Chapter 4 - The Messages
The screenshots were ugly.
“I hope you die.”
“You’re stupid.”
“Everyone hates you.”
Then one message that made my stomach drop.
“Tomorrow I’m going to make you sorry.”
The sender name at the top said Mia.
Vanessa stood behind Officer Ramirez with her arms folded.
“There,” she said. “Now maybe everyone can stop treating my daughter like the criminal.”
Mia shook her head violently.
“I didn’t write those!”
Vanessa sighed.
“Of course you did.”
“I didn’t!”
I put my hand on Mia’s shoulder.
“What number are they from?”
Officer Ramirez zoomed in.
The number was hidden in the screenshots.
Only Mia’s name appeared.
“Can you open the original conversation?” I asked.
Vanessa didn’t move.
The officer turned toward her.
“Ma’am?”
“I gave you the evidence.”
“The original messages would be better.”
Vanessa’s eyes narrowed.
“My daughter deleted them because they upset her.”
“How convenient,” I said.
Her attorney gave me a warning look.
I ignored him.
Mia pulled at my sleeve.
“Mom.”
“What?”
“I lost my phone last month.”
I froze.
“What?”
“At Grandma’s house.”
I remembered.
The old iPhone Daniel had given her for Wi-Fi calls.
We searched everywhere.
Daniel said Mia probably misplaced it.
Vanessa had been at that dinner.
So had Ava.
Mia looked at Officer Ramirez.
“Aunt Vanessa found it.”
Vanessa’s expression changed.
“No, I didn’t.”
“Yes, you did.”
“Mia.”
“You said you’d give it to Dad.”
Vanessa’s attorney closed his eyes.
Just for a second.
But I saw it.
Officer Ramirez saw it too.
“Ms. Cole,” he said, “do you currently have Mia’s phone?”
“No.”
“Did you ever have it?”
“No.”
Mia stood up.
“Yes, you did!”
Her voice cracked.
“You showed it to me in your kitchen!”
Vanessa stepped toward her.
“That is enough.”
I moved between them.
“Back up.”
Vanessa pointed at Mia.
“See? This is exactly what I’m talking about. She lies. Constantly.”
The conference-room door opened.
A woman stood there holding a toddler.
I recognized her.
She had been in the hallway.
Her name was Rachel.
Our daughters were in the same grade.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “But I think you need to see this.”
She held up her phone.
Vanessa went still.
Rachel looked at me.
“I started recording before you got there.”
“Why?” Officer Ramirez asked.
Rachel glanced at Vanessa.
“Because I saw Vanessa drag Mia away from the crowd.”
She unlocked the screen.
“And the hallway camera doesn’t have sound.”
Vanessa’s face drained.
“But my phone does.”
Rachel pressed play.
Vanessa’s voice came through the tiny speaker.
Clear as day.
“You think that dress makes you special?”
Mia’s voice answered.
“Please leave me alone.”
Then Vanessa laughed.
And said something so cruel that Rachel covered her mouth even though she had already heard it once.
“Your father chose a new family because you weren’t worth keeping.”
Mia began to sob beside me.
But the recording wasn’t over.
A few seconds later, Vanessa said another sentence.
May you like
One that turned the entire case upside down.
“And after tomorrow, everyone is going to think you’re the bully.”
