The Damage by Caitlin Wahrer

Author:Caitlin Wahrer [Wahrer, Caitlin]
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Published: 2021-06-15T00:00:00+00:00

35

Julia Hall, 2015

Tony’s cell rang in the kitchen. Julia turned up the TV and left the kids on the couch, walking quickly to meet Tony as he answered the call. Tony had gotten home late that morning and told her what he’d done: found Walker’s home address on Salisbury’s registry, gone to Walker’s house, pushed him, threatened him. Julia had laid into him, he’d cried, she’d holed up with the kids in the living room, ignoring him as she tried to process the insanity he had just confessed to.

Then nothing had happened for hours. She was certain the quiet wouldn’t last.

And she was right. It was the detective on the phone.

“I just got a call from Ray Walker,” Detective Rice said.

Julia’s heart fell into her stomach. Tony was going to be arrested.

Tony opened his mouth to speak, and Julia held up a hand. Whatever Tony was going to say, she didn’t want the police to hear it. No admissions.

After a beat, Detective Rice said, “You there?”

Julia nodded at him.

“Yup,” Tony said.

“And Julia?”

“I’m here,” Julia said.

“Okay,” the detective said. “Tony, Ray Walker says you assaulted him at his house this morning.”

Julia’s gaze moved from the phone to her husband’s face. His puffy eyelids were closed and his brow was furrowed with worry.

“Says you threatened to kill him.”

A chill squirmed up her spine, and she shuddered.

“So it’s assault, terrorizing, tampering with a witness.”

Julia brought her hands to her face. The whole mess they were already living was going to start again, this time with Tony as the defendant. Her brain started listing potential outcomes: probation, jail time, a record. Tony’s office would find out—lawyers were the biggest gossips. The media would find out. They were already all over Nick’s case. Everyone would know.

After a long pause, Detective Rice said, “That’s what you might have been charged with.”

Julia lifted her face from her hands. Tony looked at her in confusion.

“He’s not pressing charges,” the detective said.

“What?” Julia asked.

“Yup. Not sure how you got so lucky.”

Tony handed Julia the phone and laid down on the kitchen floor.

“So . . . that’s it?” she asked.

“For now,” he said. “Tony. I don’t know what you were thinking. But this isn’t going to help anyone. You hear me?”

On the floor, Tony nodded. His head lolled on the tiles, his arms down at his sides.

“I’m not a big fan of the Boondock Saints, you hear?” Rice said. “You let us take care of this.”

“Thank you,” Julia said.

“Don’t thank me,” he said. “This would have been a different conversation if Walker wanted to press charges.”

They hung up.

“I don’t know what I was thinking.” Tony stared up at the ceiling. “I don’t know.”

Julia did.

Tony had always been a fixer. He liked to fix problems: mostly other people’s.

It took Julia a while to notice it, but once she did, it bothered her. The porch light at her apartment burned out: he showed up with a bulb, screwdriver, and stepladder. She caught a cold: he brought take-out soup and encouraged her to nap.

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