Katherine Walker

Katherine looks at the girl and lets her eat. She can't help but think. Did she ever think this day might be coming? Did she ever try to prepare for it, mentally, the death of her mother? Or had she stayed awake into the morning praying for it to not happen? Or all three?

Katherine remembered Norman and Kima and Jimmy and Danielson. she'd thought they'd been almost invicable at times. Others, she was terrified for their lives. But she'd known, known, that none of them would betray the others. That if they would die it would at least be a threat from outside.

Well, look at how that went.

But Stephanie had to live with that reality throughout her life. Walker might have fooled herself into thinking that her friend would not betray them: the girl knew from young that the people who should help her would hurt her, whether through abuse or neglet, and for a kid she was so old sometimes. So goddamn old. Walker had at least something approaching a proper childhood.

And the worst part of it was that this was not even an uncommon tragedy. It happened every day. Today it just happened to Stephanie Brown, another girl who never deserved the hand life gave her. And all Walker could do was try and teach her how to play it.

She interrupted her thoughts to buy a drink. She was probably going to need another batch by the end of the day.