Karen held tight to her husband as the footsteps thundered past. He had been home for almost half an hour and she’d been unable to let him go. No one else knew he was back.
Robert also looked towards the doorway of the kitchen but they didn’t break apart. She turned to face him.
‘Rob …’
He shook his head. ‘It could mean anything, sweetheart. How many times have we seen them rushing in and out of the house?’ He stroked her hair gently. ‘We have to do this. We have to know what’s going on and we can only do that if we get the phone back. We have to save our daughter.’
Karen felt the relief flood through her body as he said those words. For the few hours Robert had been gone her world had held no meaning. Her beautiful daughter was missing and her husband had left her as well. In her heart she had known he would return; he would forgive her anything. Not immediately, she knew that. There would be many tears, explanations and apologies. He would need time to understand her deceit, but his love for the two of them would not be broken.
The fact that he had come back had calmed some of her fears.
Despite what he was proposing.
‘But …’
‘It’s the only way, Karen,’ he said, gently. ‘But you have to help me do it.’
Karen took a deep breath and nodded.
Robert stepped away from her and picked up two plates, gesturing for her to step to the side.
She covered her ears as the plates were hurled to the ground.