Chapter 26 Chapter Twenty Six

Afterwards, I wondered how I could have such short eyes.The truth was always there, Josephine, and only Josephine fit it all.Her ego, her constant self-importance, her talkativeness, her repetition of how smart she is and how dumb the police are. I never thought about her because she was a little kid.But children did commit murders, and this particular murder was well within the reach of children.Her grandfather himself had figured out the precise method of murder--he had actually given her a blueprint.She just had to avoid fingerprints, which all it took was a little detective fiction to understand.Everything else is just a hodgepodge drawn from a whole host of mysteries.That notebook--the various detective operations--her feigned paranoia, her insistence that she wait until she's sure...

And finally she herself was attacked.An almost unbelievable performance, considering how easily she could have lost her own life.But, childishly, she never considered the possibility.Still, there was a clue there—the dirt on the upholstery of the old chair in the laundry room.Josephine was the only one who had to climb up on a chair to get the marble doorstop flat on the top edge of the door.Apparently the marble missed her more than once (as evidenced by the dent in the door), and she patiently climbed up and down and placed it repeatedly, wrapping herself in her scarf to keep fingerprints away.Then it fell again -- and she narrowly escaped death.

This is a seamless trap──In everyone's impression, she is the murderer's target!She's in crisis, she "knows what", she's under attack! I understood how she purposely drew my attention to her being in the sink room.And she messed up her own room before going to the laundry room. Yet when she returned from the hospital, she must have grown dissatisfied when she found out that Brenda and Lawrence had been arrested.The case was over—and she—Josephine—had vanished from the mercury lamp, unnoticed. So she stole digitalis tablets from Edith's room and put them in her cocoa cup, which she left untouched on the hall table.

Did she know Lanny would drink it?possible.From what she had said that morning, she could hear that she was angry at Lanny's criticism of her.Lanny, who is quite experienced with children, might have doubted her?I think Lanny knew, always knew that Josephine was not normal.The precocity of her mental development formed a sound moral outlook.Perhaps, there are also various genetic factors-Sophia's so-called "cruel" nature of the family is also mixed together. She has the authoritative ruthlessness of her grandmother's family, the ruthless egocentrism of Magda's family, seeing things only from her own point of view.She must have suffered too, as sensitive as Philip, the shame of being an unattractive child--an ugly creature traded for a goblin--a child who was not welcome in the house.In the end, she had in her bones the basic blood of old Leonides.She was Leonides' granddaughter, and she had a mind, she was as cunning as he was--but his love was directed outward to his family and friends, and her love was directed back to herself.

I think old Leonides learned what no one else in the family did, and that was that Josephine could be a source of danger to others, not to herself.He wouldn't let her go to school because he was afraid of something she might do.He sheltered her, kept her at home, and I understand now that he wanted Sophia to take care of Josephine as if it were an urgent need. Magda's sudden decision to send Josephine abroad──was it also because she was afraid of the child?Perhaps not a perceived fear, but some hazy maternal intuition. And what about Edith Haviland?Did she suspect first, then fear—and finally know?

I look at the letter in my hand. dear charlie.Only you can read this letter—and Sophia, if you think so.It is absolutely essential that someone knows the truth.I found my attached book in the abandoned dog house outside the back door.She hides it there.This confirmed what I had long suspected.The action I will take may be right or wrong - I don't know.But, at any rate, my life is drawing to a close, and I do not want that child to suffer as I am sure she would have suffered had she been held accountable for what she had done by worldly means. Children born the same way often have a "not quite right".

God forgive me if I do wrong - but I do it out of love.God bless you both. Edith Haviland. I hesitated, then handed the letter to Sofia.Together we opened Josephine's little black notebook. Today I killed grandpa. We flipped.It's an astonishing piece of work that, I think, will be of interest to psychologists, and it shows the wrath of the frustrated egoist with clarity.The motive for the murder is also recorded, which is lamentably inappropriate and childish. Grandpa wouldn't let me learn ballet, so I made up my mind to kill him.Then we'll live in London and Mum won't mind me doing ballet.

I've only read a few records, and they all have a lot to offer. I don't want to go to Switzerland - I won't.If Mom made me, I'd kill her too--only I can't find the poison.Maybe I can use poisonous strawberries, they can kill people, the book says. Eustace has been pissing me off a lot lately.He says I'm just a little girl and useless, and that my detective work is silly.He wouldn't think me stupid if he knew I was responsible for the murder. I like Charlie - but he's kind of dumb.I haven't decided who to put the blame on.Maybe Brenda and Lawrence - Brenda was bad to me - she said I was crazy, but I like Lawrence - he told me about Charlotte Curdy - she Killed someone while he was in the shower.It's not very smart for her to do that.

The last record reveals: I hate Lanny...I hate her...I hate her...she says I'm just a little girl.She said I was pushy.She got my mother to send me out of the country... and I'm going to kill her too--I think Aunt Edith's medicine will do.If there were more murders, then the police would come back and everything would be tense again. I'm so glad Lannie is dead.I haven't decided where to hide the little bottle of pills, maybe in Aunt Clemency's room--or in Eustace's room.When I'm old and dead I'll keep this book and give it to the police chiefs, and they'll know what a great criminal I am.

I closed the notebook, and Sophia's tears flowed down quickly. "Oh, Charlie - oh, Charlie - so horrible. She's such a little monster - and yet - and yet so deplorable." I feel the same way. I liked Josephine... I still like her... You don't like anybody any less because they have tuberculosis or some other serious disease.As Sophia said, Josephine was a little monster, but she was a pitiful little monster.She was born with a freak -- a freak in a freak house. Sophia asked: "What if—she's still alive—?" "I think she'll probably be sent to a juvenile reformatory or some other special school. Then she'll be released after a while—or maybe in a mental institution, I don't know."

Sophia was horrified. "It's as good as it is now. But Aunt Edith—I don't like her being charged." "She chose to do that, and I don't think it will be made public. I think when Brenda and Lawrence go to trial, the case will be dismissed and they will be released." "And you, Sophia," I said, this time in a different tone, while taking her hands, "you are going to marry me. I just heard that I was assigned to Persia, and we will go there together , you'll forget about the crooked little house. Your mother can put out her play, and your father can buy more books, and Eustace will be off to college soon. Stop worrying about them and think of me .” Sophia looked me straight in the eyes. "Aren't you afraid to marry me, Charlie?" "Why should I be afraid? All the worst traditions have fallen on poor little Josephine. And you, Sophia, I have no doubt that all the bravest and best traditions of the Rioguaz family have fallen on you." Yes. Your grandfather thinks very highly of you, and he seems to be generally right. Heads up, my dear, the future is ours both." "I will, Charlie. I love you, I will marry you and make you happy." She looked down at the notebook. "Poor Josephine." "Poor Josephine," I said. "What's the truth, Charlie?" my father said.I never lied to my dad. "Not Edith Haviland," I said. "It's Josephine." My father nodded slightly. "Yes," he said. "I've thought so for a while. Poor kid..."