Clara shut her eyes.
Michael watched her carefully but didn’t interrupt.
“She killed one before,” Clara whispered.
The room went still.
Daniel stared at her.
“What?”
Clara looked at her mother.
Elena’s crying softened.
“I was fourteen,” Clara continued numbly. “He used to hit her. Then one night he came home drunk and…” She swallowed hard. “He tried to hurt me too.”
Daniel went pale.
Clara forced herself to continue.
“She stabbed him.”
Nobody moved.
“Nobody believed her at first,” Clara said. “But there wasn’t enough evidence to charge her.”
Daniel looked horrified.
“You never told me any of this.”
“I wanted you far away from it.”
Clara laughed weakly, almost at herself.
“That worked out well.”continue reading …
