I SEE YOU an unputdownable psychological thriller with a breathtaking twist by PATRICIA MACDONALD (bookstand for reading txt) 📗

We’re about to get her home. We’re about to get our lives back, and all you can think to do is invade her privacy and try to make her out to be . . .’

‘Reckless,’ he said, pushing the desk chair back and standing up. He pointed his index finger at Hannah. ‘Don’t deny it. She’s reckless and you know it.’

Hannah shook her head angrily. ‘I’m not listening to this. There’s something wrong with you. That’s all there is to it. You insist on thinking the worst of her.’

‘She deliberately risked her daughter’s safety. And we still don’t know if the worst happened to Sydney, thanks to all that alone time with Troy Petty. That little surprise lies ahead when we get her to a competent shrink. Lisa put Sydney in harm’s way and went on about her business. That’s the plain truth of the matter. How can you say that’s OK?’

‘I’m not saying that’s OK,’ Hannah protested. ‘But you’re just borrowing trouble. She could have searched that anywhere. There’s a computer on her phone, for heaven’s sakes. Of course she looked into it. She looked into it and found out that he was never charged.’

‘But of all the men in the world, this was the man she chose to date. To leave her child with,’ he said flatly.

‘Oh, excuse me,’ said Hannah sarcastically. ‘Now it’s about the fact that he was suspected of a crime. A crime for which he was never charged. I thought this was about the fact that Lisa didn’t research him.’

‘It’s about her deliberate carelessness,’ he countered.

‘You’re just fishing for some reason to blame her. How do you know she didn’t look it up on another computer? Or call someone? You’re just being . . . completely unfair,’ Hannah cried.

‘I don’t think so,’ he said.

‘Maybe she’s defiant because you don’t trust her,’ Hannah insisted. ‘Maybe you’re angry because we had to pay for a lawyer.’

‘You’re damn right I’m angry,’ he said. ‘She’s partly to blame for this. You insist on pretending that none of this is her fault.’

Hannah drew herself up, insulted. ‘I’m her mother. I’m aware of her shortcomings. Maybe more than you are. I’m the one who has gone to school when she got in trouble, or to see the guidance counselors while you were at work. I have talked to her till I’m blue in the face. I am not blind to the fact that she can be reckless and careless and she can act without thinking. But don’t tell me that she doesn’t love Sydney. That she wouldn’t protect her from harm, because that is just not true.’

‘I wish I could be sure of that,’ said Adam, shaking his head.

‘You’re talking about our child.’

‘She’s not a child any longer,’ he said stubbornly.

Hannah knew Lisa’s faults as well as Adam did. Better, maybe. Over the years she and Lisa had had more than their share of arguments. But Adam just seemed to be piling on blame. Now, when they were almost out of the woods. It wasn’t fair. ‘If you feel that way, maybe you shouldn’t be here when Lisa comes home,’ she hissed.

Adam jerked back as if she had slapped him, and glared at her. Hannah could see that he was making an effort not to reply. For her part, she felt horrible having said that to him, but she was in no mood to apologize.

‘I’m not going anywhere,’ he said. ‘Someone has to look out for Sydney.’

‘Like I don’t?’ Hannah demanded.

‘If the shoe fits . . .’ he said.

You bastard. How dare you, she thought, but she didn’t say it. She couldn’t. They’d had their fights over the years but she had never called him names.

‘I’m sorry,’ he said immediately. ‘That wasn’t fair. I know you’d do anything to protect Sydney. Or Lisa. Come on. Look, we shouldn’t be arguing about this. We need to stick together. Let’s go back to bed.’

Hannah shook her head, avoiding his gaze. ‘You go ahead.’

Adam put the desk chair back under the desk, and tried to cajole her. ‘Come on, babe. I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings. I’m . . . We’re just worn out.’

Hannah shook her head again. ‘Go on.’

He hesitated, peering at her worriedly, and then left the room. Hannah let him go. She sank back down onto the side of her daughter’s bed, limp with despair. After a few minutes, she pulled the covers back and slid under the sheets. She hugged one of Lisa’s pillows to her chest, thinking that she would never sleep now. She was shaking from the unfamiliar sensation of having bitter words with Adam. Why is he doing this? she thought. Here we are. Almost OK, and now he does this. Why? She fell asleep with the question descending, like a cloud of paralyzing fog, around her brain.

EIGHTEEN

The two of them seemed bruised, and were quiet at breakfast, politely passing the butter and jam. ‘Did you get some sleep?’ he asked her finally.

‘I slept,’ she said. ‘Not well. But I slept.’

‘I missed you,’ he said.

‘I didn’t mean to sleep in Lisa’s room. I just passed out,’ she said.

‘I’m sorry about that whole business last night,’ said Adam. ‘I was feeling . . . I don’t know. At my wits’ end.’

Hannah leaned over and wiped some cereal off of Sydney’s chin. The toddler was subdued as well. ‘Never mind,’ she said. ‘I understand.’

‘What are you going to do today?’ he asked.

‘Besides wait for the phone to ring?’

‘Of course,’ he said.

Hannah shook her head. ‘Well, I’m behind at work but I’m too stressed out to concentrate on anything. I think I’ll just keep Sydney here and spend some time with her.’

‘I have to keep my mind busy somehow. I think I’ll go into the office,’ Adam said. ‘I have so much piled up.’

‘What if the verdict comes