Chapter 10
Alex called shortly before midnight.
We were home by then.
Lily was asleep in our bedroom because neither Sarah nor I wanted her alone.
I sat on the floor beside the bed with my phone pressed to my ear.
“Jared went with officers voluntarily for further questioning,” Alex said.
“What happens now?”
“That depends on the evidence, statements, and what prosecutors decide after review.”
I glanced at Lily.
“Will the recording matter?”
“It could matter quite a bit.”
“Claudia will hire attorneys.”
“I assumed she would.”
“She knows people.”
“Ryan.”
Something in Alex’s tone stopped me.
“I know you’re worried about influence. But don’t get ahead of the process. Save everything. Don’t edit the recording. Don’t post about this. Don’t argue with anyone in the family over text.”
“Okay.”
“And don’t let them pressure Lily for a statement.”
“They won’t get near her.”
“Good.”
I thanked him.
Before hanging up, Alex said, “You did the right thing by staying controlled tonight.”
I stared at the bedroom wall.
“I didn’t feel controlled.”
“You acted controlled. That’s what mattered.”
After the call, I remained on the floor.
Sarah sat on the edge of the bed.
“What did he say?”
I told her.
She nodded.
Then she looked down at her hands.
“My mother will call tomorrow.”
“Probably.”
“She’ll make it sound reasonable.”
“I know.”
“She’ll say Jared is sorry.”
“Maybe.”
“She’ll tell me we’re destroying the family.”
I reached for her hand.
“What do you want to do?”
Sarah looked at Lily.
“I don’t want to answer.”
“Then don’t.”
“You make that sound easy.”
“It isn’t.”
She gave me a tired smile.
“No.”
A minute passed.
Then Sarah said something I had not expected.
“When I was fourteen, Jared threw a plate against the kitchen wall because I changed the television channel.”
I stared at her.
She kept talking.
“Mom made me clean it up.”
“Sarah.”
“She said he had a temper and I needed to stop provoking him.”
I felt my chest tighten.
“There were other times?”
She nodded.
“He never did exactly what he did tonight. But he scared us. A lot.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
Her eyes filled.
“Because when you grow up with something, Ryan, you don’t always know how strange it is until you see it happen to your own child.”
I sat beside her.
May you like
That night, Sarah began telling me the history of her family.
And I finally understood that what happened at dinner had not begun at dinner.
