Suddenly the door opened with force again. James thought for a second that Jessica was back to yell a bit more but instead of his daughter he saw his wife advancing on him with a deadly look on her face. She was holding an old cardboard box in her hand.
"What is it doing here?" Her voice was stern, her face was set.
Dempsey ran a hand in his hair. He had recognised the box the instant he saw it. The problem was that he hadn't planned for Harry to find the gun and didn't know what to tell her. But before he could think of anything she was talking again.
"Are you deaf? Or maybe you're crazy? Chas told you we had no right to carry a gun! You're not a cop anymore!"
James felt relieved. So that was what was nagging her! "Don't worry, I'm not taking it. It's staying here."
"Here?" Harry didn't understand. "Whatever for?"
"I gave it to Tommy." He explained casually.
"To Tommy?" Her eyebrows disappeared behind her hair as incredulity mounted in her. "Our Tommy?" She had a little nervous laugh. "This is worse than I thought. You're not crazy, you're insane!"
"Look we don't know what's going to happen, it could come in useful!"
"Useful! My son is only 17, it's still a little boy and you…"
"Come on" he interjected "He's gonna be 18 soon, he's old enough to…"
"Old enough for what?" she interrupted him, frowning "Old enough to use a gun, to kill a man! Wake up James! He wouldn't even know how to use it!"
James made a derisive noise. "Do you really think I would give him my gun if he wasn't able to handle it! I'm not stupid!"
"What is that supposed to mean?" She was frowning even more.
James was a bit annoyed, but he answered unfazed. "I took him to the shooting range once or twice."
"Once or twice!" she repeated doubtfully "and you never bothered to ask me 'once or twice' what I thought about it, never wondered if I would agree."
"You mean I need your permission to do something with my son?"
"If you are to do such stupid things, then maybe yes, it would be a good idea."
Dempsey took a deep breath. "Look, he wanted to learn."
"He wanted to learn, or you wanted to teach" her retort cracked through the air like a whip.
They were glaring at each other now, neither of them wanting to give in. Their eyes were cold, their jaws were set, James' fists were clenched. Tommy was watching his parents apprehensively, unable to decide if he should go or stay, talk or remain silent. He feared he might ignite the sparkle that would make the whole situation explode.
Suddenly, after nearly half a minute that seemed to last an eternity, Harry threw the box on a nearby table without breaking eye contact. Her voice was just as cold as her eyes when she spoke. "Be sure that we'll talk about it later." She then turned to her son who swallowed hard "I forbid you to touch this." And she was gone.
Dempsey's face took a few seconds to relax, then he breathed deeply and picked up the box. He handed it to his son. "Take this back to your room and make sure your mum doesn't see it."
Tommy opened his mouth but his father silenced him with a hand. "She'll see sense."
"You're sure?" Tommy doubted. He had rarely seen his mum in such a cold fury, but more than fearing to disobey her when she was that crossed, he was even more afraid to do something that would make his parents tear each other apart.
Dempsey smiled. "Don't worry. And anyway, you won't have to use it. I just feel safer knowing you've got it."
Thomas nodded but wasn't convinced. He had felt honoured to see his father trusted him with his gun, even if he had been a little scared of such a responsibility. But at that time, he had thought like his father that the gun made him safer; just in case. Now however, his mother's words were reverberating through his mind 'old enough to use a gun' Why not? He had loved going to the firing range with his father and shared special moments with him when he explained how to aim accurately and things like that. 'Old enough to kill a man' Definitively not! Thomas even wondered if you could be old enough to kill someone, it didn't seem to him you could be of age to do such a thing; but having a gun to protect yourself meant using it, his mother was right. The recent fight of his parents didn't make anything easier and even if he had thought he couldn't be more confused when they had left their home to go on a hideout some hours ago, he definitively was more distressed than ever now. He needed to be alone to see things through.
He gave a weak smile to his father "I'm going to settle in my room."
Dempsey nodded. He too needed some solitude to sort his feelings. He knew that he had a job to do, and getting lost in bad feelings was never a good thing before starting an enquiry. Especially when you were bound to be emotionally involved with the said enquiry.