Andee said, “I guess you’ve read the letter from Archie that I dropped off yesterday?”
Claudia glanced at her mother as she passed Andee a cup of tea.
“You’re looking worried,” Andee told them. “Can I ask what’s bothering you about it?”
Sitting down next to Marcy at the table, Claudia said, “I guess the prospect of seeing him is starting to feel more real now, and we’re concerned about whether it really is a good idea.”
Since it wasn’t unusual for victims to experience misgivings as the day of confrontation came closer, Andee waited for her to expand.
“It’s going to be hard for Mum,” Claudia said.
Andee nodded, fully appreciating that, and as she looked at Marcy she felt the same overwhelming pity and regret she always did at the sight of the scars. “Tell me,” she said gently, “what was it about his original letters that made you want to see him?”
Claudia started to answer, but Marcy raised a hand to stop her. “I sensed his loneliness,” she said.
When she realized there wasn’t any more, Andee said, “And you don’t feel that now?”
Marcy swallowed, and made herself continue. “I still feel it,” she said, “but . . .” She swallowed again, and her eyes went down as she said, “Claudia and Jasmine think I’ve forgiven him already, but I haven’t. I don’t know if I ever can, or if seeing him will do any of us any good in the long run.”
“I’ve already told you, Mum,” Claudia said, “we don’t have to go through with it. You don’t owe him anything. None of us do.”
Because she had to, Andee said, “Claudia’s right. You must think of yourself and what you truly believe will work best for you.”
Marcy glanced at Andee’s phone as it started to ring.
“It’s Dan,” Andee told them, and clicked on. “Hi, are you with Helen?” she asked.
“I’ve just left her office,” came the reply. “She’s got a call booked in with the prison governor about a special visit for tomorrow afternoon. She knows him personally, so that should help. Have you found out yet why Claudia and Marcy wanted to see you?”
“I’m with them now. We’re discussing a few concerns that have come up since Archie’s last letter arrived.”
“Oh?” He sounded worried, as Andee knew he would. “Are they backing out?”
Aware of them listening, she said, “We’ll carry on talking it through and I’ll call you later.” After ringing off she told them, “The arrangements for a visit are going ahead, nothing’s confirmed yet, but it can always be stopped.”
Claudia looked at her mother.
Seeing Marcy at a loss, Andee continued carefully. “What do you think of him pleading guilty to attempted murder?”
“Has he discussed it with his solicitor?” Claudia asked.
“I don’t know.”
“Then we can’t be sure he means it.”
“We can always find out.” When Andee received no response to that, she said, “Would you like me to ask Dan to come and talk to you?” It wasn’t the way it was supposed to work, the offender’s practitioner engaging with the victims, particularly not at this stage, but since they’d hardly followed a conventional path so far it seemed pointless to start now.
Marcy raised her eyes from the table and gave Andee a half-smile. “Maybe we need to sleep on it some more,” she said.
As Andee drove away a few minutes later, she was asking herself what difference Archie’s regret, apology, or even his change of plea was really going to make to Marcy. Would any of it help her come to terms with what the fire had done to her face and hand, or alter how humiliating and painful it was to be stared at, avoided and pitied? She would still have to look in the mirror every day and see a hideous travesty of her former self looking back. Not that any of her friends ever thought of her that way, but it was inevitably how Marcy would see it, and how the hell must it feel to know that time was going to be no healer?
Connecting to Dan, she said, “It might be a good idea to prepare Archie for it not happening.”
His reply was slow in coming and she could hear the disappointment in his voice. “I’m guessing you’re no longer at the coach house?”
“I’ve just left. They’re going to think about it some more, but it’s not looking good.”
“What’s the objection?”
“I think it’s still Claudia who has the biggest problem with it. She’s afraid it’s not going to help her mother the way we all want it to, and we can’t blame her for that. Not after what they’ve been through. To be honest, I’m starting to have doubts myself. Are we really so sure this is the right thing to do?”
There was a long pause, and then—with a humorless laugh—Dan said, “I guess we’ll find out soon enough.”