I claimed it was a suicide attempt. Angel and I agreed to both keep quiet, but she said she'd kill me if I ever did that to her or Abby ever again.

Duncan: So why didn't she?

Carmen: Excuse me?

Duncan: You claimed that you were the one who raped Angel three days before she was murdered, why didn't she kill you?

Carmen: I don't know, I guess she just wanted to die.

Gary: You seem to really believe that Angel committed suicide.

Carmen: It's my fault that she did it.

Gary: Perhaps. Is that why ou stole her hunting knife, because you were afraid she'd commit suicide.

Carmen: I didn't steal her knife, or her gun. Clearly I should have.

Gary: When did you start molesting Abby?

Carmen: Recently. I don't remember the exact date.

Duncan: And Angel suspected this?

Carmen: I don't know if Abby confided this to Angel.

Gary: Seems kind of odd that Angel would just kill herself, and leave Abby with you.

Duncan: We looked over your surveilance tape, you reacted when we told you that Angel was involved in a sexual assault with someone who was a close blood relative.

Carmen: Because I knew that I'd been caught, I was terrified.

Gary: I don't think so. I think you were terrified that one of your children had molested the other.

Carmen: How dare you. Angel was the victim, not the aggressor.

Gary: She was your victim, but then she became the aggressor. More than that, you were terrified that Abby might have had a hand in Angel's death, that's why you claimed Angel committed suicide, and why you were even willing to plead guilty to a lesser degree to protect her.

Carmen: I was a lousy mother, even a child-molestor. But I won't accusse my daughter of a crime she didn't commit just to save myself. This interview is over, I'd like to leave now, it's almost lunchtime.