“He had always been creepy," she continued.

“Doing things he shouldn't have. But I was scared . . . and Mom was so doped up on some kind of anti-fucking-depressant that she never noticed, and she never listened. Then . . . when Mom was at work . . . he walked into my room . . . talked nice to me . . . started to... to touch me," Jane said, sobbing again.

"I tried to push him away, but he was so strong. He kept telling me how I was so grown up and how pretty I was and how it would only hurt for a minute . . ." Jane put her head on the ground, gripping the worm-filled earth.

"You don't know what it was like . . . how dirty I felt how guilty.

Don't tell me you know . . . you couldn't possibly know." She sat up, dirt on her face, and stared at the stars.

"And Mom never caught on.

She couldn't handle being alone after Dad died, so . . . so she just turned off. She married Jack, and let him . . . she left me alone with him and he forced himself on me!"

Red's soul had become frigid. She wanted to rip the ground up and shred the bones.

"I am SO sorry," the sheriff said, his hear in his throat and on his sleeve.

"I ain't criticizing you, but you . . . you could have come forward. I never much trusted Jack, and I would've . . ."

"I don't think second guessing is going to do us much good," Red said. She turned and knelt on the ground beside Jane, who had gone back to pounding the turf with her fists and crying.

"It's not too late," Sheriff Horton replied.

"You can still talk to the parole board . . . maybe help your momma out and ”

"Why the fuck would I want to help her?!" Jane hissed.

"She let this happen."

The sheriff sighed.

"That's not true. Your mom wasn't any more invulnerable than anyone else. She loved your dad so much losin' him almost destroyed her."

"Dad," she whispered. She stood up and strode down a path, pausing long enough to spit on Jack Ewes grave. Red and the sheriff followed at a safe distance.

"Sorry," he asked, "but where do you fit in to this?"

Red shook her head.

"I'm not totally sure," she admitted.

"But I'm here for her. In whatever way she needs me to be."

The Sheriff Horton nodded. He wouldn't ask any more questions about that.

"Where's she been all these years?"