misunderstanding. Tell me you didn’t actually hire someone to…”
She paused, before nodding. “I did.”
“Why?”
“Why do you think?”
“I don’t know!” he hissed, exasperated. “I just found out that my own wife tried to have me killed, I’m kind of struggling to process everything right now!”
“Because life would be so much easier if you weren’t here.”
He stared at her, clearly aghast at the words he’d just heard.
“Do you think I don’t know what you were doing?” she asked. “All those times you worked late, all those times you popped out for five minutes and didn’t come home until a couple of hours later. All those times you kept your phone real close, even when you went to the bathroom. Jesus, Bob, I’m not an idiot. I know exactly what you’ve been doing.”
Silence fell again.
“Having an affair,” he said finally, “is a little different to hiring an assassin. In the grand scheme of things, I mean. There’s a slight moral imbalance there.”
“I know.”
“I mean, they both hint at character flaws. I’m not saying I’m completely innocent here, but… Hiring someone to kill me? Seriously?”
“It just sort of happened step by step,” she replied. “It’s much easier to cross a moral line when you inch closer slowly, making lots of little decisions instead of one big one. Somehow, I just ended up at this point.” She paused. “Are you going to go to the police and have me arrested?”
“I…” He paused. “No. No, I’m not going to do that. For Lucy’s sake.”
“I don’t want her to know about any of this.”
“Neither do I.”
“So now we’re back to square one,” she continued, glancing along the corridor. “I’m not even going to ask you not to see that woman again. Hell, I doubt she’ll want anything to do with either of us again, but even so, you’d just go looking for someone else.”
She waited for a reply.
“It’s true, isn’t it?” she asked. “You would look for someone else, wouldn’t you?”
Again, she waited.
“You…” He paused. “You tried to have me killed.”
“Not really. I teased myself with the idea, but when I realized it might actually happen, I came to stop it.”
“Forgive me if that doesn’t make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.”
“Well,” she continued, leaning back in her chair, “it’s Christmas, and I suppose we should act happy for Lucy’s sake. Everything else, we can deal with in a few days’ time.”
“What the hell are you talking about?” he asked. “I was almost executed, Candy was actually shot! That was a real-life gangland thug you hired! Jesus Christ, Beth, do you have any idea what you’ve done? How can I even turn my back on you for a second? How do I know you won’t try to strangle me or stab me or…” His voice trailed off for a moment, before he leaned forward with his head in his hands. “Oh God, this is insane. I never thought you were this kind of person.”
“Me neither,” she replied, staring at the noticeboard on the opposite wall. “I guess maybe it runs in the family.”
***
Stopping at the kitchen drawer, Ben took a moment to wrap the gun in a towel before heading to the sink and starting to wash his hands. After a few seconds, he turned the lever on the side of the faucet and felt the water heating up, but he kept his hands in the stream even though his skin was starting to burn. Finally, unable to stand the pain for a moment longer, he pulled his hands back and examined them closely.
No blood.
“Hey.”
Turning, he saw Jane standing in the doorway. Her face was pale and her eyes were red-raw, and she had a slightly vacant expression, as if just walking and talking was a huge effort.
“I…” Ben paused. “Um, how are the kids?”
“Oliver’s crying. Stuart seems to be getting angry, I’m not sure what to do about that. I guess they’re both in shock. Your mother’s talking to them.” She made her way over to the breakfast bar
She paused, before nodding. “I did.”
“Why?”
“Why do you think?”
“I don’t know!” he hissed, exasperated. “I just found out that my own wife tried to have me killed, I’m kind of struggling to process everything right now!”
“Because life would be so much easier if you weren’t here.”
He stared at her, clearly aghast at the words he’d just heard.
“Do you think I don’t know what you were doing?” she asked. “All those times you worked late, all those times you popped out for five minutes and didn’t come home until a couple of hours later. All those times you kept your phone real close, even when you went to the bathroom. Jesus, Bob, I’m not an idiot. I know exactly what you’ve been doing.”
Silence fell again.
“Having an affair,” he said finally, “is a little different to hiring an assassin. In the grand scheme of things, I mean. There’s a slight moral imbalance there.”
“I know.”
“I mean, they both hint at character flaws. I’m not saying I’m completely innocent here, but… Hiring someone to kill me? Seriously?”
“It just sort of happened step by step,” she replied. “It’s much easier to cross a moral line when you inch closer slowly, making lots of little decisions instead of one big one. Somehow, I just ended up at this point.” She paused. “Are you going to go to the police and have me arrested?”
“I…” He paused. “No. No, I’m not going to do that. For Lucy’s sake.”
“I don’t want her to know about any of this.”
“Neither do I.”
“So now we’re back to square one,” she continued, glancing along the corridor. “I’m not even going to ask you not to see that woman again. Hell, I doubt she’ll want anything to do with either of us again, but even so, you’d just go looking for someone else.”
She waited for a reply.
“It’s true, isn’t it?” she asked. “You would look for someone else, wouldn’t you?”
Again, she waited.
“You…” He paused. “You tried to have me killed.”
“Not really. I teased myself with the idea, but when I realized it might actually happen, I came to stop it.”
“Forgive me if that doesn’t make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.”
“Well,” she continued, leaning back in her chair, “it’s Christmas, and I suppose we should act happy for Lucy’s sake. Everything else, we can deal with in a few days’ time.”
“What the hell are you talking about?” he asked. “I was almost executed, Candy was actually shot! That was a real-life gangland thug you hired! Jesus Christ, Beth, do you have any idea what you’ve done? How can I even turn my back on you for a second? How do I know you won’t try to strangle me or stab me or…” His voice trailed off for a moment, before he leaned forward with his head in his hands. “Oh God, this is insane. I never thought you were this kind of person.”
“Me neither,” she replied, staring at the noticeboard on the opposite wall. “I guess maybe it runs in the family.”
***
Stopping at the kitchen drawer, Ben took a moment to wrap the gun in a towel before heading to the sink and starting to wash his hands. After a few seconds, he turned the lever on the side of the faucet and felt the water heating up, but he kept his hands in the stream even though his skin was starting to burn. Finally, unable to stand the pain for a moment longer, he pulled his hands back and examined them closely.
No blood.
“Hey.”
Turning, he saw Jane standing in the doorway. Her face was pale and her eyes were red-raw, and she had a slightly vacant expression, as if just walking and talking was a huge effort.
“I…” Ben paused. “Um, how are the kids?”
“Oliver’s crying. Stuart seems to be getting angry, I’m not sure what to do about that. I guess they’re both in shock. Your mother’s talking to them.” She made her way over to the breakfast bar
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