Page 59

She leaned away from the doorframe and stepped into the kitchen.

“You actually don’t care that we aren’t safe.”

“Oh God.” He sighed. “That’s exactly it. Wearesafe, Katie.”

“You don’t know that.”

“What I care about is why you neverfeellike we are.”

“Wow.”

He turned slightly, side-on to her now.

“Can we not do this in front of Siena?” he said.

There was a pleading tone to his voice that she found insufferable. Once again, it was as though she was the one being unreasonable while he was having to work hard to pacify her.

“It’s notin front of Siena,” she said. “And can you not patronize me, please?”

“I’m honestly not meaning to.”

“And yet honestly you are. Why would I make it up?”

“Jesus. I don’t think you did.”

“So you think I imagined it?” She laughed. “Yeah, that’s actually worse.”

“I think you’re putting yourself under pressure that you shouldn’t. Maybe without you even realizing it.”

“Oh, really?”

He hesitated. Came to a decision.

“Okay,” he said. “Let’s do this, then, if that’s what you want. Who’s Nathaniel Leland?”

She opened her mouth to answer—but then shut it again. The question made no sense. How did Sam know about that? But then she looked at the chair by the kitchen table, saw her jacket from yesterday was still draped over the back, and remembered the news clipping.

The anger inside her intensified.

“You went through my pockets? How fucking dare you?”

She deliberately lowered her voice on the swear word, but it still caused Sam to turn round properly. He stared over her shoulder toward the front room, as though she’d screamed it in their daughter’s face, and then he looked at Katie, angry himself now.

“What?” he said. “Are you actually blaming me for that? A minute ago you wanted me to care. What am I supposed to do? You don’t talk to me anymore. And youliedto me, Katie.”

“What?”

“I know you weren’t at work yesterday. The school called.”

Shit.

“Wow,” she said. “At least you heard the phone over your music.”

“Oh, well done.” He pulled a face. “For what it’s worth, I told them you were in bed.”

“Thank you so much for the favor.”

“You’re welcome. So—where were you?”