Maria didn’t sleep almost all night. She lay there, staring at the ceiling, replaying the same image over and over in her mind: the can, the empty can, Łukasz’s lost look, and Jan’s calm, almost indifferent face. Her thoughts were jumbled, but one feeling was crystal clear—something inside her had finally snapped. In the morning, she got up earlier than usual. She prepared breakfast, packed her son for school, and walked him to the door. Łukasz was unnaturally quiet, walking with his head down and not even turning around on his way out. Maria closed the door and took a deep breath. Then she turned and headed for her mother-in-law’s room. Krystyna Nowak was sitting in the same armchair, watching the same TV series. It was as if time in that room had not moved at all.
“Krystyna,” Maria said calmly, but her voice was as hard as a taut string. Her mother-in-law reluctantly turned her head. “What happened? So early…” “Łukasz’s money disappeared.” Krystyna raised her eyebrows. “And?”
“Everything. Every penny.” “So what do you want from me?” she asked, irritated. “Children often lose money.” Maria stepped closer. “You were the only person besides us who knew about the box. You went into his room. You saw where he was standing.” Krystyna snorted. “Are you saying that I… robbed my own grandson?”
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