When the older policeman saw the swelling, the black and blue, and the toes like little sausage links, his expression turned to dismay. “That’s bad. That looks broken,” he said. “Ma’am, does your husband have a phone number we can reach him at? We need him to come back.” They waited outside, and I called Caleb. “I’m sorry,” I said. “They are going to arrest you.” He said he already knew. He left his phone on while they arrested him so I could listen. I didn’t want to, but I couldn’t stop myself. “Did she hit you?” one of the officers asked. “Because we can arrest her, too.” Caleb answered honestly. He said no.
This passage demonstrates the regret that Caleb felt after his rage would settle. He ultimately knew that the authorities would blame him for the abuse, even though he projected the blame onto Kelly. Caleb was also honest with the police saying she never hit him, showing that in his current state he had no aggression towards her. Without this passage, we would lose all of that.