~*~Chapter Sixteen : What Can Become~*~

Dr. Saybrooke had just taken his wife soup and a sandwich for lunch. He knocked on Marty's bedroom door. "Marty ~ honey, do you want anything to eat?" he asked.

There was no answer. His daughter had been unusually quiet lately. They never saw each other in the big, old house. He was about to go into Marty's room to check on her when he heard a knock at the front door. He hurried downstairs to answer it.

"Yes," he said when he saw a police officer standing on his front porch.

"Dr. Saybrooke, may I come in?" asked the officer.

"Sure."

Dr. Saybrooke opened the door and let the officer in, hoping he would notice the stench which wafted in from inside parlor.

"I'm here about your daughter, Margaret Saybrooke. The school contacted us. Are you aware that your daughter has not been to school for several weeks?" asked the policeman.

"No... I- I..."

"Dr. Saybrooke, if your daughter does not return to school immediately, you and your wife are facing criminal charges due to her truancy."

"I will talk to my daughter," the doctor promised. "Her mother has been very ill. She's on complete bed-rest with her pregnancy. It's been a difficult time for all of us... and I didn't realize Marty had not been going to school."

The officer nodded and let himself out. Right away, Dr. Saybrooke began calling for his daughter. "Margaret Anne, please come down here!" he called from the bottom of the stairs.

Marty appeared when her dad called. "I'm right here, Daddy," she said.

"I need you to talk with me in the parlor," Dr. Saybrooke said. "Come on in and sit down."

Marty followed her dad to the parlor and took a seat, waiting for him to speak. "Is something wrong with Mom?" she asked with worry.

"Your mother is resting comfortably upstairs," Dr. Saybrooke explained. "But it has come to my attention that you haven't been to school in many weeks. I didn't realize you had not been going. I have been so worried about your mother. This house... This house has traumatized her."

"Marty, it is unacceptable that you have been skipping school. I'm afraid we'll have to move out. We can start over in a new place... a new house," he said. "I'm afraid I'll have to send you to boarding school."

Marty grimaced with pain. "I cannot go with you, Daddy," she said softly. "I'm sorry." She hadn't chosen to skip school; not the way he thought that she had, but what could she say? He simply would not understand.

Todd stood in the hallway, listening to Marty's father as he lectured her on skipping school. When Dr. Saybrooke said that they'd have to move out, Todd lost it. He knew he would have to take action. If they moved out, Marty's body would be discovered. They couldn't be separated! Todd had to stop this at once!

Todd knew he would have to do something drastic to keep Marty with him. He had already killed the exterminator. He didn't want to kill anyone else, but what choice did he have?

He rushed up the stairs to the master bedroom. He saw Marty's mom lying in bed. He reached for a pillow as he stood over her sleeping form.

Marty knew her dad wouldn't get it; she could tell by the look on his face. "I'm sorry," she told him.
She got up from the sofa and headed towards the master bedroom. She wanted to see her mom one last time before her parents moved out. When she walked into the room, she saw Todd holding the pillow and standing over her mother's bed.

"What the hell are you doing?!" she screamed.