Page 132 of In the Air Tonight

“You probably don’t remember me. I’m Mary Elliott.”

Oh shit. Ryder’s mother. “I, um, I remember you.” Even if I didn’t immediately recognize her, I do now that she’s filled in the blanks for me. Her hair has gone gray, and her face is more lined than it was the last time I saw her. She was one of those people who was at every game and event at the school. She blended into the fabric of our town. “What can I do for you?”

“I think you know why I’m here.”

“I can’t help you with that.”

“Can’t you?”

“No, I can’t.”

“You could tell them you’re not going to testify after all.”

“I’m not willing to do that.”

“Why would you come forward after all this time?”

“Because I should’ve done it then but wasn’t strong enough to deal with peer pressure and the fear of everyone hating me. I don’t care about that anymore.”

“Ryder is agoodman,” she says tearfully. “He’s a loving husband and father to three sweet kids who adore him. His life went off the rails when it became clear he was going to lose Louisa. I don’t say that to make excuses for him.”

“There’s no excuse in the world for what he did that night.”

“Maybe you saw it wrong.”

“I didn’t see it wrong, Mrs. Elliott. I saw him rape her, and I’m going to testify to that. I’m sorry if that hurts you and your family, but it’s the truth. You should take it up with him.”

“You think I haven’t?”

The vehemence in her tone puts me on edge. Do I need to be afraid of her?

“That’s enough,” Jack says from behind me as Fenway runs over to him, greeting him as if she hasn’t seen him in days. “You need to be going, ma’am.”

She stares daggers at me. “I really hope you’ll think twice about what you’re doing.”

“Are you threatening me?”

“Not at all. I’m asking you to consider how your actions affect others.”

That statement is so preposterous coming from her that it’s all I can do not to laugh in her face. “My actions aren’t what caused this.”

“You should’ve stayed gone. Nobody missed you.”

“Get off my property,” Jack says. “Now.”

She gives me a hateful look and then gets in her car, blowing up dust as she stomps on the gas to back out of the driveway.

Chapter 26

Blaise

NOW

Jack puts his hands on my shoulders. “Are you okay?”

“Never better.”

“She had no right to come here and say any of that to you.”

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