Walking After Midnight by Katy Hutchison

Author:Katy Hutchison [Hutchison, Katy]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781608826223
Publisher: New Harbinger Publications
Published: 2006-10-01T04:00:00+00:00

chapter 11

face-to-face

Anger makes you smaller, while forgiveness forces you to grow beyond what you were.

—Chérie Carter-Scott, If Love Is a Game, These Are the Rules

June 2002 is unspeakably beautiful in Victoria. The swirling clouds of cherry blossom petals have blown away, and the gardens are a jeweled mosaic of rhododendrons, azaleas, roses, and peonies. The scent of lilac drifts lazily in the air.

Bob was killed in the cold, bleak darkness of winter. Four and a half years later, we are at last going to speak about truth, healing, and moving forward. It seems fitting that this should happen in the spring, when there is so much warmth, hope, and new growth.

The arrest is to happen on June 21. On that day I cannot bear to be at home. I can no longer watch the phone and wait for it to ring. I have waited too long and been disappointed too often. Instead I busy myself with wrap-up festivities at the school and try to think about anything other than what might be going on in Squamish.

Late in the afternoon, my curiosity gets the better of me and I check my voice mail. My heart pounds so loudly that I can barely hear the message from a police officer who asks me to call the Squamish RCMP detachment right away. Parked by the side of a busy road, watching people go about their normal business, I return the call. The arrest went off without a hitch. There was no resistance. Ryan Aldridge is in custody.

My body takes over. As I hang up the phone, I am shaking from head to toe. Sobs from the most wounded places leave me gasping for air. Ten minutes pass before I can compose myself enough to drive home.

Michael is away on a fishing trip. He and four old friends make an annual excursion to the north of the island in search of salmon, halibut, and male camaraderie. I can contact him only by radio phone. I decide to wait until I have more information before I try to reach him. The police have promised to keep me abreast of the interrogation as it unfolds. I secretly am relieved that Michael is going to be away through this. I know he has found it hard watching me shift this burden, trying to find a comfortable place to carry it. He will be back after it is over, to help me pick up the pieces and reenter the reality of our life together.

Emma and Sam bounce in the door together from the school bus. They are bursting with news about their end-of-year class parties and the sports day scheduled for the next week. Their innocent reality dangles oddly over the serious events in Squamish that have captured my attention. I sit them down to explain that Ryan has been arrested, and their questions and concerns tumble out.

“They won’t hurt him, Mum, will they?” Emma asks.

“What will he be eating in jail?” Sam ponders.

“Do his parents know?” they ask together.

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