On the Line by Kathryn Ascher

done.”
    Nathan quickly pushed away from the table and stood. He waited for Mason to collect
his things and stand then led the two of them out of the room. Once the door was
closed behind them, Nathan felt the thwack of a legal pad against the back of his
head. He turned and glared at his younger brother.
    “What was that for?” Nathan put his hand to the stinging spot on the back of his
head.
    “You gave her a gun? Seriously, you idiot, what were you thinking?” Mason snapped.
“You’re lucky she didn’t want it, otherwise you may have been in major trouble.”
    “How do you know she didn’t want it?” Nathan grumbled as he put his hand down.
    “Your face said it all,” Mason said, followed by another mumbled “idiot” as he walked
past him and down the hallway. Once they were away from the interrogation room and
in a more secluded part of the station, Mason turned and faced his brother.
    “Why did you give her a gun?” Mason repeated his question.
    Nathan shrugged as he propped himself against the blank, cream-colored wall across
from his brother. He looked at his feet as he thought of all the reasons why he’d
given her the gun, which in hindsight may not have been the best idea. “Do you know
how many domestic violence cases I’ve worked, Mason?” Nathan continued to look at
his feet as image after image of broken, battered women floated through his mind.
“Do you know how many of those women refused to leave their husbands, thinking that
the abuse would subside if they simply perfected their behavior, if they just didn’t
argue or fight back? Or maybe things would improve if their husbands found a job,
or found a better job, or was just less stressed?” Nathan looked at his brother,
met his wide green stare, and shrugged. “Do you know how many of those women ended
up beaten beyond recognition? Beaten to the point they could no longer use arms,
hands, legs, or feet? Beaten to death?” Nathan’s eyes closed against some of the
more gruesome pictures. “I didn’t want to get a call to her house to find she had
become one of those women,” he finished quietly.
    Mason didn’t say anything for a few minutes, until Nathan was able to open his eyes
and look at him again. “Did you think about what might have happened if she’d used
it against him?”
    Nathan folded his arms across his chest and ignored the question.
    “You said she never admitted to physical abuse, so she never reported it, did she?”
    Nathan reluctantly shook his head.
    “No,” Mason said. “I didn’t think so. So, what would have happened if she had used
that gun against him? She would have been charged with his murder and you may have
been held responsible as well.” Mason rolled his eyes. “You could have been an accomplice
to murder.”
    “I know,” Nathan replied with exasperation. He had considered that, but not until
after he’d left the weapon in her possession.
    “And what if he’d used the gun on her?” Mason’s raised eyebrow accompanied his cool
utterance.
    A chill ran down Nathan’s spine. That thought, too, had only crossed his mind after
it was too late. Nathan had stayed up some nights, unable to sleep for the fear that
Richard would kill Janelle with the gun he had given her. He wouldn’t have been able
to forgive himself.
    “Did you even think about that?”
    “You should save your questions for the courtroom,” Nathan grumbled. “I’m tired of
hearing them.”
    “I don’t care. It was stupidity at its finest on your part, Nathan,” Mason said.
“I would have expected more from you, big brother. What is it about her that gets
you all tangled up?”
    Nathan’s upper lip curled as he narrowed his eyes on his brother. The urge to hit
one of his brothers had never been stronger than it was right now. “I just wanted
her to be safe,” Nathan replied shortly. “Is that such a bad thing?”
    Mason’s shoulder lifted slightly. “I guess we’ll have to wait and see.”
    “Wait and see