K-Pax (116 page)
"prot
"
fo
r
comfor
t
an
d
support
,
bu
t
h
e
wa
s
neve
r
hospitalize
d
o
r
otherwis
e
treate
d
fo
r
it.
Hi
s
mothe
r
too
k
a
jo
b
i
n
th
e
schoo
l
cafeteria
,
whic
h
pai
d
poorly
,
an
d
th
e
family
,
whic
h
als
o
included
tw
o
daughters
,
wa
s
barel
y
abl
e
t
o
mak
e
end
s
meet
.
Luxuries
,
lik
e
fres
h
fruit
,
wer
e
rare
.
Recreatio
n
took
th
e
for
m
o
f
hike
s
i
n
th
e
nearb
y
wood
s
an
d
alon
g
th
e
riverbank
,
an
d
fro
m
thes
e
Rober
t
gaine
d
a
lov
e
and appreciatio
n
o
f
th
e
flor
a
an
d
faun
a
i
n
fores
t
an
d
fiel
d
and
,
indeed
,
o
f
th
e
forest
s
an
d
field
s
themselves.
H
e
wa
s
a
goo
d
student
,
alway
s
willin
g
t
o
pitc
h
i
n
an
d
hel
p
others
.
I
n
th
e
fal
l
o
f
1974
,
whe
n
h
e
wa
s
a
hig
h
schoo
l
senior
,
Rober
t
wa
s
presente
d
a
communit
y
servic
e
meda
l
b
y
th
e
Guelp
h
Rotar
y
Clu
b
and,
late
r
tha
t
year
,
wa
s
electe
d
captai
n
o
f
th
e
varsit
y
wrestlin
g
team
.
I
n
th
e
sprin
g
o
f
197
5
h
e
wa
s
awarde
d
a
scholarshi
p
t
o
th
e
stat
e
universit
y
t
o
stud
y
fiel
d
biology
.
Bu
t
hi
s
girlfriend
,
Sara
h
Barnstable
,
became
pregnan
t
an
d
Rober
t
fel
t
obligate
d
t
o
marr
y
he
r
an
d
fin
d
wor
k
t
o
suppor
t
hi
s
ne
w
family
.
Ironically
,
the
onl
y
jo
b
h
e
coul
d
fin
d
wa
s
th
e
on
e
tha
t
ha
d
kille
d
hi
s
fathe
r
som
e
twelv
e
year
s
earlier.
T
o
ad
d
t
o
thei
r
difficultie
s
hi
s
wif
e
wa
s
Catholic
,
an
d
th
e
resultin
g
mixe
d
marriag
e
stigmatize
d
th
e
pair
i
n
th
e
eye
s
o
f
th
e
resident
s
o
f
thei
r
smal
l
town
,
an
d
the
y
ha
d
few
,
i
f
any
,
friends
.
Thi
s
ma
y
hav
e
bee
n
a facto
r
i
n
thei
r
eventua
l
decisio
n
t
o
mov
e
t
o
a
n
isolate
d
valle
y
som
e
mile
s
outsid
e
o
f
town.
On
e
Augus
t
afternoo
n
i
n
1985
,
whil
e
Rober
t
wa
s
stunnin
g
steer
s
a
t
th
e
slaughterhouse
,
a
n
intruder
appeare
d
a
t
th
e
Porte
r
home
.
Mothe
r
an
d
daughte
r
wer
e
i
n
th
e
backyar
d
coolin
g
themselve
s
unde
r
the
law
n
sprinkler
.
Th
e
man
,
a
strange
r
wh
o
ha
d
bee
n
arreste
d
an
d
release
d
numerou
s
time
s
fo
r
a
variet
y
of
crimes
,
includin
g
burglary
,
automobil
e
theft
,
an
d
chil
d
molestation
,
entere
d
th
e
hous
e
throug
h
the
unlocke
d
fron
t
doo
r
an
d
watche
d
Sara
h
an
d
littl
e
Rebecc
a
fro
m
th
e
kitche
n
windo
w
unti
l
th
e
gir
l
came
inside
,
probabl
y
t
o
us
e
th
e
bathroom
.
I
t
wa
s
the
n
tha
t
th
e
intrude
r
accoste
d
her
.
Hearin
g
he
r
daughter's
scream
s
th
e
mothe
r
ra
n
int
o
th
e
house
,
wher
e
bot
h
sh
e
an
d
Rebecc
a
wer
e
rape
d
an
d
murdered
,
though
no
t
befor
e
Sara
h
ha
d
severel
y
scratche
d
th
e
intruder'
s
fac
e
an
d
nearl
y
bitte
n
of
f
on
e
o
f
hi
s
ears.
Rober
t
arrive
d
hom
e
jus
t
a
s
th
e
ma
n
wa
s
comin
g
ou
t
o
f
th
e
house
.
O
n
seein
g
th
e
husban
d
an
d
father
o
f
hi
s
victim
s
th
e
murdere
r
ra
n
bac
k
insid
e
an
d
ou
t
th
e
rea
r
door
.
Robert
,
undoubtedl
y
realizin
g
that
somethin
g
wa
s
terribl
y
wrong
,
pursue
d
hi
m
int
o
th
e
house
,
pas
t
th
e
blood
y
bodie
s
o
f
hi
s
wif
e
and
daughte
r
lyin
g
o
n
th
e
kitche
n
floor
,
an
d
int
o
th
e
yard
,
-wher
e
h
e
caugh
t
u
p
wit
h
thei
r
kille
r
and
,
wit
h
the
strengt
h
o
f
a
knocke
r
an
d
th
e
skill
s
o
f
a
traine
d
wrestler
,
brok
e
th
e
man'
s
neck
.
Th
e
sprinkle
r
wa
s
stil
l
on,
an
d
remaine
d
s
o
unti
l
th
e
polic
e
shu
t
i
t
of
f
th
e
nex
t
day.