163 Civic Duty

As Eva suspected. If you ignored the fact that he was the son of a serial killer, Billy Thornton was also a traumatized child.

"John, you're a social worker. Would you say that neglected children tend to cling to things the same way trauma victims do?" she asked.

He made a thoughtful noise. "Depends on the situation. I'm not sure I see what you're getting at."

"I'm wondering why he saved her in the first place. Think about it from a neglected seven-year-old's perspective instead of a potentially dangerous killer's. What if they met somehow before the Dixons were killed and Hazel did something nice for him?

"Wouldn't that be sufficient reason to say or do anything to keep her alive? And then afterward, finding her again and doing anything he could to make her happy because she had made him happy once. It would account for the inconsistencies in his behavior," Eva finished.