What Alice Forgot - Liane Moriarty [143]
It looked like the others did on the ultrasound. A tremulously blinking star.
I knew it wouldn’t blink for long.
I looked away from the ultrasound screen to Ben, and he was studying his hands.
Bad signs all around.
Breathe in. Breathe out. Breathe in. Breathe out.
After the butchers had finished their brainstorming I went up onstage and told them that my assistant Layla would be taking the remainder of the day, as if that was always the plan.
The butchers clapped her amiably when she stood up, a confused look on her face.
I walked out. I just couldn’t get that blinking star out of my damned head.
Alice was walking toward the library at the school (her body seemed to know that it was through that double red door at the corner of the schoolyard) when Dominick appeared. He looked ruffled, his face creased with worry.
“Alice,” he said. “I saw you through my office window. I’ve been trying to phone you.”
“Sorry,” said Alice. “I keep forgetting to charge my phone. Memory!” He didn’t smile. “I called Nick, too,” he said. “He’s on his way.”
“You called Nick? Why?” Was he going to fight him for her hand? Challenge him to a duel? (Except Nick didn’t want her hand anymore. So, you know, maybe not much of a fight. Sure, mate, have her.)
“We’ve got a problem,” said Dominick. “A serious problem with Madison.”
Elisabeth’s Homework for Jeremy
After I left the seminar I got a phone call from Ben. His voice sounded like sandpaper.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” he said.
I hung up.
I didn’t like his tone.
Chapter 28
“Is she all right?” Terror flooded Alice’s bloodstream, making her legs wobble so badly she had to hold on to Dominick’s arm to steady herself.
“Oh, yes, sorry.” Dominick smiled distractedly and patted Alice on the arm. “Physically, she’s fine. It’s just that we’ve had another incident, and I don’t think we can ignore this one.”
“Another incident?”
“Another bullying incident.”
“Someone is bullying Madison?” She would throttle the kid. She would demand to see the parents. She was light-headed with rage. Someone had hurt the Sultana and she was going to have the brat for breakfast.
“Alice,” said Dominick. He looked a little stern. School-principal stern. “It’s Madison who is the bully.”
“Madison wouldn’t bully anyone.” She knew her daughter. She’d only known her for five days, but she knew her.
And sure, maybe she could be moody and a little, well, aggressive, toward her brother and sister when she was riled, but that was just normal sibling rivalry (she hoped). Her heart was in the right place. Look at the way she helped Olivia choreograph her butterfly dance. Look at the way she helped Tom with his geography homework the other day. Okay, Tom said she was being annoying, and it had ended up with Madison stomping off in floods of tears and Tom slapping his hand to his forehead and rolling his eyes like a miniature version of his father, but, well . . . Alice’s daughter would not, could not, be a bully.
“Are you still—not yourself?” asked Dominick carefully.
“Not quite,” said Alice.
“Well, this isn’t the first time we’ve had problems with Madison. A little boy had to have stitches a few weeks ago after an altercation with Madison.”
Ah, thought Alice. That was the “little incident” that Kate Harper had mentioned at the gym.
“I know she’s having problems, after Gina’s death, and with the divorce,” continued Dominick, his forehead puckered with school principal-ish concern. “Alice, I’m so sorry, but this is really—oh.” His voice changed as he saw someone over Alice’s shoulder. “Here’s your, ah—your . . .”
Alice turned around and saw Nick coming toward them. He was wearing his suit and tie and talking into his mobile phone. His aura of business and decisions and important mustn’t-be-disturbed meetings looked alien in the sunlit playground, with the sounds of children chanting something from the open window of a nearby classroom.
Dominick caught her eye. “Hope this isn’t too awkward.”
“Yes,