"So, Ratburn, you were having an affair with Crosswire's wife?"
"It was a relationship, not a silly fling," Ratburn admonished, "but it was outside her marital bounds, yes. Not that Crosswire respects his marital bounds at all - the man is a serial adulterer. He also abuses his wife psychically. Hits Millicent when nobody is around."
"How do you know this?"
"Millicent told me. And yes, I do believe her. Her sincere eyes, her hands shaking in fear, and the break in her voice was stronger than any lie detector test. The man is a monster and must be stopped."
"When did this start?"
"Two or so years ago. We meet at a school function and hit it off. Soon we meet regularly and one thing lead to another. I proposed to her, and when she accepted we devised a murder plan. We would have Crosswire killed while faking our deaths and plant fake evidence to frame David Read, the father of a former student of mine. We would then run away to Miami under false names and get married."
"You said Read? As in the house fire?"
Ratburn nodded. "Yes, little Dora Winfred's arson completely blew the plan apart. Apparently, Millicent decided to cut her losses by turning me in."
"And now you want revenge on her so your spilling everything?" The officer asked in unmasked disgust.
Ratburn glared. "On her? Never. Yes, it hurts she turned on me, but I forgive her. I must. But Crosswire I want taken out. If Millicent goes to jail she'll be free from his abuse, and he'll likely be arrested for domestic violence."
"Why did you choose Read to frame? Old enemy?"
Ratburn shrugged. "It was nothing personal. Actually, I quite liked David even if he was somewhat negligent toward his daughter's misbehavior. But we needed someone who was a business client but not too high up, and he fit the bill."
The officer sighed. "I don't believe any of this."
"Believe me, I wouldn't have believed myself capable of these acts either," Ratburn agreed, "but, well... what can I say? Love is strange."
"Your going to be in prison for years."
"I know that," Ratburn grimaced. "But it was worth it."
DW cringed as she listened to the sound of the crazy girl screaming from the other room. I can't believe they threw me in here with all these nuts, she thought bitterly. It had been only a week according to her calendar, but it felt like years to DW.
"You shouldn't be judging them, DW," DW jumped before she realized that it was Nadine speaking, "You are much worse off then they are."
"So, you came back after all," DW said triumphantly.
"Don't flatter yourself, DW," Nadine's voice was harsh. "I meant it when I said I'm out of here. This is just a final warning before I leave."
"What warning? Okay, okay, I shouldn't have burned the house down. Happy now?"
"I'm glad you realize that much DW, but you still don't understand the full effect of your actions. You keep hurting people without caring at all. And even now you just think it's a few wrong moves but it's more than that."
"I made a mistake, okay? That doesn't mean I deserve this."
"DW, if you were older you would be in a prison for what you did. Your actions are the result of your bad behavior. It was bad enough when you broke Arthur's plane, but then you knocked over Kate's high chair while she was sitting in it -"
"That one was an accident!" DW protested.
"Maybe, but it wasn't an accident when you behaved horribly at Lisa's fifth birthday party."
"That was her fault" DW argued.
"And then you smashed Brain's science project because you thought it was ugly," Nadine continued.
"Well, it was."
"That's not the point, DW! And then you made Tommy go deaf. That's when I started telling you to improve but you didn't listen. You keep acting out, and it ended up leading to the fire."
"How was I supposed to know the house would burn out of control?"
"I don't want that excuse, DW," Nadine said coldly. "I was with you, remember? You said out loud the fire was a punishment for not seeing the Italy special of Mary Moo Cow. Was it worth it?"
"Nadine, when am I going to get out of here?" DW asked hopelessly.
"That's actually what I came to talk to you about. At this point, you have destroyed your entire life and you'll never go back to how things were. You only have one chance to rebuild it, so you better take it."
"How?"
"Group therapy," Nadine said. "Dr. Paula is going to offer you a second chance. You and several other people in the world have a condition known as narcissism. Dr. Paula; and several of your fellow patients; are going to try and help both you and themselves. You would do well to cooperate in those sessions."
"I don't have a condition," DW insisted.
"Yes you do. This is your only chance left so don't blow it. The first session is tomorrow, so behave and let Dr. Paula help you."
DW said nothing.
"Well, I've had my two cents," Nadine said, "Goodbye, DW. It was nice knowing you - at first."
"Please don't leave, Nadine," DW begged, "I'll behave with Dr. Paula, I promise! I'll fix everything!"
"Fix everything?" Nadine's turned around. "DW, you will never, ever, ever fix this. You can't, because a woman is dead because of what you did and you will have to live with that fact for eternity."
"I didn't know Grandma Thora would get burned!" DW sobbed, wiping tears from her face.
"You should have. But now you can't bring her back, and you can't fix your family. All you can do is listen to Dr. Paula."
"Nadine, your all I have left!" DW pleaded.
"That's why I need to go, DW. You crossed the line, and while I believe you deserve a second chance, it won't be coming from me. Only when you hit rock bottom will you finally be capable of rebuilding yourself."
"I am at rock bottom, Nadine! Help me!"
"No, you aren't quite there yet, DW," Nadine explained. "You are very close, but I'm the net keeping you from fully going down. Well, it's time for you to fall, DW, so I'm leaving this town."
"Where would you even go?" DW asked.
"Good question. But you won't ever have an answer. Listen to Dr. Paula if there is any good left in you, DW."
And with that Nadine walked out, never to return.
Arthur nervously walked into his new school. What if everyone is terrible? Maybe I can pretend I'm sick, he thought.
"Hello, there," said a kid who looked about ten by the door. "I'm Bill. You must be Arthur."
"Yes, hi," Arthur said. For some reason he reminded Arthur of somebody. "How do you know who I am?"
"Oh, I know everything from my cousin. I think you know him - George Lundgren."
"Your related to George?" Arthur asked in surprise. So that's why he looked so familiar.
"Yep. He's a good ventriloquist, isn't he? Anyway, welcome to West Falls."
"Thanks," Arthur said. "My cousin Mo said this is a good school."
Bill frowned. "How old is your cousin Mo?"
"About seventeen," Arthur responded, "why?"
"Well, I've been in this school since I was five, and I can tell you it certainly isn't a good school. That's actually why I'm here - so you have protection."
"Protection?" Arthur was confused. "From what?"
"Gangs, drug dealers, fight clubs, Mr. King."
"Mr. King?"
"Mr. King is our school's soccer coach," Bill explained, "and he's also a... well, he just say really likes kids. A little too much."
"I don't believe this," Arthur said in disgust, getting what Bill was hinting at.
"I'm in the wrestling team, so nobody will hurt you as long as you stick with me. But this school is pretty harsh."
"Why do the adults let it stay that way?"
Bill laughed. "Oh, the adults in this town make the school look like sunshine. Don't you know who runs this town?"
"No."
"The mafia."
"The mafia?" Arthur repeated in shock.
Bill nodded. "Every last industry."
"But does - would that mean my aunt and uncle are secretly mobsters?"
"Yeah, probably," Bill responded. "Nobody in West Falls is truly innocent."