Chapter 2 - The Therapist’s Secret VisitDetective
Chapter 2 - The Therapist’s Secret VisitDetective
Hale crouched beside the hospital bed.
“When did Dr. Caroline come to your school?”
Sophie looked at me before answering.
“Yesterday.”
“What did she say?”
“She said Grandma was worried.”
My hands began to shake.
“Did she take you anywhere?”
Sophie nodded.
“To the little room beside the office.”
“Was anyone else there?”
“A lady from school.”
“Do you know her name?”
“Mrs. Lane.”
Mrs. Lane was the school counselor.
I had met her twice.
She had never contacted me about any emergency.
Detective Hale spoke gently.
“What did Dr. Caroline ask you?”
Sophie lowered her eyes.
“She asked if Daddy gets angry.”
“Did you answer?”
“I said Daddy gets sad.”
Her voice became smaller.
“She said sad people can become dangerous.”
I closed my eyes.
Emily had died eighteen months earlier.
There were nights when I sat alone in the kitchen after Sophie went to sleep.
There were mornings when grief made it difficult to speak.
But I had never hurt my daughter.
I had never threatened her.
Dr. Caroline knew that.
She had told me grief was normal.
She had praised my relationship with Sophie.
Now she had transformed every vulnerable conversation into evidence against me.
“Did she ask about Grandma?” Detective Hale said.
Sophie nodded.
“She asked if I wanted to live in Grandma’s big house.”
My stomach twisted.
“What did you say?”
“I said no.”
“Why?”
Sophie looked toward the door.
“Because Grandma gets mad when I talk about Mommy.”
The room went silent.
I had never heard that before.
“What does she say about Mommy?”
Sophie pulled the blanket closer.
“She says Mommy stole you from the family.”
A cold anger spread through my chest.
My mother had hated Emily from the beginning.
She thought Emily was too independent.
Too outspoken.
Too unwilling to obey.
When Emily refused to let my parents control our wedding, my mother called her selfish.
When Emily created Sophie’s trust, my father called it an insult.
After Emily died, they suddenly became helpful.
They offered to watch Sophie.
They brought food.
They insisted family should remain close.
I had mistaken control for concern.
Detective Hale stood.
“We need to speak with the school before anyone has time to coordinate their stories.”
He turned toward the nurse.
“Can an officer stay outside this room?”
She nodded.
“I’ll arrange it.”
My phone buzzed again.
This time, it was an unknown number.
I answered cautiously.
“Hello?”
A woman whispered.
“Is this Daniel Carter?”
“Yes.”
“My name is Rachel Moore.”
I recognized the name.
She was one of my parents’ neighbors.
“I was at the party tonight.”
I looked at Detective Hale and put the call on speaker.
Rachel continued.
“I saw what happened near the stairs.”
“Did you see my daughter?”
“No.”
“But I heard your father before you arrived.”
“What did he say?”
Her breathing became uneven.
“He told Bethany to make sure the child cried when you came inside.”
Detective Hale took out his notebook.
“Mrs. Moore, this is Detective Marcus Hale.”
The line went quiet.
“I cannot be involved,” Rachel said quickly.
“You are already involved because you witnessed part of a crime.”
“I have children.”
“So does Daniel.”
Rachel began crying softly.
“You do not understand what that family does to people who challenge them.”
I looked at the phone.
“What have they done?”
She did not answer immediately.
Then she whispered something that made Detective Hale stop writing.
“This is not the first custody case.”
I stared at him.
“What do you mean?”
Rachel continued.
“Bethany’s former husband had a son from another relationship.”
“His name was Noah.”
“When he tried to leave Bethany, your parents helped accuse him of neglect.”
I remembered Bethany’s ex-husband, Ryan.
The family said he had abandoned her.
They said he was irresponsible.
They said the court had agreed.
“What happened to Noah?” I asked.
“He was placed with Bethany temporarily.”
“And then?”
“He disappeared from the family completely.”
Rachel inhaled sharply.
“Ryan lost everything trying to fight them.”
“His job.”
“His home.”
“His reputation.”
“Where is he now?”
“I do not know.”
The call suddenly disconnected.
I tried calling back.
The number no longer worked.
Detective Hale looked troubled.
“Your family may have done this before.”
I looked down at Sophie.
She was watching my face.
I forced myself to breathe slowly.
“I need to find Ryan.”
Detective Hale nodded.
“But first, we secure the evidence.”
He called the officers at my parents’ house.
No one answered.
He called again.
Still nothing.
Then his radio crackled.
A voice came through.
“Detective, we have a problem.”
“What happened?”
“The security system went offline.”
“When?”
“Three minutes ago.”
“Are the officers still inside?”
There was a pause.
“No, sir.”
“They were ordered to leave.”
“Ordered by whom?”
The answer came quietly.
“Chief Raymond Pierce.”
I knew that name.
He had been sitting beside my father at dinner.
He was also the man seen on camera watching my mother restrain Sophie.
Detective Hale’s jaw tightened.
“Why did he order them out?”
“He says there is insufficient cause to remain on the property.”
Hale looked at the laptop.
“There is video evidence.”
“He says the video may have been altered.”
A chill moved through me.
My family was already destroying evidence.
And the police chief was helping them.
Detective Hale grabbed his coat.
“We are going back to that house.”
I looked at Sophie.
“I cannot leave her.”
“You are not.”
He pointed toward the doorway.
“You are coming with me in an ambulance transport.”
I stared at him.
“Why?”
“Because if the chief controls the local department, this hospital may not stay safe.”
Before I could respond, the lights in the room flickered.
The hallway outside went dark.
Sophie grabbed my shirt.
“Daddy.”
Then footsteps moved toward our door.
Slow.
May you like
Heavy.
And someone tried the handle.
