CHAPTER 49

49

LOG 10/16/2023 21:26 GMT-4

TRANSCRIPT: AUDIO/VIDEO RECORDING Analysis Note: The subject has been staring at the water bottle for nearly two minutes without a sound. Sordello has made no attempt to break him from this reverie. Although his vitals have not changed in any way, I would like to point out the stillness of him; it's like he's catatonic or sleeping with his eyes open. When this moment appeared in the video, I had to consult the time stamp to confirm the image hadn't frozen—he is that still. When she finally spoke, he blinked. Seemed to snap out of it.

Sordello: What do you think she saw back at her house? Maro: She's just a kid. Could be anything. Sordello: At some point, you must have suspected the water. Maro: Hollows Bend has some of the purest water in the world. Sordello: Did you test it? Like those kids? Maro: Hollows Bend has some of the purest water in the world. Analysis Note: He repeated this three more times, like some kind of mantra. Like he was trying to convince himself.

Sordello: Sick. Infected. Crazy. Angry. Paranoid. Those are the words you used to describe it. If not the water, what did you believe was the cause? At this point, you still hadn't talked to the girl. Did you believe she was connected or just another victim? What do you think was behind it all? [ Silence. Subject scribbles something on the back of the coroner's folder. ] Sordello: Deputy? What did you just write? [ Subject holds up the folder so she can make it out. He wrote: We suffer the Malcolms of the world. ]