Summary

Jack found his mother again. She was walking on the hard shoulder toward the phone. He was walking behind her, carrying Merry. His mother got further and further ahead and then just disappeared. He turned to see his mother behind him just as a knife slit his torso from his stomach to his neck.

The dream was so real that Jack woke grasping his stomach. Jack considered slipping away but remembered that he and Marvel had a deal. He knew that Marvel was trying to keep his end of the deal. More important, Marvel had given Jack hope that justice would be gotten in his mother’s murder.

Marvel, Reynolds, and Jack went back to Mrs. Creed’s house at 11 p.m. There were no lights on. They noticed the gnome was gone and the “for rent” sign was back in the window...