Page 165 of The Man Upstairs

I shook my head. “No. He didn’t build me up to it. He fought it.”

He looked up at the ceiling, more tears welling up, despite his tough exterior.

“Didn’t fight very hard, then, clearly.”

“Trust me,” I said, “he fought it.”

I saw the slam of hurt there in his heart. His lip trembled.

He took a breath. “My brother is a predator. A deviant. He’s uses girls, and exploits them. Manipulates them into giving him what he wants.”

My stare was fierce. I didn’t budge an inch to let him past.

“How do you know that?”

“It’s obvious.”

“Why is it obvious?”

I remembered Lola talking to me about Peter, just as I’d talked to her about Julian. I remembered the assumptions people had made based on age and nothing else, and they were wrong. All of them. Michael was wrong about Julian, too.

“Of course it’s bloody obvious,” he said. “The girls are too young to know better. They go along with his games because he primes them. Coerces them. Builds them up over time, until he’s ready to strike. Just like he’s done with you!”

I tried to stay calm.

“I’m asking you again, how do you know that?”

I saw him bluster, he shrugged.

“Of course I know it!”

“How? Have you spoken to them? Any of them?”

“Hell no! That’s the last thing we’d want to do! Make the girls relive it.”

He sounded like one of the people from this place. So quick to condemn things they don’t truly understand.

“Maybe you should speak to them, don’t you think? Get their opinion before you make judgements?”

“And maybeyoushould get an opinion of a therapist before you head back upstairs even one more time.”

Still, I didn’t move.

“I don’t need one. I love your brother, and he loves me.”

He laughed, shook his head at me. “He’s old enough to be your father.”

“Actually, he’s almost old enough to be my grandad.” I shrugged. “It’s an age gap, nothing more.”

“A thirty year age gap. THIRTY YEARS!”

Still, I didn’t budge.

“Yes, and so what? What does it matter?”

“It matters a LOT, I think you’ll find.”

“To who?”