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Draw inspiration from the subject line of an email you recently received, part 4

You can read part 1 here, part two here, and part three here.

"This is Sarah Jennings recording a fourth session with subject Jennifer Townsend, inmate number 32461, on December 24th at 3:11pm. For the record, do you, Jennifer Townsend, consent to being recorded?" 

"Of course," cooed Jennifer.

"What do you want to talk about today, Jennifer?"

"Oh but you usually decide my dear Clarice."

Sarah shrugged, "I wanted to open it up this time."

Jennifer smiled, "A Christmas gift?"

"If you like."

"Well then," said Jennifer, leaning forward, "let's talk about Christmas."

"Please do," said Sarah, readying her pen.

"I always loved Christmas," said Jennifer, whistfully. "Even with Tom. His girls would be on good behavior, and so would he, and he bought me gifts."

"What gifts?"

"You know, I'm not sure I remember," replied Jennifer evasively. Sarah suspected there was a lot she wasn't saying. "But everything was calm and quiet."

"Did you go to church?"

"What?"

"Did you go to church?"

"What for?"

Sarah shrugged noncommittedly, "Some people go to church on the holiday."

"Those people believe in God," spat Jennifer, "What makes you think I believe in God?"

Sarah sensed that she had somehow taken a wrong turn. "I'm sorry, Jennifer, I didn't mean to imply anything."

"No, you cleverly like avoiding that, don't you?"

Sarah clicked her pen closed and looked at Jennifer. "I try to be objective."

"Clarice, Clarice, Clarice," Jennifer said shaking her head, "objectivity is, like many things in this life, a fairy tale."

Sarah clicked her pen open again and jotted down a note. "What else is a fair tale?"

"Christmas."

"I thought you said you liked Christmas."

"Little girls like fairy tales, Clarice."

Another note. "What else do you want to tell me about Christmas?"

"I remember it being a happy time when I was little, but we couldn't have been that happy. We were poor, my mom was, well, not with it I'll say. But I guess my dad was out of the picture so that was a positive." Jennifer paused in thought, "That's common, isn't it?"

"What is common?" asked Sarah.

"Absent fathers."

"I suppose."

"No, I mean for serial killers. We tend to have daddy issues, don't we?"

Sarah made a note at the use of the word 'we.' "I believe absent and/or abusive fathers are common, yes."

"But they're not part of that trio thing?"

"The Macdonald triad?"

"Yes, that." Jennifer fell silent and got a serious look on her face for a moment. "Remind me what they are again?"

No use in lying, thought Sarah. "Arson, cruelty to animals, and bed wetting."

"Those seem common enough," replied Jennifer thoughtfully.

"If you say so," said Sarah evenly. "Did you want to get back to discussing Christmas?"

"If you say so," smirked Jennifer. "But you know, there is something I can't shake about you."

"What is that?"

"You seem familiar."

"We've met several--"

"I don't mean that, Clarice. You seemed familiar when I met you."

"I don't know what to tell you," replied Sarah, for she didn't know. Feeling nervous though, she quickly added, "Well, it's my time to go. I hope we can meet again."

"Merry Christmas, Clarice."

"Merry Christmas, Jennifer."

(Prompt by Kimisha Cassidy)

Confession of a Serial Killer: The Untold Story of Dennis Rader, the BTK Killer by Katherine Ramsland (UPNE, 2017)

Full subject line: "Confession of a Serial Killer - Documentary on A&E in January 9781512601527"

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