r been so afrai

why Daniel's future had been destroyed, why Damien had disappeared, and w

s were finally

ginning to wis

was there?" A

, tears shini

s waiting outside because I had been called in to give my statement. But b

you tell me

ur mother had something

chest t

hear an

omething he hadn't done. Then your mother told him that sometimes protec

stared

re her ex

es

echoed inside

the peopl

ad meant when she begged A

ething he hadn't done becau

whom had he b

stepped

see anyone else e

a hes

ard V

nt comple

oked betw

was at the sch

tly before your mother. He left through t

ntion this earlier

ho he was until Daniel s

iped her

to forget that night. Do you

ression soft

I'm s

at the photogr

had been standing in the same build

her had bee

out this m

what happened at that

en n

to find out who's

d toward

bout this meeting, and don't answer unknown

folded

n't my b

getting threatened because he

ing, a small la

ooked su

expressio

e she

diately sto

et comfo

ldn't

t, the tension be

remembered

appened the night

oked a

d to tell me

wil

he

es met

r tom

tomor

d to confirm s

but exhaustion was beg

. Tom

en n

Ame

ha

that railway

ooked

ecided wheth

both knew

-

wing evening, Amelia stood i

a's house to study. It was the first lie she h

the least of

e shoes. Daniel's letter was tucked securely inside

one vi

Are yo

typed a

IA:

se came im

Good. St

frow

IA:

ecause I'

shed to t

car was parked

eside it, hold

pped out through the front

e you do

u don't do anyt

unbeli

, here y

ared a

eed to let y

kno

go h

N

ed her mout

raised

re going to the railway station. I'm not asking you t

tudie

I don't t

ce. But let me make su

his voice mad

t teasin

enuinely

ou know I

y. You barely spoke to anyone in class, and yo

arrowed

been wat

, you're diffi

, but she couldn't

still an

till going to

si

to control what I do,

ea

as the sun began to disap

minutes, n

n broke th

I should tell you b

urned to

uth you've been

t of

only

n't have all

lded h

t tal

his eyes o

outside the disciplinary office. I had copi

't you go

principal said Daniel had requeste

u belie

want to make thing

a swa

appened

like she'd been crying. She told me to

stared

ha

about Daniel, I'd stop try

ld she s

sed to leave. I waited un

nd

his grip on the

g restricted files and that the investigation was

leaned

ha

o protect a guilty person is to mak

felt

esn't ma

me either. Not until Dani

did he

ilent for se

me he w

y for

g me into the investigation. For making

swallow

me to stay a

s breat

hy

se to you, the people respons

d down at

hy you dis

es

u tell me when

would protect you. And because I was

at him for a

ld have t

kno

to decide wha

w that

hey approached the

d a short di

uld open the doo

one mor

ned tow

confess because

art po

do you

one threatened to expose a

the air leav

t se

looked

. Daniel woul

, struggling to p

opened th

s fin

-

on had been closed to

aded signs hung crookedly above the abandoned ticket windows. Wee

amp flickered ne

hecked h

o'cl

mes

c

of anyon

rible idea," D

go back t

nsideri

oo

dering how much trouble you'll

im a sidew

't know when to

you're i

d him before he

looked

ond, neit

leared h

cause you'r

cour

ely stu

lking, B

most

came from t

lia

f them

ear the old t

dark coat and holding a folded umbrella. His face

stepped

are

glanced

you to co

ien replied. "You'll h

died him fo

ndered when you'd retur

n sti

kno

your f

ession crossed

iced it im

r have to do with any

gnored th

ave the p

nto her bag but

er mine. What happe

xpression g

ulating scholarship records. He believed the evidenc

he ri

mos

s respo

anced towa

uestion you shou

me somewher

and the danger before yo

patienc

ling me to stop asking questions. My brother lost two years

her with something

ave. But he ma

mist

d the wron

throat

ho

n hesi

aid, "You

d seemed

stepped

ref

raised b

the fraud. I'm telling you that sh

shook h

t's not

re Daniel began investigating. She helped organize records and review a

hy

one threatene

f the conversati

ing to pr

hey threate

lowered

ther's b

stared

changed the subject whenever anyone mentioned the scholarship scandal.

f he knew

ther hiding?"

er, headlights swept acro

ed into the st

ression chang

posed to be her

abbed Ame

ed to

ven't told me

envelope from his coat

open it until you'

accep

are

irectly int

person who handled the original s

aching ca

r sla

face we

foun

melia toward th

un

the road as footstep

ked over h

emerged from

tance, she reco

fa

!" he s

tly that Damien near

toward them, his e

e you do

the envelope a

e you do

n, then at the aban

the ca

N

s expressio

n't as

him this way before, but

about the scho

ace c

or a s

he sa

id you h

wer

ed at the envel

r disappeared fro

laced it

quietly, "give m

pped ba

hy

't understand wh

plain it

ked at

her

didn'

erves th

er turne

what you're inte

tell

s, the two men sta

oke in a voice so quiet

nvelope, you will d

htened her

envelope is what happened to this famil

walked toward

er didn'

the passenger door,

ia, w

tu

ere filled

confess to pr

s heart

y did he

her loo

e was prot

allowed th

t her father, u

de her, his expre

ope seemed suddenly heavier tha

el's downfall might not have been caused by a strang

ide a bicycle, held her hand on her first day of school, and

fa