Page 41 of What Have You Done?

‘It’s good that you told her,’ Kelly says, ‘because things are about to get ugly.’ His voice is tight.

‘I already know,’ Brad says wearily. ‘A reporter was here a little while ago. I had to throw her out.’

‘That one from KCVS?’

‘Yeah.’

‘She was here too,’ Kelly says.

Brad wishes he knew exactly what Kelly had said to her, but he’s not about to ask now, not with Ellen listening.

‘There’s something else you need to be worried about.’

Brad’s heart almost stops. ‘What?’

‘Another girl has come forward today, about you. She’s gone to the police.’

‘What?’ Brad says, his world spinning.

‘I thought you should know,’ Kelly says, and hangs up, as if he wants nothing more to do with it.

Ellen leaps up and runs to the bathroom. He hears her retching into the toilet.

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

IN THE BATHROOM, Ellen splashes water over her mouth with trembling hands. Her mind reels. Another girl. The phrase repeats over and over again in her mind. Brad hadn’t said anything to her about any other girl. What else is Brad hiding from her? Is everything that comes out of his mouth a lie?

She has to pull herself together. She will ask Brad about this other girl. And then she’ll leave. She can’t stay here. If the man she’s supposed to marry can behave improperly with his teenage students, she doesn’t know who he is. If it was one girl, she might be making it up. But if there was more than one … another girl …

And – oh God – this other girl has been to the police. What has she told them? And what will Ellen say if the police want to interview her?

He’s been trying to hide it, but she can tell how frightened Brad is. There must be a reason.

Now he’s knocking at the bathroom door. ‘Are you okay in there?’ He sounds alarmed.

She opens the door and faces him. She brushes past him into the living room, picks up her jacket and her bag, and turns to him. ‘What is this other girl going to say about you?’ she demands.

‘I don’t know,’ he says, his voice climbing. ‘I never did anything to anyone – not Diana or anyone else! You must believe me!’

But she doesn’t believe him. Not any more.

‘Ellen, sweetheart, don’t leave,’ he begs, his eyes desperate.

‘I need some time on my own right now,’ she says as she walks to the door.

‘And I need to know if I can count on you,’ he says wildly to her back.

She doesn’t answer.

Sunday, Oct. 23, 2022, 9:30 p.m.

I got shit from my mom and dad when I got back this afternoon. I told them I hadn’t expected to be gone so long.

‘Where the hell were you with your mother’s car?’ my dad demanded, with his Sunday afternoon drunk on. He was weaving a little where he stood, looking at me blearily. I’ve always hated Sundays. I wondered again why my mother didn’t leave him.

I decided to tell them the truth. ‘Riley and I were following Joe Prior.’ My mother’s jaw dropped, literally. She stood there open-mouthed, unable to speak.

‘Who’s that?’ Dad asked vacantly. Always taking an interest, my dad.

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