Lust and Lies 04 - Pretty Maids in a Row

same, in the dark, feeling terrified of something she couldn't see and trying desperately to find a way out of the room she was in. Then a light comes on and she sees what had her so frightened. Occasionally it turned out to be an animal of some sort, a snake or giant spider. Sometimes it was a grotesque monster. Once or twice, it was the face of someone she had seen on television before she went to sleep.
    Most often, however, she saw a mutation of Tim Ziegler, as he had looked that morning in her bed.
    As the plane taxied down the runway at the Greater Pittsburgh International Airport, Holly hoped that April was right—that this visit would be a step toward eliminating the nightmare permanently.
    She fought off the feeling that automatically came over her every time she returned to the old house. Tonight, she couldn't allow her personality to regress back to that of the shy, overweight girl with glasses she used to be. Tonight, she needed all the maturity and confidence the years had given her to apologize and explain why she had been so hateful all those years ago.
    Back then, the sheer helplessness of her situation had her searching for someone she could safely strike out at. Her parents' fear of losing her made them the perfect target. Somehow, in the aftermath of trauma, Holly had decided they were at fault. She had determined that their overprotectiveness had kept her naive enough to believe in Cinderella stories and fall for Jerry Frampton's lies. Knowing the truth of why they were so protective of her made her behavior toward them that much more unforgivable.
    Bernie and Viv Kaufman had originally been blessed with three holiday babies. Their son arrived on Lincoln's birthday, so he was named Abraham Lincoln Kaufman, nicknamed Link for obvious reasons. Seven years later Holly was born on Christmas Eve and two years after that, a week after Easter, Viv delivered Bunny.
    Bunny was nine when her life was stolen. She and her father had been walking her new puppy when she accidentally dropped the leash. The little dog dashed into the street and Bunny took off after it—right into the path of an oncoming car. Before Bernie even knew what his baby's fate was, he caught the puppy and broke its neck.
    Holly remembered the awful funeral, her mother crying continuously for months, and the subsequent move to a different neighborhood where they wouldn't have to look at the street day after day where the accident had happened.
    While their parents grieved, Link enlisted in the marines and was sent to Beirut. A month after he arrived, the marine headquarters was bombed causing the greatest casualties the corps had ever endured in peacetime.
    Bernie had never fully forgiven himself for failing to prevent Bunny's accident, then he blamed himself for Link's enlisting the way he did. Instead of withdrawing into grief once more, though, he focused all his love and attention on the one child he had left—Holly. And she had thrown that love back in his face rather than trust him to be supportive.
    Her parents were already waiting for her when she pulled the rental car into their driveway. No sooner did the headlights shine into the living room window than the front door opened and they hurried out to greet their little girl. Holly always wondered how two people with their excessive girth managed to have so much energy. Other than her father losing his hair and her mother's blonde hair turning white, the years had barely taken a toll on them.
    Viv gave Holly the thirty seconds it took to exchange hugs before demanding, "Okay, what is it?"
    Holly smiled and kissed her mother's plump cheek. "You know, I think this is the first time in years you didn't greet me with food in your hand."
    "She left it in the oven to keep warm," Bernie assured her with a laugh as they walked arm and arm into the house. "There's sauerbraten and noodles and some apple strudel for dessert."
    Knowing she would have to eat a several-course meal regardless of the hour, Holly had purposely eaten only a salad with Philip.
    "You look like you're dieting again, honey," Viv lightly scolded. "You know how unhealthy that is."
    "I'm not dieting, Mom. In fact I've gained a few pounds since you last saw me."
    Her mother moved away to scrutinize Holly's figure then shook her head. "Come. Sit. You'll talk in between bites."
    "If you don't mind, I think I'd rather say what I came for first. It isn't exactly conducive to digestion."
    Although Viv reluctantly agreed to