Ann, this chapter was terrific! Clara's fear and confusion at being thrown in jail, her inner struggle with using her powers to break herself out (like father, like daugher ... ) and delving deeper into the diary were all superbly written pieces of this beautiful puzzle you're constructing for us.
I love it when the Mad Dog Lane we all know and love comes out with metaphorical guns blazing:
”Yeah?” Mom purrs dangerously. ”You arrest a twelve-year-old little girl… MY little girl… for no reason at all? You arrest her on no charges? You keep her locked up all night? You don’t let her make a phone call? You don’t let her call ME, her mother? You don’t deign to call ME and tell me you’ve arrested my daughter? You don’t ask for my parental consent to lock her up?”
Mom has been slowly advancing on the sheriff while she was saying all of this. And the sheriff’s been backing away, until she’s backed into a wall behind her.
And your Lois has an extra edge because she's Clara's mother — the protective, lioness instinct is out in full force:
Boy, if looks could kill, the sheriff would be six feet under already.
And then Jonathan Kent enters and — ahhh! Ann! Wait! What happens next?! What happened to D- er, Rick? Holy hiatus, Batman, do we really have to wait till the end of *next month* to find out?!
