Beyond the Shadow of War by Diane Moody

Author:Diane Moody [Moody, Diane]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Literature & Fiction, Genre Fiction, Historical, Romance, 20th Century, Historical Fiction
Amazon: B019FZFMHQ
Publisher: OBT Bookz
Published: 2015-12-15T05:00:00+00:00

Anya was surprised by the kind demeanor and concern of Framlingham’s police sergeant. She wasn’t sure what she’d expected, but the grandfatherly Sergeant William Ketner put her immediately at ease.

“As Lieutenant Janssen told you, we’re always aware of the trouble that stirs up whenever these Roberts boys show up. We’ve had run-ins with the family for years. Their mother died when they were little tykes, and their father let them run wild. He’s a drunk, and raised them to follow in his footsteps. Which is why we keep a close eye on them.

“I was told you gave Clayton Roberts quite a beating, young lady.” A slight smile edged his lips. “I’m sure he had it coming. But I’m curious. Where did a young woman like you learn to fight off a big, nasty brute like Clay Roberts?”

Anya glanced over at Charlie. He nodded, encouraging her to answer.

“I served with the Dutch Resistance for many years.”

He nodded. “I see.”

“We were taught how to defend ourselves and how to … eliminate hostiles.”

He said nothing for a moment. Then, “Mrs. McClain, I’m sure you did what you had to do. Nothing to be ashamed about. It may be the ugly side of war, but you survived. And that is something to be thankful‌—‌”

“Yes, but you see, the war is over, and I tried to kill him,” she blurted. “I wanted to kill him. It was as if I couldn’t stop myself. I hadn’t even thought it through. I just did it. As though I had no control whatsoever over my reaction, I just tried to kill him.” She moved her gaze to her hands, trying to still them. “And it scares me … to think I could do it without so much as a single thought.”

Ketner came around his desk and pulled up a chair beside hers.

“Mrs. McClain‌—‌Anya. We have all done things these past few years that we never imagined ourselves doing. You must have been quite young when the Germans occupied your homeland. It is unspeakable, the atrocities they inflicted on your country and so many others. And just because the war is over and the skies are no longer filled with bombers, or the roads cluttered with armored tanks, no one expected the trauma to disappear overnight. It takes time. For some, lots of time. But one day you will realize that knee-jerk reaction to strike out has abated, and you will once again breathe a sigh of relief in knowing you’ve overcome the hurt and the heartache you’ve experienced. Not forgotten‌—‌just overcome. Does that make sense to you?”

Anya nodded as she looked up. The compassion in his eyes had an immediate calming effect on her.

He patted her hand then stood up and returned to his seat behind the desk. “But the immediate problem before us is this Roberts family. Once Clay is alert, we’ll read him his rights and arrest him. Then once he’s recovered sufficiently, he’ll be moved to a cell here and prosecuted for assault. And much as I’d like to, I can’t lock up his father and brothers, which means you are a potential target.

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