Mr. Lynch stepped forward and called out softly, "Maeve Sutton?"
Maeve Sutton looked up, calling out through her tears, "Lynch."
"Why are you squatting by my front door? What happened to you?"
"Can I come in?"
Mr. Lynch nodded. "Come in with me."
Once they were in the living room, Mr. Lynch finally saw the black and blue bruises covering Maeve Sutton's face. She had clearly been beaten.
"What happened to your face?"
"William Chapman beat me." Maeve Sutton had gone back to her parents' house, but her own father had kicked her out. With nowhere else to go, she had ended up squatting at the Lynch family's front gate.
Mr. Lynch felt a pang of pity for her, because her entire face was beaten beyond recognition.
"I'll go get the first-aid kit. You should put some medicine on that."
He turned and went back to his bedroom, and Maeve Sutton followed him.
