Page 122 of In the Air Tonight

“The affidavit could come back to haunt the rest of us.”

“How do you know?” Arlo asks.

“A vibe I picked up when I spoke to the prosecutor before court. He said he’s going to call me to discuss another matter. There’s nothing else it could be.”

“Fucking hell,” Arlo mutters.

None of us says another word on the ride to my house. I don’t look at my phone because I can’t bear to see what might be waiting for me there.

As I walk through the door, I feel like a stranger in my own home, like I already don’t belong there. I hear the kids’ voices and wonder what they’re doing home. Then I realize that Caro wouldn’t have sent Miles and Grace to school to possibly face ridicule when the whole town knows I’ve been arrested.

“We’ll…ah…give you some time with your family,” Cam says as he drops the plastic bag with my belongings inside the door.

“I need someone to take my passport to the courthouse.”

“I’ll do that this afternoon,” Arlo says.

I turn to face the two men who’ve been my closest friends all my life. “Thank you both for being there for me.”

“Always,” Arlo says.

Cam leaves without saying anything, which says everything.

I square my shoulders and walk into the family room, uncertain of what to expect.

Miles sees me and lets out a scream as he runs to me. The girls are right behind him. I scoop them up and hug them tightly, inhaling the familiar scents of shampoo, maple syrup and sweetness.

When I put them down, Miles stands to the side, eyeing me warily.

I place my hand on top of his light brown hair. “I’m okay, buddy. Don’t worry.”

He’ll have other questions, for certain, but for now, that seems to satisfy him.

I turn to face my wife, who’s seated on the sofa, holding a mug of coffee. Her sister, Maggie, who lives in Philadelphia, is next to her. That Maggie is here says a lot about Caroline’s state of mind.

“Could I please speak to my wife in private?”

Maggie glances at Caroline, who stares straight ahead, looking through me rather than at me. The chill in the air sends a shiver through me. “Caro?”

After a long moment, she stands and walks upstairs to our bedroom.

“Stay with Auntie Maggie, guys,” I tell the kids as I follow Caroline.

Inside the bedroom, I close the door and lean back against it. My gaze darts to the bed where we made love like passionate newlyweds only two nights ago.

She has her back to me, arms crossed, head down in a position of defeat that makes me ache for having done that to her.

“I’m sorry.”

She spins around, her eyes flashing with outrage. “You’resorry? Well, that fixes everything. Apology not accepted.” She’s never spoken to me or anyone like that, and it takes me aback.

I take a step toward her. “I understand that you’re—”

“You understand nothing!I’ve been married to a lying rapist foreight years. I’ve slept next to a lying rapist for ten years and had three children with him only to find outI didn’t know him at all.”

“You do know me, Caro.”

She shakes her head and puts out her arm to keep me from coming any closer. “You’re a complete stranger to me.”

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