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Kate’s Point Of View.
Given what he just said, Jacob seemed much calmer than I expected. His demeanor was as stoic as any I had seen. His disclosure, amounting to a government-sanctioned murder, went far beyond the need for my histrionics, such as the statement’s severity and impact might ordinarily demand.
Jacob shared something deeply personal, probably traumatic, so I needed to react calmly. I held his hand, leaned against the woodpile, and thought about what to say. When I spoke calmly, my tone felt odd, considering the words.
“You executed Klaus’s wife?”
“Yes. I shot her through the back of the head when she wasn’t expecting it. Karin felt no pain, which was the least I could do.”
I suddenly felt sick and overwhelmed with concern for my husband because his callous explanation didn’t match the character of the man I knew. My knees buckled, and my coffee mug fell, saved from destruction by deep snow underfoot.
Jacob held me upright, smiling with the confidence of a man who knew precisely what he was doing and saying.
“Are you okay, darling?”
“I can’t do this here, right now, Jacob.”
“Shall we go home? I can explain everything, and I am sure you’ll understand.”
“No, honey. We must say goodbye to everyone. Alicia needs to do that before we leave.”