In the morning, when Ashley awakened, her pillow I was wet with tears.

Alette was saddened by the therapy sessions. They reminded her of how much she missed Rome and how happy she had been with Richard Melton. We could have had such a happy life together, but now it is too late. Too late.

Toni hated the therapy sessions because they brought back too many bad memories for her, too. Everything she had done had been to protect Ashley and Alette. But did anybody appreciate her? No. She was locked away as though she were some kind of criminal. But I'll get out of here, Toni promised herself. I'll get out of here.

The pages of the calendar were wiped away by time, and another year came and went. Dr. Keller was getting more and more frustrated.

"I've read your latest report," Dr. Lewison told Gilbert Keller. "Do you think there's a genuine lacuna, or are they playing games?"

"They're playing games, Otto. It's as though they know what I'm trying to do, and they won't let me. I think Ashley genuinely wants to help, but they won't allow her to. Usually under hypnosis you can get through to them, but Toni is very strong. She takes complete control, and she's dangerous."

"Dangerous?"

"Yes. Imagine how much hatred she must have in her to murder and castrate five men."

The rest of the year went no better.

Dr. Keller was having success with his other patients, but Ashley, the one he was most concerned about, was making no progress. Dr. Keller had a feeling that Toni enjoyed playing games with him. She was determined that he was not going to succeed. And then, unexpectedly, there was a breakthrough.

It started with another letter from Dr. Patterson.

June 5

Dear Ashley,

I'm on my way to New York to take care of some business, and I would like very much to stop by and see you. I will call Dr. Lewison, and if there's no objection, you can expect me around the 25th.

Much love,

Father

Three weeks later, Dr. Patterson arrived with attractive, dark-haired woman in her early forties and three-year-old daughter, Katrina.

They were ushered into Dr. Lewison's office. He rose as they entered. "Dr. Patterson, I'm delighted to meet you."

"Thank you. This is Miss Victoria Aniston and her daughter, Katrina."

"How do you do, Miss Aniston? Katrina."

"I brought them along to meet Ashley."

"Wonderful. She's with Dr. Keller right now, but they should be finished soon."

Dr. Patterson said, "How is Ashley doing?"

Otto Lewison hesitated. "I wonder if I could speak to you alone for a few minutes?"

"Certainly."

Dr. Patterson turned to Victoria and Katrina. "It looks like there's a beautiful garden out there. Why don't you wait for me, and I'll join you with Ashley."

Victoria Aniston smiled. "Fine." She looked over at Otto Lewison. "It was nice to meet you, Doctor."

"Thank you, Miss Aniston."

Dr. Patterson watched the two of them leave. He turned to Otto Lewison. "Is there a problem?"

"I'll be frank with you, Dr. Patterson. We're not making as much progress as I had hoped we would. Ashley says she wants to be helped, but she's not cooperating with us. In fact, she's fighting the treatment."

Dr. Patterson was studying him, puzzled. "Why?"

"It's not that unusual. At some stage, patients with MPD are afraid of meeting their alters. It terrifies them. The very thought that other characters can be living in their mind and body and take over at will— Well, you can imagine how devastating that can be."

Dr. Patterson nodded. "Of course."

"There's something that puzzles us about Ashley's problem. Almost always, these problems start with a history of molestation when the patient is very young. We have no record of anything like that in Ashley's case, so we have no idea how or why this trauma began."

Dr. Patterson sat there silently for a moment. When he spoke, he said heavily, "I can help you." He took a deep breath. "I blame myself."

Otto Lewison was watching intently.

"It happened when Ashley was six. I had to go to England. My wife couldn't go. I took Ashley with me. My wife had an elderly cousin over there named John. I didn't realize it at the time, but John had... emotional problems. I had to leave to give a lecture one day, and John offered to baby-sit. When I got back that evening, he was gone. Ashley was in a state of complete hysteria. It took a long, long time to calm her down. After that, she wouldn't let anyone come near her, she became timid and withdrawn and a week later, John was arrested as a serial child molester." Dr. Patterson's face was filled with pain. "I never forgave myself. I never left Ashley alone with anyone after that."

There was a long silence. Otto Lewison said, "I'm terribly sorry. But I think you've given us the answer to what we've been looking for, Dr. Patterson. Now Dr. Keller will have something specific to work on."

"It's been too painful for me even to discuss before."

"I understand." Otto Lewison looked at his watch. "Ashley's going to be a little while. Why don't you join Miss Aniston in the garden, and I'll send Ashley out when she comes."

Dr. Patterson rose. "Thank you. I will."

Otto Lewison watched him leave. He could not wait to tell Dr. Keller what he had learned.

Victoria Aniston and Katrina were waiting for him. "Did you see Ashley?" Victoria asked.

"They'll send her out in a few minutes," Dr. Patterson said. He looked around the spacious grounds. "This is lovely, isn't it?"

Katrina ran up to him, "I want to go up to the sky again."

He smiled. "All right." He picked her up, threw her into the air and caught her as she came down.

"Higher!"

"Hang on. Here we go." He threw her up again and caught her, and she was screaming with delight.

"Again!"

Dr. Patterson's back was to the main building, so he did not see Ashley and Dr. Keller come out.

"Higher!" Katrina screamed.

Ashley stopped in the doorway, frozen. She watched her father playing with the little girl, and time seemed to fragment. Everything after that happened in slow motion.

There were flashes of a little girl being thrown into the air.... "Higher, Papa!"

"Hang on. Here we go."

And then the girl being tossed onto a bed...

A voice saying, "You'll like this...."

An image of the man getting into bed beside her. The little girl was screaming, "Stop it. No. Please, no."

The man was in the shadow. He was holding her down, and he was stroking her body. "Doesn't that feel good?"

And suddenly the shadow lifted, and Ashley could see the man's face. It was her father.

Looking at him now, in the garden, playing with the little girl, Ashley opened her mouth and began to scream, and could not stop.

Dr. Patterson, Victoria Aniston and Katrina turned around, startled.

Dr. Keller said quickly, "I'm terribly sorry. This is a bad day. Could you come back another time?" And he carried Ashley inside.

They had her in one of the emergency rooms.

"Her pulse is abnormally high," Dr. Keller said. "She's in a fugue state." He moved close to her and said, "Ashley, you have nothing to be frightened about. You're safe here. No one's going to hurt you. Just listen to my voice and relax... relax... relax...."

It took half an hour. "Ashley, tell me what happened. What upset you?"

"Father and the little girl..."

"What about them?"

It was Toni who answered. "She can't face it. She's afraid he's going to do to the little girl what he did to her."

Dr. Keller stared at her a moment. "What—what did he do to her?"

It was in London. She was in bed. He sat down next to her and said, "I'm going to make you very happy, baby," and began tickling her, and she was laughing. And then... he took her pajamas off, and he started playing with her. "Don't my hands feel good?" Ashley started screaming, "Stop it. Don't do that." But he wouldn't stop. He held her down and went on and on....