Read Online The Innocent: The New Ryan Lock Novel by Sean Black - Free Book Online Page A

voice light.
    ‘Hey,’ she said. ‘You coming home for dinner?’
    It was one of the fundamental sacraments of their marriage that, wherever possible, he would eat with the family in the evening. ‘Sorry, got caught up with stuff.’
    She must have sensed something from his voice because she asked him, ‘You okay?’
    He reached up and rubbed his temple. ‘Just tired. All this excitement.’
    ‘Tyrone called.’
    ‘Oh, yeah?’ said Malik.
    ‘He sounded worried. Said he planned on coming up here next week to see us.’ There was a pause. Malik knew what was coming next. You couldn’t be married to someone for as long as he had, and sure as hell not a woman as smart as Kim, without her figuring out when something was off.
    ‘Are you going to tell me what’s going on?’
    Malik sighed. ‘Yes. Tonight.’ There was silence at the other end of the line. ‘Kim?’
    ‘Yes?’
    ‘I love you. You know that, right?’
    ‘Okay, now you’re starting to worry me.’ He could hear the kids arguing in the background, Landon teasing his little sister about some boy in her class.
    Malik’s eyes flicked to the rear-view mirror and the empty road behind him. He thought of his own kids, and what he would do if someone was messing with them in the way someone was with Jack Barnes.
    He’d see it, he told himself. But what if he didn’t? What if he and Kim had split up and he wasn’t around them? Or he was totally wrapped up in work to the exclusion of all else? What then? He doubted Kim would let it happen. But what about Eve Barnes? She hadn’t seemed like a bad mom. She loved her son — that was obvious.
    More questions tumbled around in his mind. He’d read that most abuse went on in families. It was relatives or friends who hurt kids, not strangers skulking around play parks. Most people remained oblivious, either because the perpetrator covered their tracks, or maybe because something in their subconscious shut it out.
    What if someone else knew Malik’s son or daughter was being preyed on? He’d expect them to tell him. He’d be angry if they said nothing. Above all else, he would want to know , however painful or gut-wrenching it was.
    In that moment, he knew he was going about this the wrong way. He had been all along. It was obvious what he had to do now. It was staring him right in the face.
    ‘Sweetie,’ he said to his wife, ‘you go ahead and eat without me. I’ll be a little longer. There’s something I forgot to do earlier.’
    What had been apprehension in his wife’s voice was replaced by irritation. ‘What did we talk about when you took this job? It was so we could spend more time together as a family.’
    ‘I know, baby. I know. But this is important.’

Nineteen
    Eve Barnes opened the door, a glass of red wine in her hand, her glazed eyes suggesting that, even though he’d left only a half-hour before, this wasn’t her first of the evening. ‘Coach Shaw?’ she said, startled.
    ‘There’s something I need to talk to you about. In private.’
    Malik followed her into the living room again. ‘Jack, could you go tidy your room? I need to talk to your mom,’ he said.
    The boy’s eyes pleaded with him. It was the look Malik had seen in them on the night they had first met. A toxic mix of shame and guilt. It was time to put an end to it, or at least to begin the process. Malik saw it now for what it was: a festering wound that would only grow worse without air and light. Of course Jack didn’t want Malik to tell his mom what he’d seen. But Malik knew he had no alternative. To stay silent. To say nothing. To allow whatever was going on to continue. None of those were options.
    Eve Barnes wasn’t smiling now. She looked worried. She knew something was wrong. Very wrong. And she knew it related to her son.
    The boy threw down the games controller, and ran off to his room. There was a loud bang as he slammed the door.
    Malik closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them, Eve was