Contents
Chapter 70
Overview
After recounting her story, Elsie faces Libby and Adeem’s summary: her father killed Aunt Cess, while her sister’s death was accidental and her mother’s a suicide. Elsie rejects this, insisting her father was responsible for all deaths. The court record surfaces: she admitted killing her father, denied killing Cess, and Ness supported her. Libby highlights that every journal detail was verifiable except the entry about Daphne, casting doubt on a key element.
Summary
Elsie finishes a long confession to Libby and Adeem, who have listened silently. When they finally respond, Libby summarizes their conclusion: Elsie’s father killed Aunt Cess; Elsie’s sister died by accident; and Elsie’s mother died by suicide.
Elsie immediately rejects this framing. She insists that her father was the root cause of every death in their family, directly or indirectly, and says this is the core truth of her life, regardless of whether Libby and Adeem accept it.
Libby then references the legal outcomes: Elsie was found guilty of murdering both her father and Aunt Cess. Elsie reiterates her position—she admitted to killing her father but has always denied killing Cess. Libby notes that Ness testified for Elsie in court, also believing the father killed Cess.
Finally, Libby cites the court’s review of Elsie’s journals: the entries were detailed and consistently corroborated—weather, dates, activities—except for one element that could not be verified. The conversation lands on that anomaly: Daphne.
Who Appears
- Elsie (Mabel)Eighty-one-year-old narrator; rejects investigators’ conclusions; insists her father caused all deaths; admits killing him, denies killing Cess.
- LibbyInterviewer who summarizes official conclusions and highlights the unverified ‘Daphne’ in Elsie’s journals.
- AdeemInterviewer who listens without interruption; present as Libby outlines findings and the Daphne inconsistency.