Chapter 12 - The Missing Husband
For ten minutes, nobody knew whose blood it was.
Those ten minutes felt like an hour.
Officer Ramirez made calls.
Daniel paced.
I sat beside Mia.
Finally, Ramirez came back.
“Scott’s alive.”
Daniel exhaled.
“Where is he?”
“County hospital.”
“What happened?”
“He says Vanessa hit him with a glass when he tried to take the black phone.”
My stomach turned.
“So he took it?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“According to Scott, he discovered messages involving Ava and Mia tonight.”
Daniel stared at the floor.
Ramirez continued.
“He confronted Vanessa. She tried to delete the phone. He grabbed it. There was a struggle.”
“Is he badly hurt?”
“Six stitches.”
Mia whispered, “Is Ava okay?”
“Yes.”
That was the only answer that mattered to her.
The black phone changed everything.
By morning, police had extracted enough data to establish a timeline.
Vanessa had photographed my lawyer’s office.
She had messaged Ava instructions.
She had saved drafts of messages pretending to be Mia.
She had screenshots of Daniel’s custody schedule.
She had notes about school events.
And a list.
A literal list.
Things Claire does wrong.
I read it in the police station.
Late pickup — 4 minutes.
Cheap birthday party.
Mia cried after dentist.
Claire looked angry at soccer.
Every normal parenting moment turned into evidence.
Daniel stood beside me.
“She was building a custody case.”
“For you?”
He shook his head slowly.
“I don’t think so.”
“What do you mean?”
Officer Ramirez slid another printed message across the table.
It was a conversation between Vanessa and an unknown number.
Unknown: If Daniel gets primary custody, you’ll have access whenever you want.
Vanessa: He won’t fight me. He never does.
Unknown: And Claire?
Vanessa: People believe whatever they’re told enough times.
I felt nauseous.
Daniel sat down hard.
“She was using me.”
“Yes.”
He stared at the page.
“She thought I’d take Mia from you.”
“Yes.”
“And then she’d control me.”
“Yes.”
For once, he didn’t argue.
Officer Ramirez placed another page down.
“This was sent three weeks ago.”
Vanessa: The parade will be perfect. Lots of witnesses.
Unknown: Don’t overdo it.
Vanessa: I need Mia upset.
Unknown: And if she doesn’t react?
Vanessa: She will.
Except Mia hadn’t.
That was why Vanessa dragged her away.
Why she ripped the dress.
Why she lost control.
“She wanted Mia to hit her,” I said.
Ramirez nodded.
“That appears likely.”
“Who’s the unknown number?”
“We’re working on it.”
Daniel leaned closer.
Then he frowned.
“Wait.”
“What?”
He pointed to the number.
“I know those last four digits.”
Ramirez looked at him.
“Whose number is it?”
Daniel’s face went gray.
“The superintendent.”
Silence.
Principal Harris’s warning came rushing back.
The building.
The donations.
The district order.
The footage.
This wasn’t just Vanessa protecting herself after the fact.
Someone inside the school system had known.
I stood.
“How much did he know?”
Ramirez’s expression hardened.
“We’re about to find out.”
Then his phone rang.
He answered.
Listened.
His eyes shifted toward me.
“When?”
Another pause.
“Secure everything.”
He hung up.
“What happened?” I asked.
He looked at Daniel.
May you like
Then at me.
“Someone tried to delete the school’s security footage last night.”
