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hesitated for a minute to allow him to absorb that before continuing, “But she’s not coming back.”
    Ryan’s whole body went rigid, and then he fixed me with desperate eyes.
    “That can’t be true.” He insisted. “Did you give her my letter?” Seeing me nod in assent, he continued before I could speak. “Did you tell her what I’d said, about getting help and that I was different now?”
    “I told her, Ryan.” I responded. “She’s really pleased that you’re dealing with your anger and she said to tell you that she only wishes you well. But she’s got her own life now, and she wants you to get on with yours.”
    In counselling, it’s considered bad practice to have a desk or table between the two people talking, so the furniture in the consulting room had been arranged to ensure that the chair I was sitting in is to the side of the desk, directly facing the other chair. Normally it’s an arrangement I’m happy with but just at that moment, seeing the growing fury in Ryan’s eyes, I would have felt more relaxed if there was a solid desk between us.
    “Liar!” He spat out. “She’d never choose to leave me for good unless someone had turned her against me. I bet you didn’t try to persuade her at all. That’s what places like this are all about isn’t it, splitting up happy marriages?”
    “Ryan,” I said, trying to get him to face reality “it was Linda who decided to leave you after you’d hit her, and it’s Linda who had to choose whether or not to come back to you.”
    “She wouldn’t have had a choice if it hadn’t been for you interfering and filling her head with all sorts of crap!” He was almost screaming now, and I could see what Linda had meant his rage. “Tell me where my wife is so I can go and sort this out face to face!”
    “I can’t do that, Ryan,” I replied “If Linda ever wants you to know where she is, she’ll write and tell you.”
    His face suddenly contorted and he leapt out of his seat towards me. Grabbing me by the lapels of my jacket, he pulled me to my feet. His face was just inches from mine, his eyes wild and staring. At this range, there was an almost overpowering smell of stale whisky fumes on his breath, disproving his earlier claim that he’d given up drinking.
    “Maybe I should just kick the shit out of you until you tell me where she is!” he bellowed, tightening his grip still further.
    I kept my gaze fixed on him and replied in as even a voice as I could manage,
    “You can try, but I’m not going to tell you whatever happens. Besides which, you’re not exactly going to convince her that you’re a changed man by having to spend time in prison on an assault charge.”
    His grip loosened slightly, and his breath came heavily as he considered my words.
    “You must have a file here somewhere,” Ryan murmured, almost speaking to himself. Then his expression hardened and his voice became more menacing, “Take me to where you keep your files and I’ll look for myself. Otherwise you’re going to be eating your next meal through a straw.”
    “We don’t keep people’s addresses in their files.” I lied. “Get this into your head – you are not going to find out Linda’s address. All you’re going to do is get yourself into trouble with the police, and that won’t help you at all.”
    I reached up and, taking hold of his wrists, pulled his hands away from me. Ryan stood motionless, fury still in his eyes, and for a moment I was sure that he was going to attack me.
    Before I could find out, the door to the consulting room flew open, and Katie stood in the doorway.
    “What the hell is going on in here?” she demanded, staring coolly at Ryan. His eyes flickered between her and me, uncertainty and frustration written all over his face. Eventually he spoke, looking at Katie.
    “All right,” he muttered, “all right, I’m going.” His eyes turned back to me, and now there was a look of sheer hatred in them. “But you’d better watch