Dr. Keller asked, "Was that the first time it happened, Toni?"

"Yes."

"How old was Ashley?"

"She was six."

"And that's when you were born?"

"Yes. Ashley was too terrified to face it."

"What happened after that?"

Father came to her every night and got into bed with her." The words were pouring out now. "She couldn't stop him. When they got home, Ashley told Mother what happened, and Mother called her a lying little bitch.

"Ashley was afraid to go to sleep at night because she knew Papa was going to come to her room. He used to make her touch him and then play with himself. And he said to her, 'Don't tell anyone about this or I won't love you anymore.' She couldn't tell anyone. Mama and Papa were yelling at each other all the time, and Ashley thought it was her fault. She knew she had done something wrong, but she didn't know what. Mama hated her."

"How long did this go on?" Dr. Keller asked. "When I was eight..." Toni stopped. "Go on, Toni."

Ashley's face changed, and it was Alette sitting in the chair. She said, "We moved to Roma, where he did research at Policlinico Umberto Primo."

"And that's where you were born?"

"Yes. Ashley couldn't stand what happened one night, so I came to protect her."

"What happened, Alette?"

"Papa came into her room while she was asleep, and he was naked. And he crawled into her bed, and this time he forced himself inside her. She tried to stop him, but she couldn't. She begged him never to do it again, but he came to her every night. And he always said, "This is how a man shows a woman he loves her, and you're my woman, and I love you. You must never tell anyone about this.' And she could never tell anyone."

Ashley was sobbing, tears running down her cheeks.

It was all Gilbert Keller could do not to take her in his arms and hold her and tell her that he loved her and everything was going to be all right. But, of course, it was impossible. I'm her doctor.

When Dr. Keller returned to Dr. Lewison's office. Dr. Patterson, Victoria Aniston and Katrina had left.

"Well, this is what we've been waiting for," Dr. Keller told Otto Lewison. "We finally got a breakthrough. I know when Toni and Alette were born and why. We should see a big change from now on." Dr. Keller was right. Things began to move.

CHAPTER TWENTY SIX

THE hypnotherapy session had begun. Once Ashley was under. Dr. Keller said, "Ashley, tell me about Jim Cleary."

"I loved Jim. We were going to run away together and get married."

"Yes...?"

"At the graduation party, Jim asked me if I would go to his house with him, and I... I said no. When he brought me home, my father was waiting up for us. He was furious. He told Jim to get out and stay out."

"What happened then?"

"I decided to go to Jim. I packed a suitcase and I started toward his house." She hesitated. "Halfway to his house, I changed my mind and I went back home. I-"

Ashley's expression started to change. She began to relax in her chair, and it was Toni sitting there. "Like hell she did. She went to his house, Dockie."

When she reached Jim Cleary's house, it was dark. "My folks will be away for the weekend." Ashley rang the doorbell. A few minutes later, Jim Cleary opened the door. He was in his pajamas.

"Ashley. " His face lit up in a grin. "You decided to come." He pulled her inside. "I came because I—"

"I don't care why you came. You're here." He put his arms around her and kissed her. "How about a drink?"

"No. Maybe some water." She was suddenly apprehensive.

"Sure. Come on. " He took her hand and led her into the kitchen. He poured a glass of water for her and watched her drink it. "You look nervous."

"I—I am."

"There's nothing to be nervous about. There's no chance that my folks will come back. Let's go upstairs."

"Jim, I don't think we should."

He came up behind her, his arms reaching for her breasts. She turned. "Jim..."

His lips were on hers, and he was forcing her against the kitchen counter.

"I'm going to make you happy, honey." It was her father saying, "I'm going to make you happy, honey."

She froze. She felt him pulling her clothes off and entering her as she stood there naked, silently screaming.

And the feral rage took over.

She saw the large butcher knife sticking out of a wooden block. She picked it up and began stabbing him in the chest, screaming, "Stop it, Father.... Stop it... Stop it... Stop it..."

She looked down, and Jim was tying on the floor, blood spurting out of him.

"You animal," she screamed. "You won't do this to anyone again. " She reached down and plunged the knife into his testicles.

At six o'clock in the morning, Ashley went to the railroad station to wait for Jim. There was no sign of him.

She was beginning to panic. What could have happened? Ashley heard the train whistle in the distance. She looked at her watch: 7:00. The train was pulling into the station. Ashley rose to her feet and looked around frantically. Something terrible has happened to him. A few minutes later, she stood there watching the train pull out of the station, taking her dreams with it.

She waited another half hour and then slowly headed home. That noon, Ashley and her father were on a plane to London....

The session was ending. Dr. Keller counted, "... four... five. You're awake now."

Ashley opened her eyes. "What happened?"

"Toni told me how she killed Jim Cleary. He was attacking you." Ashley's face went white. "I want to go to my room."

* * *

Dr. Keller reported to Otto Lewison. "We're really beginning to make some advances, Otto. Up to now, it's been a logjam, with each one of them afraid to make the first move. But they're getting more relaxed. We're going in the right direction, but Ashley is still afraid to face reality."

Dr. Lewison said, "She has no idea how these murders took place?"

"Absolutely none. She's completely blanked it out. Toni took over."

It was two days later. "Are you comfortable, Ashley?"

"Yes." Her voice sounded far away.

"I want us to talk about Dennis Tibble. Was he a friend of yours?"

"Dennis and I worked for the same company. We weren't really friends."

"The police report says that your fingerprints were found at his apartment."

"That's right. I went there because he wanted me to give him some advice."

"And what happened?"

"We talked for a few minutes, and he gave me a glass of wine with a drug in it."

"What's the next thing you remember?"

"I—I woke up in Chicago."

Ashley's expression began to change. In an instant, it was Toni talking to him. "Do you want to know what really happened...?"

"Tell me, Toni."

Dennis Tibble picked up the bottle of wine and said, "Let's get comfortable." He started leading her toward the bedroom. "Dennis, I don't want to—"

And they were in the bedroom, and he was taking off her clothes.

"I know what you want, baby. You want me to screw you. That's why you come up here."

She was fighting to get free. "Stop it, Dennis!"

"Not until I give you what you came here for. You're going to love it, baby. "

He pushed her onto the bed, holding her tightly, his hands moving down to her groin, it was her father's voice. "You're going to love it, baby." And he was forcing himself into her, again and again, and she was silently screaming, "No, Father. Stop" And then the unspeakable fury took over. She saw the wine bottle. She reached for it, smashed it against the edge of the table and jammed the ragged edge of the bottle into his back. He screamed and tried to get up, but she held him tightly while she kept ramming the broken bottle into him. She watched him roll onto the floor.

"Stop it," he whimpered.