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"Why would anyone want to even consider the family is suspect in bringing harm to Elizabeth? That doesn't make sense at all."

This is one of those epic moments, Varina, when you and I are in agreement.

Well. Maybe.

The police say they aren't giving the family a pass.
After all the coverage, I don't think there's been anything that indicates any of the family are mean and low enough to do in Elizabeth. But there is always the possibility of mental illness on the part of some family member, you know, Varina. (You do know of such things....don't you?)

Probably no one in Elizabeth's family is sick/evil enough to have done her in. But I do think it is at least possible that Elizabeth didn't put up a fuss when she was led out of the house--either because she (someone with a 14-yr-old mind) TERRIBLY misjudged someone she found attractive, or, more likely, b/c the criminal convinced her that she would soon be coming back. Either way, Elizabeth is certainly not to blame.

Ed might also suspect that poor naive Elizabeth may have fallen prey to the sort of unrealistic attraction that 14-yr-old girls can feel. Maybe his strange phrasings, etc., come about b/c he IS holding something back--what he might be holding back on is, he might be trying to keep what he considers Elizabeth's honor from being sullied.

Ed might also suspect that poor naive Elizabeth may have fallen prey to the sort of unrealistic attraction that 14-yr-old girls can feel. Maybe his strange phrasings, etc., come about b/c he IS holding something back--what he might be holding back on is, he might be trying to keep what he considers Elizabeth's honor from being sullied.

I still think it's more likely it's someone she met outside the family, but who might be familiar with the family and its social/church/athletic pursuits. She probably didn't know him well at all, but maybe well enough to not put up too much fuss when he asked her to leave with him. Ditto for MK, who perhaps thought he could be "trusted" to bring Liz back home -- thus her 2-hour wait.

Other than than, it could be, as you suggested, a casual flirtation gone terribly wrong. He took it seriously, she didn't.