Page 120 of After Anna

“Molested?”

“Tried to kiss her and touch her breast, in the bathroom.”

“No!” Kathy gasped again.

“Yes.” Maggie was still whispering.

“How do you know?”

“I don’t for sure. But I think…” Maggie swallowed hard, struggling to stay in emotional control. “I didn’t believe it myself. I wouldn’t have believed it. But then I got a text and he saw Jordan in Miami. He was in her hotel room.”

“He saw her, the fetus?” Kathy asked, in confusion.

“Yes. He told me he didn’t see her but then she sent a text, and he had to admit that he lied.”

“What does that have to do with Anna?”

“Let me explain,” Maggie said, launching into an account of everything that had happened, the words gushing as if she was bleeding them. She texted Kathy the photo of Noah in the hotel room, and after Kathy had gotten the photo, her tone hardened, which made Maggie’s chest tighter. “Kathy, you think he did it, don’t you? The picture convinced you, I can tell.”

“I can’t believe this, and I didn’t, but this photo…” Kathy let the sentence trail off.

“What’s thematterwith him?” Maggie asked, anguished.

“God knows. How’s Anna?”

“Sleeping.”

“Where’s Noah?”

“I don’t know and I don’t care.”

“And Caleb?”

“Asleep. I’m hoping he didn’t hear anything. I’ll check on him later and tell him that Noah had to go in to work.” Maggie edged forward on the chair, trying to collect her thoughts. “Do you think Noah would do something like that? To Anna?”

“I wouldn’t have before, but I don’t think it’s impossible, not since I’ve seen that photo. Something must be going on with him.”

“He tried to molest mydaughter.” Maggie rubbed her face, feeling a wave of pain. “I can’t let him back in the house.”

“No, you can’t.”

“I have to protect Anna. I owe her that, as my daughter.” Maggie heard herself saying the unthinkable. “I don’t know what this means for me and Noah. For our marriage. I just can’t bring myself to believe he would do such a thing. Anna didn’t even tell me the first time it happened, at the driving lesson. She didn’t want to upset me. I don’t know if she would’ve said anything if he hadn’t tried it again.”

“I’m glad she did, even though it’s awful.”

“I am too.” Maggie sighed, weepy. Heartbroken.

“Even if he didn’t do it, you have to err on the safe side. He should move into a hotel or rent something, for a while. You need to get her to a therapist, and him too. Do you think he’ll agree to that?”

“He has to. I’ll make it a condition to his coming home.” Maggie couldn’t believe that her life had gone from blissful to disastrous in a single week. She held back her tears.

“Maybe the pressure’s getting to him?”

“What pressure? The pressure isn’t any different than it has been before.”

“Maybe Anna moving in, or Mike, that patient he lost? Or is it his own grief, over Karen? Somehow it’s setting him off.”

“Setting what off?” Maggie racked her brain. “What if he just has a thing for younger women?”