Read Save Me for Free Online Page B
Authors: Lisa Scottoline
moms are supposed to stay in the cafeteria until lunch is over, right?”
“Yes, until all the kids are out, then we go home.”
“So Terry didn’t follow procedure. If she’d stayed in the cafeteria instead of leaving to tell on you, she could have taken Amanda and the other girls to the playground while you went to rescue Melly.” Leo eyed her, trying to see if his message was hitting home. “All of these causes are only ‘but for’ causes. By which I mean, but for Amanda’s running back into the building, she wouldn’t have been hurt. But for Terry’s leaving her post, Amanda wouldn’t have been hurt. But for you talking to the kids about bullying, Amanda wouldn’t have been hurt. But for the bomb or whatever blew up, Amanda wouldn’t have been hurt. You get the idea? If you say yes, I’ll stop.”
Rose smiled. “Yes.”
“No single ‘but for’ cause, including you, caused what happened.”
“Then what did?”
“All of the above. The perfect storm of a terrible situation. No one thing. Everything went wrong, and that’s why Amanda and Melly are in the hospital and three people are dead.” Leo reached across the table and touched her hand. “For you to take the blame on yourself, to the exclusion of everything else, makes no sense.”
“Eileen thinks I didn’t even try.”
“Eileen doesn’t know the facts and she wants someone to blame. She doesn’t know us, either.” Leo cocked his head. “Please, who do you think Eileen would rescue? Melly or Amanda?”
Rose didn’t reply. “That poor kid.”
“Which poor kid? Melly or Amanda? Don’t get mixed up.”
“Amanda is the poor kid. Melly is fine, Amanda isn’t.”
“Point taken.” Leo paused, his eyes softening. “Listen, I know it’s terrible, but you have to be realistic. Amanda might not make it.”
Rose suppressed the emotion that welled up. “I’d hate to be responsible for that.”
“Then don’t. You’re not. We just went through the analysis.”
Mommy!
“Please stop beating yourself up, Ro.” Leo pushed out his chair and got up heavily from the table. “You’re supposed to save your own child. That’s why we each get a mother. My mother would’ve saved me, no question. My mother would’ve walked on bodies to save me, and you’re an even better mother than she was.”
Rose managed a smile. Leo was a great man, and she was lucky to have him, especially when the chips were down.
“Come on, sweetie.” Leo picked up his silverware, let it clatter onto the plate, and lifted his dish. “The baby’s at the sitter, but the clock is running. Let’s go to the hospital.”
Chapter Ten
Rose looked out the window of Leo’s sporty Audi, dismayed as they pulled into the hospital parking lot. They’d picked up her car at school and dropped it back off at home, since Leo didn’t want her driving herself to the hospital. It turned out he’d been right, but for a different reason. The main entrance was crowded with people, security guards and reporters with videocameras. Klieglights on metallic stalks sprouted above everyone, like steel sunflowers.
“We got company,” Leo said, cutting the ignition. The air conditioning hissed into silence.
“Do you think that Amanda—” Rose started to say, but the sentence trailed off.
“No. I checked online before we left the house.”
“I wonder how she is.”
“We’ll see. First, we gotta get through the media. Here’s some free legal advice.” Leo patted her leg. “Stay with me. Say nothing. Keep moving. Don’t put your head down, it makes you look guilty.”
“I feel guilty.”
“You shouldn’t. Please, remember, we’re going to visit our daughter. It’s not about Amanda, it’s about Melly, who almost died today.”
Rose flashed on the smoke in the bathroom. “You’re right.”
“As usual.” Leo flashed her a grim smile, and they got out of the car. The air was barely cooling, though the sun had dropped behind the trees. The streetlights
“Yes, until all the kids are out, then we go home.”
“So Terry didn’t follow procedure. If she’d stayed in the cafeteria instead of leaving to tell on you, she could have taken Amanda and the other girls to the playground while you went to rescue Melly.” Leo eyed her, trying to see if his message was hitting home. “All of these causes are only ‘but for’ causes. By which I mean, but for Amanda’s running back into the building, she wouldn’t have been hurt. But for Terry’s leaving her post, Amanda wouldn’t have been hurt. But for you talking to the kids about bullying, Amanda wouldn’t have been hurt. But for the bomb or whatever blew up, Amanda wouldn’t have been hurt. You get the idea? If you say yes, I’ll stop.”
Rose smiled. “Yes.”
“No single ‘but for’ cause, including you, caused what happened.”
“Then what did?”
“All of the above. The perfect storm of a terrible situation. No one thing. Everything went wrong, and that’s why Amanda and Melly are in the hospital and three people are dead.” Leo reached across the table and touched her hand. “For you to take the blame on yourself, to the exclusion of everything else, makes no sense.”
“Eileen thinks I didn’t even try.”
“Eileen doesn’t know the facts and she wants someone to blame. She doesn’t know us, either.” Leo cocked his head. “Please, who do you think Eileen would rescue? Melly or Amanda?”
Rose didn’t reply. “That poor kid.”
“Which poor kid? Melly or Amanda? Don’t get mixed up.”
“Amanda is the poor kid. Melly is fine, Amanda isn’t.”
“Point taken.” Leo paused, his eyes softening. “Listen, I know it’s terrible, but you have to be realistic. Amanda might not make it.”
Rose suppressed the emotion that welled up. “I’d hate to be responsible for that.”
“Then don’t. You’re not. We just went through the analysis.”
Mommy!
“Please stop beating yourself up, Ro.” Leo pushed out his chair and got up heavily from the table. “You’re supposed to save your own child. That’s why we each get a mother. My mother would’ve saved me, no question. My mother would’ve walked on bodies to save me, and you’re an even better mother than she was.”
Rose managed a smile. Leo was a great man, and she was lucky to have him, especially when the chips were down.
“Come on, sweetie.” Leo picked up his silverware, let it clatter onto the plate, and lifted his dish. “The baby’s at the sitter, but the clock is running. Let’s go to the hospital.”
Chapter Ten
Rose looked out the window of Leo’s sporty Audi, dismayed as they pulled into the hospital parking lot. They’d picked up her car at school and dropped it back off at home, since Leo didn’t want her driving herself to the hospital. It turned out he’d been right, but for a different reason. The main entrance was crowded with people, security guards and reporters with videocameras. Klieglights on metallic stalks sprouted above everyone, like steel sunflowers.
“We got company,” Leo said, cutting the ignition. The air conditioning hissed into silence.
“Do you think that Amanda—” Rose started to say, but the sentence trailed off.
“No. I checked online before we left the house.”
“I wonder how she is.”
“We’ll see. First, we gotta get through the media. Here’s some free legal advice.” Leo patted her leg. “Stay with me. Say nothing. Keep moving. Don’t put your head down, it makes you look guilty.”
“I feel guilty.”
“You shouldn’t. Please, remember, we’re going to visit our daughter. It’s not about Amanda, it’s about Melly, who almost died today.”
Rose flashed on the smoke in the bathroom. “You’re right.”
“As usual.” Leo flashed her a grim smile, and they got out of the car. The air was barely cooling, though the sun had dropped behind the trees. The streetlights