Chapter 22: Back in the Helmet

Sawyer asked to see me in the county visiting room, and I went.

The chief stood on the other side of the glass door, where she could watch.

He sat at a metal table in an orange jumpsuit with his hands flat in front of him.

His hair had been cut short, and he looked smaller without the uniform.

"Thank you for coming," he said.

"You have ten minutes."

"I'm going to lose the hearing."

"Yes."

"I want to make a deal." He leaned forward.

"You sign a letter saying I was in shock that night. You ask the board to let me resign instead of being fired."

"And what do I get?"

"The house. Clear title, no fight. I'll sign the divorce papers uncontested."

I looked at the man I had been married to for six years.

He was still bargaining, and he still believed he could win.

"I'm taking the house," I said. "And I'm taking the divorce. You don't get to trade me for either."

"Hannah."

"The hearing is open, and I'll be in the front row."

His face went hard, and he let out a short, ugly laugh.

"You were always going to enjoy this."

"I haven't enjoyed one minute of it."

I stood up.

"What did she do?" he said, suddenly, to the table. "When she saw me at the glass. Did she say anything?"

"No."

"Did she cry?"

"She held up her rabbit," I said. "She wanted to see if you'd look."

He put his hand over his eyes.

I did not wait to see whether it was real.

The hearing was on Monday morning, in a hall at the fire department headquarters.

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