Chapter 2 - THE CAMERA SHE NEVER FOUND
Vanessa reached my office door before I could close it.
“What are you doing?”
“Move.”
“Ryan, we need to talk.”
“We’re done talking.”
I set Lily on the small couch beside my desk.
“Sweetheart, stay right here.”
She grabbed my sleeve.
“Don’t leave.”
“I’m not leaving.”
Vanessa pushed into the room.
“Stop scaring her.”
I turned on her.
“You think I’m scaring her?”
Vanessa crossed her arms.
“You came in, started yelling, hit me, and now you’re acting insane.”
For half a second, I almost believed the old version of her.
The calm woman who ran school fundraisers.
The woman who remembered everybody’s birthday.
The woman neighbors described as patient.
Then I looked at Lily.
She was curled into the corner of the couch with her knees against her chest.
Watching Vanessa.
Not me.
Vanessa.
Like a rabbit watching a wolf.
I opened my laptop.
The hidden camera system required a password.
Vanessa’s voice sharpened.
“What is that?”
I typed.
She moved closer.
“Ryan.”
I opened the security folder.
Hundreds of video files appeared.
Date.
Time.
Room.
Her face drained of color.
“What did you do?”
I looked at her.
“Protected my family.”
“You recorded me without telling me?”
“I installed it after someone kept entering my office.”
Her mouth opened.
Then closed.
That was interesting.
I clicked the newest file.
Kitchen. Today. 2:14 p.m.
Vanessa grabbed Lily by the arm.
I watched myself arrive seven minutes later.
Lily whimpered beside me.
“Daddy, don’t watch.”
I closed the video instantly.
“It’s okay.”
Vanessa spoke quickly.
“That shows exactly what I told you. She was throwing food. She was screaming. I was trying to get control.”
I opened yesterday.
8:07 a.m.
Vanessa stood in the kitchen drinking coffee.
Lily was sitting at the table.
“I’m hungry,” Lily said on the recording.
“You ate yesterday.”
“I want cereal.”
“You want everything.”
Vanessa took the cereal box off the counter and poured it directly into the trash.
Lily started crying.
“Stop.”
The recorded Vanessa leaned close to her face.
“Keep crying and you’re going in the room.”
I paused it.
“What room?”
Vanessa said nothing.
Lily whispered, “Laundry room.”
I turned toward her.
“What does she mean?”
Vanessa shook her head.
“She likes to hide in there.”
Lily immediately said, “No.”
Her voice was tiny but firm.
“She locks it.”
I stared at Vanessa.
“You lock her in a laundry room?”
“No.”
“Lily?”
My daughter nodded.
“For how long?”
She shrugged.
“A lot.”
“What does that mean?”
“Until it gets dark sometimes.”
I felt sick.
Vanessa suddenly lunged for the laptop.
I blocked her.
“Give me that!”
“Get away from me.”
“You have no right!”
I stood.
She backed up.
For the first time in our marriage, I didn’t recognize her.
Then Lily said something that made Vanessa freeze.
“There’s a man too.”
I looked at my daughter.
“What man?”
Vanessa’s head snapped toward her.
“Lily.”
My voice dropped.
“What man, sweetheart?”
Lily pointed at Vanessa.
“Mommy’s friend.”
The room went completely silent.
“When does he come here?”
“When you’re gone.”
Vanessa whispered, “Ryan, she’s confused.”
But Lily shook her head.
“No, I’m not.”
May you like
Then she looked at me and said,
“He knows where the camera is.”
