It Was A Serious Matter
The men warn her that this is a serious problem and that they will not defend themselves. As soon as they get a chance to speak with Mark, they commit to telling her everything. They wouldn’t share anything else until they had addressed that, which was the most crucial matter. It was obvious why Joyce would respond that way.
A Reasonable Question
“You mean an 8-year-old? What could possibly be so important that you can talk to my little boy about, and not to me?” Although it looked like a reasonable query, Joyce was unaware of the gravity of the circumstance. She informs the men that she would like to include her husband, who had to be contacted first.