▁the ▁alleg ations , ▁and ▁his ▁super iors ▁choose ▁to ▁believe ▁him . ▁ ▁F es ht ig ▁meets ▁with ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁moth ers ▁and ▁starts ▁to ▁coun sel ▁her ▁son ▁Nathan ▁M ears , ▁and ▁he ▁gradually ▁un co vers ▁the ▁extent ▁of ▁the ▁damage ▁that ▁F och s ▁has ▁done ▁to ▁the ▁young ▁boy . ▁ ▁As ▁the ▁ab use ▁alleg ations ▁reach ▁the ▁media , ▁the ▁pressure ▁on ▁the ▁church ▁mount s , ▁but ▁it ▁does ▁everything ▁to ▁protect ▁itself ▁and ▁its ▁reputation , ▁going ▁as ▁far ▁as ▁to ▁ex communic ate ▁the ▁two ▁moth ers . ▁The ▁pressure ▁on ▁F och s ▁from ▁his ▁wife ▁is ▁more ▁difficult ▁to ▁answer ▁as ▁she ▁press es ▁him ▁on ▁what ▁he ▁was ▁doing ▁the ▁night ▁the ▁girl ▁was ▁murder ed . ▁Event ually ▁he ▁r ams ▁his ▁car ▁into ▁a ▁tree , ▁having ▁sur re pt it iously ▁un cli pped ▁his ▁wife ’ s ▁seat ▁bel t . ▁ ▁She ▁is ▁thrown ▁through ▁the ▁window ▁and ▁killed . ▁ ▁F es ht ig ▁reve als ▁his ▁conclus ions ▁to ▁the ▁police , ▁but ▁their ▁DNA ▁tests ▁are ▁incon clus ive . ▁ ▁Prote cted ▁by ▁the ▁church , ▁F och s ▁still ▁cont riv es ▁to ▁spend ▁time ▁alone ▁with ▁young ▁boys ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁mol est ▁them . ▁He ▁is ▁eventually ▁transferred ▁to ▁a ▁teaching ▁position ▁in ▁another ▁city , ▁free ▁to ▁carry ▁on ▁his ▁ab use . ▁ ▁As ▁the ▁novel ▁ends , ▁having ▁assault ed ▁his ▁children