== 21 ==
Victor, too?
Mary Catlin sat in the undersized chair in front of the small desk and looked at the two empty beds in the room her boys had shared.
Why didn’t she stop Vic? It already had been too late to save Sonny. She’d known that when Sheriff Harris pulled out Sonny’s shoe. She’d let Vic go anyway. Wishful thinking led to the loss of her remaining son. Along with her own reason to live.
She was alone now.
When Frank hadn’t come home that night, she told herself at least she had the boys. When Sonny disappeared, she questioned how she could go on with life.
Now with Victor gone, she wished she could die.
Noises sounded near the front of the house. Someone running? Vic? She stood and took a step toward the bedroom door then heard the scrabbling pass beneath her feet and continue further back.
Wild animals had gotten under the house, seeking refuge from the fierce storm.