“What else is there?”
“Ask Valerie.”
“Nora, just explain it.”
This was the old machine whirring to life.
Valerie made the mess, Nora explained it, Nora proved it, Nora essentially played the substitute parent while being short-shrifted in everything else.
Not this time.
This was the old machine whirring to life.
“Valerie?” I stared at her expectantly.
The silence ticked on until Valerie finally whispered, “I took Nora’s ID.”
“You what?” Dad said.
“I used it to get into the club. I was going to give it back. Nobody would have known!” She wiped her face. “It’s not like I hurt anyone. I pretended to be her for one night.”
Diane covered her mouth. Dad’s jaw worked like he was chewing glass.
“Valerie?” I stared at her expectantly.
Valerie looked from Dad to Diane. “None of that changes what I did on the bridge.”
“No,” I said. “It doesn’t. You did something brave, Val. You also stole from me, lied to everyone, and wore my name like a costume. Both things are true.”
For once, nobody argued.
Dad turned toward Valerie.
His face changed, and suddenly the questions were aimed at her instead of me.
“None of that changes what I did on the bridge.”
Where had she really gone?
Why was she still seeing friends they’d banned from the house?
What had she been thinking?
