Chapter 22 - Diane’s first letter
Diane wrote from custody.
First letter:
I am sorry everything became so extreme.
I did not answer.
Second:
I am sorry Lily was frightened by discipline I believed was necessary.
No.
Third came after months of therapy.
Daniel,
I put Lily in the dog kennel as punishment because I believed crying and resistance were ways she controlled adults.
There.
I locked the door.
There.
I hit the bars with a stick to frighten her into becoming quiet.
There.
I used a chain before the final incident and used it around her neck area that afternoon.
There.
I knew you would forbid the kennel if you knew.
There.
Then:
I recorded some incidents because I wanted proof that my method worked.
There.
And:
When she became quiet, I treated fear as improvement.
I stopped reading.
Returned later.
She wrote:
Claire disagreed with me about responding to Lily before Claire died. After Claire died, I decided your grief made you incapable of seeing that Claire had been too soft.
That hurt.
I used her death to give my opinion more authority.
There.
Then:
When you talked about hiring Sophie, I felt replaced. I told myself my anger was concern for Lily.
There.
Finally:
I did not intend to strangle or seriously injure her. That does not make putting a chain around her neck acceptable or safe.
Accurate.
I responded:
I received your letter. Thank you for describing your actions accurately. I am not considering contact with Lily at this time.
She answered weeks later:
I understand.
May you like
No argument.
New evidence.
