The Perfect Son by Freida McFadden(46)

“Because Liam is my client. The two of you are not. And the attorney client privilege doesn’t apply to you. If he gets charged, they’ll almost certainly try him as an adult. So I think we should treat him as an adult.”

“Is that all right with you, Liam?” I ask him gently.

I place my hand on his shoulder, even though I know he doesn’t like being touched. Not that he ever complains about it when I’m affectionate, but he never came to me for hugs the way Hannah used to. He just didn’t care. He never needed physical affection like other children.

“It’s all right,” Liam says.

Even though it almost kills me, we leave Liam in the room with Landon. Jason is just as unhappy about it as I am. As we sit in the waiting room, he keeps sneaking looks back at the closed office door. “What do you think they’re talking about in there?”

“I don’t know.”

I glance around Landon’s small waiting room—at his attractive, blond receptionist and the few people occupying seats across from us. Landon is a criminal attorney, so presumably everyone here has been accused of committing some sort of crime. The woman across from me is about my age, with schoolmarm glasses and hair gathered into a bun. I watch her flick through a copy of Good Housekeeping magazine.

What crime could this woman possibly have committed? She looks like someone I’d run into during a PTA event.

Then again, if there’s one thing I’ve learned in the last sixteen years, it’s that looks can be deceiving.

Jason bounces his right foot against the carpeting, casting a look back at the closed door to Landon’s office. “I can’t believe they’re bringing up that garbage with the English teacher,” he mutters. “If that’s all they’ve got, they’re grasping at straws.”

“That was really bad, Jason. Liam is really lucky he didn’t get charged.”

“Charged? He didn’t do anything!”

I don’t know what to say. I should probably agree, but I can’t bring myself to say the words.

“If he really did that…” He furrows his brow. “Erika, our kid isn’t a monster.”

I can see in my husband’s eyes that he means it. I wonder what it is they found in our house that’s so significant and if it will be enough to change Jason’s mind.





Chapter 40


Transcript of police interview with Richard Young:

“You say you were Liam Cass’s English teacher?”

“That’s right.”

“And when was that?”

“It was about three years ago. He was in eighth grade.”

“And what was your opinion of him?”

“Honestly?”

“Of course.”

“I hated him. I feel terrible saying that because what kind of teacher hates one of his students? But there was something about Liam that I instantly disliked. And I have to say, I was alone in my opinion. Universally, all the teachers adored him. Middle school kids aren’t easy, but Liam seemed like a good kid—the kind teachers hope for in our classes. He was obviously very bright, well-behaved in class, and always handed in assignments on time.”

“But you didn’t like him?”

“He just rubbed me the wrong way—I can’t even say why. There was something very fake about him. And also…”

“Yes?”

“I have a daughter. She’s Liam’s age, and she had some classes with him. And a few times, I saw them talking in the hallway and it drove me crazy. My wife told me I was overreacting, but given current circumstances, it sounds like I was reacting very appropriately.”

“So did you do anything?”

“…”

“Mr. Young?”

“I’m not proud of this...”

“It’s important to be honest right now. A girl’s life could be at stake.”

“Fine. I took Liam aside after class one day and told him to stay the hell away from my daughter.”

“Did he?”

“No. He did not. In fact, he started showing more interest in her after I said that to him. Right when he knew I was paying attention. Like he was taunting me.”

“Well, that’s not an unusual response of a teenage boy to authority.”

“I’m also not proud to say that I took my frustration out on his grades. English is very subjective, and I started grading his essays very harshly. He went from an A to a C.”

“Did he do anything about it?”

“He complained. But I refused to change his grades. I also told Lily, my daughter, that I would ground her if she spoke with him again.”

“And how did that go?”

“Initially, I thought it was successful. Lily stopped talking to Liam, and he just ate the bad grades. I thought it was over and done with.”

“But it wasn’t?”

“Obviously, I can’t prove Liam did anything to me.”

“What do you believe he did?”

“It was a Saturday night around two in the morning. My wife and I were fast asleep until our dog came into our bed. She vomited all over the bed and woke us up. But once I was awake, I found it very hard to think straight, and my wife and I both noticed we had splitting headaches. I called 911 and went to Lily’s room to check on her. I couldn’t wake her up at all. And then I passed out in her room.”