The Happiness Inquisition
Page 7
“Brent says there’s a chance that they’ll pressure you into making a statement against me and if you don’t they’ll come after the kids. If it gets that far, we’ll do what Brent and Odette did. We’ll separate and make our own arrangements, maybe move, but I don’t want the kids to live in a home.”
“But, Will, they can’t accuse you if they have no proof.”
“Murderers are innocent until proven guilty, Beth, but parents are guilty until proven innocent. That’s what Brent says, anyhow.”
“Maybe we should emigrate.”
“Even that won’t work,” Will answered. “They won’t let you into another country if you have a police record, even if it was based on a lie. I probably won’t even be able to travel abroad anymore. That’s why I want you to divorce me, so the kids can still have a life.”
Beth’s stomach contracted and it was only lucky that she’d not eaten anything today or it would have landed on the floor. But what had made it respond so violently wasn’t sadness or fear. It wasn’t even shame. It was anger. Beth had never in her life felt this much anger. Her children’s lives were over because her husband had saved another child from ending up in hospital for a silly game of truth or dare.
Well, if truth didn’t matter to the police and morality advised treason in the name of anonymity, Beth had no choice but to make one of those calls herself.
She took out the phone book to look for the number and decided that the next time the kids were threatening to set somebody else’s child on fire, she would let them.
“Hello? Is this Voice…?”