So Close I can Smell it

Ah. MEA. Finally. However, my vacation has been dampened a tad by the fact that I am sick with an infuriating cold. But, with a day off Thursday, and nothing to do but recover, I was able to read my outside reading book. For hours. I have exactly fifteen pages left and plan to finish it later tonight. So much has happened. The story took on a major turn, but I cannot decide if it was for better or for worse. Perhaps after reading my post, you will be able to decide. Now, where did we leave off?

Yes. Cal's situation with Gretchen.... trying to witness the terrible things her father does to her. Cal begins to take watch in a tree in Gretchen's backyard from where he can see her second story window. This proves to be a fruitless effort because the curtains are always drawn. But while on watch, Cal discovers that Gretchen's father leaves the house at precisely the same time every night. Cal is still not sure how he will help Gretchen, but is fearful she will go crazy before he can save her. So one day, he helps her ditch school to take a trip to Minneapolis, where Gretchen has a swell time, possibly the best time of her pitiful life. During this trip, Gretchen admits to Cal that her father made her sister, Helga, kill her own baby (little Jacob). She tells him he made Helga hold the baby underwater, and now keeps the baby in their FREEZER. (Talk about disturbing.) So, Cal gets this brilliant idea that if he can get the corpse and show it to authorities, Lutterman (Gretchen's father) will be put behind bars. One night, after Lutterman leaves and Cal has been keeping watch in the tree, he sneaks into their house, and grabs the baby from the freezer. Home free? NO. Lutterman ends up being right behind Cal, and starts chasing him with a butcher's knife! Cal runs for his life over the icy, winter roads, with a madman on his heels. At the last minute, he jumps on a passing streetcar, but drops little Jacob. Scarred out of his wits Cal derives a new plan, for he knows Gretchen's life is literally hanging by a thread....