Chapter 3

After he left, I found an ice pack, went to the kitchen, filled it, and went back upstairs. Gran was just coming out of the nursery when I got to the head of the stairs.

“I’ve heard a lot of comings and goings this morning,” she said. “What’s going on?”

“We have guests. Come with me and see.”

She followed me back to Steve’s room, where Philip was sitting patiently by the bed.

“Why, it’s Steve,” she said.

“Yes, it is, but that’s not all.”

I lifted up the blanket and placed the ice pack gently on his testicles. Gran looked at the body on the bed and said, “Merciful God, what happened?”

“His father happened to him,” I said.

“His own father did this to him?” She stared at me, incredulous.

“In a word, yes. I’ll tell you about it in just a minute. Philip, where’s your cell phone?”

“I put it back on the nightstand by our bed. Why?”

“Because while you stay here with Steve, I’m going to use your phone to call his mother—you do have her in the phone’s memory, don’t you?”