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"...not just jealousy," the Nix said. "It has to be more than that. They're angry because...because of something about the nurse. She has...syphilis. That's it. They heard a rumor that she has syphilis."
"They did?" Jolynn nearly sloshed milk onto her lap.
"Why didn't they tell me? That's horrible. If she has syphilis, she could give it to Bradley--"
"She doesn't have syphilis. But that's what we'll say, if things go wrong. Naturally, they'd be furious with you for exposing them. You tried to tell them it was just a rumor, but they accused you of being careless, thoughtless. You tried to leave, but they wouldn't let you."
The Nix continued to plot. Such an imagination. She was so clever. Jolynn shivered, counting her lucky stars that the Nix had chosen her. As a child, Jolynn had always wanted an imaginary friend, but she'd never been lucky enough to find one. She'd always thought, if she did, she'd name her Victoria.
"I'm going to call you Victoria," she announced.
The Nix stopped whispering. "What?"
"I'm going to call you Victoria." She paused. "Unless you'd prefer Vicky, but I don't really like Vicky."
"Victoria is fine," the Nix said. "Now, we--Wait, they're talking to you."
Jolynn popped out of her reverie and smiled at her friends.
"Hmmm?" she said.
"That dress Rachel was wearing," Dot said. "That's the same one you wore to Buzz's party last month, wasn't it?"
"Probably the exact same dress I wore. I did donate it to charity."
Dot snickered.
"Oh, and speaking of cast-offs," Nellie said. "Did you notice Millie's handbag?"
Dot arched her brows. "Was that a handbag? I thought she was carrying..."
Jolynn tuned out again and stifled a yawn.
"Can I kill them yet?" she asked the Nix. "I'm getting awful sleepy."
"Yes. That's the perfect excuse," the Nix--Victoria--said. "Yawn again, but don't hide it. When they notice, tell them you should be leaving, and get up."
"What? Leave? But I haven't killed them!"
A sigh fluttered through Jolynn's mind. Victoria explained the plan again. She was so clever. They were going to be best friends. Yes, siree, friends for life. Jolynn shivered, barely able to suppress her grin.
"Good," Victoria said. "Now follow that with a yawn."
Jolynn yawned, and lifted her hand to cover it, but missed.
"Oh, my," she said, wide-eyed. "Excuse me."
"I think someone's getting sleepy," Dot said with a smile. "Do you want to stay here tonight, hon?"
"Oh, please, if I could."
Jolynn lifted her handbag from the chair. She peeked inside. The shiny metal of the gun winked. She winked back.
"Oh, wasn't that fun," Jolynn said as she rummaged through the kitchen cupboards. "Did you see the look in their eyes?" She pouted. "Too bad we couldn't let them scream."
"Not with people sleeping in the apartment overhead. The gunshot was loud enough, even through the pillow."
"You're right. And Nellie did kind of shriek. That was nice." She lifted two knives from the drawer. "The boning knife or the cleaver?"
