Page 28 of Monster in Disguise

"You... I killed a man," I repeat, waiting for condemnation.

"Yes, and I would have killed him, too. That wastrel! Now, about the confessional booth," she adds pensively.

"That's why I came back. I can't do it alone. I know this is too much to ask but..."

"No buts!" Sisi shuts me up and continues. "Come on, dress, and we'll figure it out." She gives me a big hug and lets me change into something more decent.

"I need to talk to Claudia first," I say, and she nods, stepping back to allow me into the room.

"I'll be here. Let me know when to come in."

I leave Sisi outside and tentatively open the door to the room.

"Mamma!" Claudia exclaims and comes towards me. "I'm sorry," she mumbles and starts crying.

"No, baby, no. It's not your fault."

"But you were mad... you screamed at me. You never scream." She mumbles, her small hands rubbing at her eyes.

"Shh..." I slowly pat her hair and lead her towards the bed.

"Claudia, my love, please tell me... has Father Guerra touched you like that before?" I don't know how I manage tomask the tremor in my voice. Claudia raises her dewy green eyes to look at me.

"Once... he told me he'd give me a chocolate every day if I let him." My heart is breaking as she tells me this.

"Did he... did he do more than that?" I almost don't want to know, but I must.

Claudia shakes her head.

"Are you sure? You can tell mamma; I promise I will not get mad."

"No." She shakes her head even harder. I want to believe her... My daughter... my daughter almost went through the same thing I did all those years ago. I bring her to my chest and I tighten my arms around her. She's fine... She's okay. And he's dead... He can't hurt her anymore. That's what I tell myself as I rock her in my arms.

A while later, Claudia is deep asleep. Sisi takes me aside and tells me her idea.

"It might work. No one will know if we bury him in the cemetery."

"How are we going to carry him there, though?" I whisper back at her.

"Your luggage case?" she suggests. That might just work.

We empty the luggage of all its contents, and then we leave for the chapel.

"Sisi, are you sure you want to do this? It's my fault... I can just tell them what happened." I don't want to drag her into my mess... The situation is getting out of hand. And itismy fault.

"And who'd believe you? You already said he's from a prominent family. They probably have enough influence to make sure you get blamed for everything. Think about Claudia. What would happen to her without her mother?" She asks, and I freeze. That's exactly what I'd been thinking about. What would happen to my daughter? Turning myself in doesn't seem like agood possibility, especially given that Father Guerra was Mother Superior's favorite.

"What if Mother Superior was in on it too?" Sisi suddenly asks. I turn sharply.

"What do you mean?"

"She knows that when you are on duty, I take over watching Claudia. With me doing double the chores, Claudia would be left alone."

"And vulnerable. You're right. He's been plying her with sweets to gain her trust since the beginning. And no one would have turned an eye if she went somewhere with Father Guerra. He's a priest after all." I add, but this just makes me even sicker to my stomach.

Were they planning this? To defile my beautiful baby? I can barely control the rage I feel inside at the thought... but I know I can't regret killing him, even if it was in self-defense. He wanted to hurt my baby.

Inside the chapel, we head straight for the confessional booth. Sisi is quiet as I open the door. She looks at Father Guerra's bloody body with an almost inscrutable expression.

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