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today. It will be a good reason. I had to stop you from pursuing her. And everyone knows you've been trying to kill me for months. I had to protect both of us, didn't I?" |
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"Don't climb the hill," Peter said. "Let me come down, and I'll go into the gazebo with you." |
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Linda pressed a hand to her mouth to hold back sobs. Mrs. Bates was the one who had removed the screws. Had she intended to push Peter out the door? But even as she thought it, she realized something was wrong. If Peter didn't want his aunt to climb the hill, why didn't he just go down? Linda stepped forward, and a tough branch tangled in her coat. She heard running steps and pulled fiercely at the coat as she heard Peter cry out, "Don't, please don't." |
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With a mighty wrench, Linda struggled free and came around the rock above him, only to freeze with horror. Her mouth opened, but no sound would come from her paralyzed throat. Mrs. Bates was now running, nearly leaping, up the final yards of the slope that separated her from Peterand she had a short, gleaming pistol in her hand. |
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"Don't run, Aunt Em, don't run!" Peter shouted, holding his hands palm out as if to push his aunt back. |
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The pistol cracked. Linda, unable to scream, managed to run forward, but she was too far away to push Peter down, out of the way of the bullet. Peter was still standing, still gesturing, still crying outinsanely"Don't run! |
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