River’s End

but hurt her for more than a year now, with your jealousy, your accusations, your drugs.”
    “I’m going into rehab. I know I’ve got a problem, and if I’d listened to her, if I’d only listened, I’d have been there that night and she’d still be alive.”
    “You were there that night, and that’s why she’s dead.”
    “No. No.” He pressed a hand to the glass as if he could pass through it and reach her. “I found her. You have to listen to me, Jamie—”
    “No, I don’t.” She felt the calm slide over her, into her. “No, Sam, I don’t. But you have to listen to me. I pray every day, every hour, every minute of every day that you
    ’ll suffer, that you’ll pay for what you’ve done. It’ll never be enough, no matter what they do to you, it’ll never be enough, but I’ll dream of you, Sam, in a cage for the rest of your life. That’ll help me get through.”
    “They’ll let me out.” Panic and nausea spewed into his throat, burned there. “The cops don’t have dick, all they want is headlines. And when I get out, I’m taking Livvy and I’m starting over.”
    “Livvy’s as dead to you as Julie. You’ll never see her again.”
    “You can’t keep my own daughter away from me.” Rage leaped into his eyes, with glimmers of hate at the edges. “I’ll get out, and I’ll take back what’s mine. You were always jealous of Julie. Always knew you were second best. You wanted what she had, but you won’t get it.”
    She said nothing, let him rave. His voice was an ugly buzz in her ear. She never took her eyes off his face, never flinched at the violence she saw there, or the vileness of the names he called her.
    And when he’d run out, when his breath was heaving and his fists clenched, she spoke calmly. “This is your life now, Sam. Look around you. Walls and bars. If they ever let you out, if they ever unlock the cage, you’ll walk out an old man. Old and broken and ruined. Nothing but a blip on a film clip running on late-night television. They won’t even remember your name. They won’t even know who you are.”
    She smiled then, for the first time, and it was fierce and bright. “And neither will Olivia.”
    She hung up the phone, ignoring him when he beat on the glass, watching coolly as the guard came over to restrain him. He was shouting, she could see his mouth moving, see the angry color flood his face as the guard muscled him toward the door.
    When they closed the door behind him, when she knew the lock had snicked into place, she let out a long breath. And felt the beginnings of peace. The minute she arrived home, David rushed into the foyer. His arms came around her, clutched her tight. “My God, Jamie, where were you? I was frantic.”
    “I’m sorry. There was something I needed to do.” She drew back, touched his cheek. “I’m fine.”
    He studied her for a minute, then his eyes cleared. “Yes, I can see that. What happened?”
    “I got something out of my system.” She kissed him, then drew away. Eventually she’d tell him what she’d done, Jamie thought. But not now. “I need to talk to Livvy.”
    “She’s upstairs. Jamie, your father and I talked. I know they want to take her north, away from this.”
    She pressed her lips together. “You agree with them.”
    “I’m sorry, honey, but yes, I do. It’s going to be ugly here, for God knows how long. I think you should go, too.”
    “You know I can’t. I’ll be needed at the trial, and even if they didn’t need me,” she continued before he could speak, “I’d have to see it through. I’d have to, David, for myself as much as for Julie.” She gave his arm an absent squeeze. “Let me talk to Livvy.”
    She climbed the steps slowly. It hurt, she thought. Every step was painful. It was amazing, really, just how much pain the human heart could take. She opened the door to the pretty room she’d decorated specifically for her niece’s visits. And saw the curtains drawn, the lights blazing in the middle of the day. Just another kind of prison, she thought as she stepped inside.
    Her mother sat on the floor with Livvy, playing with an elaborate plastic castle and dozens of little people. Val glanced up. kept her eyes on Jamie’s, her hand on Livvy’s shoulder.
    The gesture told Jamie just how torn her mother was, so she managed to fix on a smile as she moved forward.
    “Well, what’s all this?”
    “Uncle David bought me a castle.” Sheer delight bubbled in Olivia’s voice.