A Neat Mess

31 . Revelation

It had been over four hours since Ben and Lucille left, and Sam hadn't heard a word. While waiting at the hospital wasn't unusual, her growing suspicion suggested that something else might be going on. So, she decided to call Ben.

"Hey, Sam?" he answered, sounding exhausted.

"What's taking you so long? What's going on?" Sam asked.

"On the way, Lucille kept complaining about being tired and how the hospital would waste our time. She insisted on going home, despite how far she lives. So, I dropped her off at her door. She got out and then threw up in the corner. I offered to help, but she said she was fine and that it happens sometimes when she's stressed."

"Oh my God," Sam said, dreading what might have happened next. "Always take someone who has lost consciousness to the hospital. We should have called an ambulance."

Ben seemed to ignore her concern and continued, "Then her speech became slurred and incoherent. I rushed her to the emergency room. I haven't heard much since, but they asked for her family's contact details."

"Is she okay?" Sam asked urgently.

"I think they want to perform surgery, but they're not telling me much," Ben replied, his voice trembling. "But if she dies, Sam... she's too young. It's our fault."

Sam's anger flared. "Stop talking like that, Ben. Someone might overhear you. It was an accident, and you know it. Keep me posted." She hung up abruptly.

"Is Lucille dead yet?" Jenna's voice startled Sam. The child didn't sound sad or happy, just detached—like someone who had placed a bet on an unlikely winner, and now that winner had come through.

"No, sweetie, she'll be okay." Defeated, Sam blurted out the question she had been dreading. "Did you try to hurt her intentionally?"

"Yes, she wanted to punish me for no reason, so I defended myself."

"Just because you tore her book apart, you thought she tried to hurt you?"

"I didn't do that. I told her I was going to tell you what she was doing," said Jenna.

"What do you mean, what was she doing?"

Jenna's little chin was shaking. "When I suck my thumb, or break stuff, or do something naughty, she pulls my pants down and pinches my no-no parts, and it hurts so much."

Jenna threw herself into Sam's arms. Sam was shaking with pain and anger. I hope you die, Lucille, because if you don't, I'll do it myself, Sam thought.

Sam picked Jenna up and held her for a long time. The truth was finally out. "I will never leave your side, sweetie."

Ben staggered in just past midnight, his face a mask of despair. Lucille was in a coma, and her condition didn't sound promising. The weight of Jenna's words crushed him further—Lucille might not make it.

"So what about the book? Did she also tear it out of anger?" Ben asked.

"There was no book, apparently. Lucille had been finding reasons to torture Jenna, which is why Jenna tried to get away from her. The sick pervert," said Sam. "We need to call Pip tomorrow morning to see what they have to say about it."

The next morning, there was still no improvement in Lucille's condition, but she was clinging to life. Pip wanted to see them immediately and didn't seem as shocked as she should have been by the news.

"We used forensic interview techniques to get her to reveal if such things have been happening, but we had to avoid repetition because it can plant a false memory in a child's mind. Maybe it finally surfaced in this form, but something doesn't add up," said Pip.

"What do you mean?" asked Ben.

"It's Jenna's character and the power dynamic between her and Lucille. Even though Lucille was older and held authority, Jenna was the alpha in their relationship. Jenna doesn't strike me as the type to stand by and endure mistreatment. Despite revealing many private and personal matters about those around her, she has never shown any signs of intimidation from Lucille. The fact that we see cases of child abuse every day, and it takes us a maximum of a couple of sessions to determine who did it and how it happened."

"You're implying Jenna is lying about Lucille?" Sam asked, irritated.

"We will address this for sure, but remember, this kind of child abuse is incredibly rare among women. What is very common is the Oedipus Complex. Jenna have mentioned a exitance of chemistry between Lucille and her father—not in those words—and from previous experience, she might have learned that injuring Lucille could get her out of the house, which means less time under her surveillance, more time with both of you, and no competition for daddy's attention," Pip said, getting up.

"I'll go and collect Jenna. I can't leave her alone for too long." Sam got up and walked out.

Ben stayed back, shaking hands with Pip and thanking her for her help.

"Sam gets worked up quickly about Jenna, which makes it difficult to have a logical conversation. We need to determine if Jenna has been lying, which can be achieved by asking a few specific details she won't have anticipated. If her story is a lie, it will likely fall apart under scrutiny. Have you even seen the torn book that ignited the fire?"

Ben shook his head. "I didn't see it, but I didn't look for it either."

"Then, if it is not shredded, it should be in one piece laying around somewhere," said Pip.

"Unless the whole exam story was also a lie," said Ben.

"Which makes Lucille a bigger liar and complicates Jenna's case. For peace of mind, we need to know whether there is an innocent woman lying in a hospital bed hooked up to machines or a criminal."

Sam and Jenna re-joined them, and the whole family left home together in Sam's car. Ben remembered Lucille's backpack was still in his car's back seat, so he took a quick look inside. There was a notepad and a laptop, but no sign of the legendary book Lucille had raved about in her last hours of consciousness.

Given the night he'd had, by the time they got home, he forgot to search for the book, whether it was shredded or intact. He let the only clue that could reveal who was lying slip away. In his defence, even if Jenna was lying about the book, it didn't mean Lucille didn't abuse her.