Scott turned slightly, lowering his voice. “It’s not fair to involve her.”

“I’m not the one who raped her.”

“Casey–”

“You need to know there’s so much more I can do to you. There’s so, so much we haven’t tried yet. How about this? We’ll make a deal.”

Scott and Beth stared at each other. She was looking less certain the further the conversation went. The girl had her hands on her knees, fingernails digging into her school trousers.

“Darling, are you there?” Casey said.

“I’m here.”

“Did you hear what I said?”

“Yes.”

“Well…” She lowered her voice. “Aren’t you a teensy bit curious?” She was getting excitable, bubbly in the way that had attracted him to begin with. “I’ll delete everything I have. I’ll leave you alone forever. But first you have to do something for me.”

“What?”

“Rape Beth. And leave the phone on so I can hear. If you do that, I swear I’ll leave you alone.”

“Goodbye, Casey.”

She laughed softly. “Still pretending to be the hero. Fair enough. See you later, honey.”

Scott ended the call and glared at Beth. “How much did she pay you?”

“A lot, sir.”

“Beth, I want you to know something. Whatever’s happening at home, we have ways to help you. You can talk to us. It doesn’t have to be me, but we’re here.”

“Everything’s fine at home, sir,” Beth said. “The only bad thing that ever happened to me was you raping me.”

“Stop saying that,” Scott snapped.

“I guess we’re done here, sir. Unless you’re really going to call the police?”

“Get out of my classroom.”

Beth stood and hurried from the room.

The second she was gone, Scott leapt up and threw something at the wall. He wasn’t even sure what it was until the pencil pot made a clattering noise, pencils flying everywhere. He spun around, looking for something to break.

Naked photos, naked videos, fine, that was all consensual, embarrassing but consensual, but to go there?

He stopped when Lauren approached him, hands raised. “Relax.”

“She’s gone too far, too bloody far.”

“What–”

“You can’t go to the book club again. You can’t talk to any of them.”

“What happened–”

“Lauren!” he shouted, so loudly the kids outside the window must’ve heard. But he didn’t care. He walked up to the teaching assistant, staring down at her. “I mean it. You can’t. Never again. Do you understand me? I mean it.”

“I’m just trying to help.”

“I don’t need your help.”

She looked at him, seeming wounded. “It sort of looks like you do.”

“Stay out of it. I mean it. They’ve been reporting back to Casey.”

“Shit.”

“Exactly.”

“So what are you going to do?”

“I don’t know. I guess I can try to speak with the husband. Just because the book club are reporting back, it doesn’t mean he will. But there’s…”

A lot of ways I can hurt you if I find out, Scottie. Don’t you fucking dare.

“I’ll just need to be careful,” Scott said.