The Sisters question

That was my question too.

They needed people to believe they were in love to explain that was why Butcher was so despondent and drunk that it was believable that he committed suicide . And because they were all gone, that would explain why Bertie went off on her own. I did have a little issue with that - she's only 13 at the time (did I remember correctly - 8th grade graduation - ?). Where would a 13 year-old girl head off to when all her family was gone??