Tim Roberts knocked on the door of the cell, and the duty officer opened it for him. Marie turned and looked up at him in hard-jawed steeliness. "It doesn't sound good, Marie," he said.

"Did you set them straight about her?"

"Witnesses say she was fighting too, but they say you hit her first."

"She called Holly 'disgusting drug spawn'!"

Tim sighed. "That's awful, Marie, but it doesn't justify violence. Was Holly there? Is she ok?"

"No, she wasn't there - it was just me. I was in the same park the other day with Skyler and Holly and that same woman was yelling at us; she grabbed Skyler and screamed at her - Skyler was scared and she just ran away, otherwise I would've done more then. She has to be stopped - she flipped just like that: one minute she was being completely pleasant and friendly, and the next -"

"She wants to press charges."

Marie's jaw dropped open. "What? She wants to press charges? I'm the one who should be pressing charges - the other day she attacked my family and today she attacked me!"

"Her daughter says you attacked her first."

"The police saw her attacking me!"

"There were faults on both sides, but..."

Marie looked at him like he was crazy. "F-faults on both…? No no no, there were faults on her side!" She leaned back against the wall and crossed her arms. "I would like to press charges against her, please."

"That's your choice, and I'm gonna do whatever I can for you. But you used your one phone call in calling me, so how about I call a lawyer for you."

"Sure. A lawyer can help me press charges."

...

"We love it, honey, thank you so much," said Skyler, sitting down on the old leather sofa in the cabin.

"You're welcome," said Flynn. "Is it... relaxing?"

"Yeah, it's…not so loud."

"Th-that's good."

"So you're coming up with Aunt Marie tomorrow?"

"Yeah. W-we can go together, I suppose. That's a good idea."

"Yeah. And you can have a nice talk along the way."

"Yeah. Ok, I gotta go now because I wanna w-watch the late news."

"You're still doing that? I'm not still on there, am I?"

"You weren't last night."

"Good."

"Ok, I-I guess we'll be there at maybe 4:30 or 5 tomorrow? Oh-oh wait, that's getting into rush hour. M-maybe 5:30, then."

"Ok, we'll see you then. I love you."

"Love you, Mom. Bye."

Flynn hung up the phone and turned on the television. The headlines had already rolled and the newsreader was part way through the first story, which was about a senator who had been caught sleeping with his secretary. "But perhaps more concerning than the moral implications are the public expenses implications. It was revealed this evening that the senator's Congress-issued credit card had been used to pay for dinners and hotel rooms he had shared with Mrs Jordan using an assumed name."

Flynn stood up. The news story ended and a commercial break began. He went to the bathroom, returned and went to the fridge to pour himself a glass of soda.

"Accused felon Skyler White's sister Marie Schrader has been arrested for brawling in a children's playground in Albuquerque this afternoon."

Flynn left the soda on the counter and the fridge open as he stumbled back into the living room, a look of shock on his face.

The TV screen showed a group of teenagers standing in the park. "She just went for this old lady - she was yelling and screaming at her," said one girl.

"Right from the start," said another, "Like, she just walked straight up to her and started yelling."

"And then she just went for her, and the old lady went for her back - it was pretty full on."

The image cut to Amanda and her mother standing outside Albuquerque Police Station. "My mother, a senior citizen, was physically attacked, yelled at and humiliated in a children's playground with my kids looking on," said Amanda. 'Amanda Peelman, victim's daughter,' said the subtitle. "It was the worst behaviour I have ever seen. And my mom didn't even know this woman; she just came out of the blue and attacked her."

"Mrs Schrader was not available for comment," said the journalist's voiceover, "talking through her lawyer." The image cut to Kim, standing in front of the same police station. "Two days ago, Mrs Harper had an altercation with Skyler White and her three-year-old daughter in the Mary Street playground. Today, when Mrs White's sister Mrs Schrader happened to come across Mrs Harper in the same playground, she spoke to her about the incident, asking Mrs Harper why she had yelled at her sister and niece. An argument developed, and unfortunately this argument became physical on both sides. No significant injuries were sustained and both parties have now apologised."

The image cut back to the newsroom. "It is understood both women were arrested and taken to Albuquerque Police Station," said the news anchor, "where they were later released, with no charges being laid. It is believed Skyler White was not involved in the incident.

"Looking internationally now, the British Prime Minister has -"

Flynn hit the mute button, pulled out his phone and dialled his aunt. "What... what the hell, Aunt Marie! I've just seen the news! What-what the hell?"

"Oh, don't worry, it's sorted out now."

"But how could you do that? With everything we're – w-what if it - why?"

"Don't tell your mother, please."

"Yes I am, I'm gonna tell her - y-you can't do that, you can't…behave like that!"

"It is NOT for you to tell me what to do!"

"After everything Mom has gone through – w-what if it reflects… badly on her?"

"She wasn't there. Don't tell her."

"That doesn't matter, p-people will talk and - why, why would you do this, I don't understand! We've been -"

Marie hung up the phone and threw it to the other end of the sofa. She stared at it for a moment and then burst into tears.