I sit beside her on the sofa and put my arm around her. “Somebody I work with just got hurt. Don’t be afraid. He’s all right. Everything’s going to be okay.”

“Who was it?”

“A reporter. You’ve never met him, but he’s a really good man.” Despite my reassurances, the realization that somebody tried to kill Henry tonight has shaken me to the core. I hug Annie, then stand so that she won’t feel my anxiety. “I’m going to have to make some calls, Boo. Maybe you should go in the kitchen and fix that ice cream.”

Annie stays put. “You said you didn’t want ice cream.”

“I said I didn’t need it. I’ll eat some when I’m done with my calls.”

“I’d rather stay here. I’ll just keep doing my homework.”

Sure you will. “Okay. But don’t let this stuff upset you.”

As I dial my parents’ house, Annie nods and puts on a brave face, but she’s faking. Ever since my wife’s death, my daughter has been unable to witness me losing any degree of control without freaking out. In the first months after Sarah’s death, Annie literally couldn’t leave my side. She had to be touching me, even in sleep, or she would experience night terrors. The road from that place to where we are now has been a long one, and Caitlin—along with the move back to Natchez and proximity to my parents—did much to bring us down it. Sudden crises like this one sometimes trigger severe anxiety in Annie, but unless I’m going to wait for my mother to drive over here, my choices are to keep her with me or banish her into a separate room, where she’ll feel even more anxious.

“Hello?” says my mother. “Penn?”

“Mom, is everything okay there?”

“Yes, I think so. Your father’s sleeping. Today was just too much for him, I think.”

“Is the cop still outside?”

“Yes, I’ve seen him several times, walking around the house.”

“I’m going to have Chief Logan send a squad car over to stand guard.”

“Is that really necessary?”

“Yes. Henry Sexton was just stabbed and beaten.”

“Oh my God.”

“You and Dad stay inside. Don’t go out for any reason. I’ll call back in a while. I need to talk to Dad before tomorrow.”

“All right. But—”

She tries to go on, but I beg off and call Chief Logan, who’s just heard of the attack on Henry. He’s happy to send a squad car to my parents’ house, and says he’s sending one to mine as well. I thank him and hang up, then glance at Annie, who’s pretending to work. A protective instinct of almost frightening intensity swells within me as I watch her, but I force my fingers to text Caitlin at the newspaper.