West

Did Carter know? Was this the latest truth he kept from me? I went to my bed and plucked the phone from its hiding spot in the folds of Taylor's clothing. Unable to stop my tears or the pain in my breast, I sent him a message.

Did you know John killed his daughter and her nanny (now my nanny) helped him cover it up?

It was dark out and I was claustrophobic again. One Josie was buried in the cemetery and another three thrown in the well. Where would I end up?

Wiping my face, I pulled on my coat and went to the door. Carter's message stopped me before I opened it.

Nanny? Josie, I know you're upset right now, but I need you to answer this question now. Who is this nanny? Name? Description?

I hesitated, not wanting to fall for another of his tricks. Certain he could have nothing bad to say about John's long time servant, I responded and tucked the phone away.

This time, it was the flow of memories that made me pause.

Nell hadn't left. She stood outside my door, her memories jumbled, shadowy, and then clearing to form images I didn't expect.

She opened the door to the bedroom made anew and saw Josie on the bed, smiling. The blond woman wasn't a perfect match by any means but she was close. John would be happy with this one, happier than he was with the last one.

My breath caught. The memories skipped and broke, and another one formed, this one powerful.

Nell watched the blond woman at the well. It was dark. This Josie had disappointed John, told him the truth about who she was, and John was hurt again, the way he had bee the night his daughter died.

Moving quietly, Nell approached her from behind and gathered her strength. She pushed hard. The woman went into the well without a sound, and Nell pulled the woman's devil's box from her pocket to shine the light down into the well.

The blank blue eyes of the broken woman below stared up at her.

"It is done," she whispered.

John could not be disappointed.

I couldn't move, couldn't breathe. I fumbled for the lock to my door with one hand before recalling that Nell had a key.

The memories flowed, repeating the scene and what happened next. Confused, I watched Nell push each of the time traveler Josies into the well then cover it with wood. Nell had returned to John and told him his daughter fled. She then recalled greeting the newest Josie with hope that this one would make John happy again, the way he was before he murdered his daughter. When the other Josies admitted the truths about their identities to John, Nell acted. Three times this had occurred before I arrived.