In the book, the mother, the husband, and the child are all shot to death. It was never really explained how it happened. The police report said that the mother shot the husband and the daughter and then herself.
But I personally chose to believe that the husband shot the daughter, then the mother shot the husband and then herself. The husband always seemed to hate the daughter, and he was a bit of an a**hole in general, so that just made more sense to me.
As for your second question, it was implied that the evil that embodied the house is embedded in the very blueprints (Walter and Colquitt believed that anything the evil was in Kim and all of his designs would be tainted), and that any house that is built with those specs would be haunted.
"Some people never go crazy. What truly horrible lives they must lead."
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reiki_david
14 years ago
The woman telling Col what happened said that there were two quick shots, followed by a third after a pause. The inclination is therefore just as the police report suggests. :)
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Franco_Zed
13 years ago
"But I personally chose to believe that the husband shot the daughter, then the mother shot the husband and then herself."
I like that interpretation. It might not hold up to scrutiny, but it's a great example of the various thoughts and interpretations this book can inspire. It's a really rich book. I don't think I can recommend it to my friend's wife, because she'll read it in one sitting, and therefore not function very well for a day or two.
_______
My Patronus ate my lunch.
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