Chapter 6 - The Cover-Up Begins
“You already showed me the video.”
Principal Harris nodded.
“Yes.”
“So send me a copy.”
“I’ve been instructed not to.”
“By who?”
“The superintendent.”
“Why?”
He looked at Vanessa.
Nobody needed to answer.
Vanessa’s attorney spoke first.
“This is standard procedure.”
Rachel laughed from across the room.
“Standard procedure started exactly three minutes after Vanessa called somebody?”
The attorney ignored her.
I looked at Principal Harris.
“Is that footage going to disappear?”
His face tightened.
“No.”
“You sure?”
“Yes.”
“Then preserve it.”
“I will.”
“Put that in writing.”
Vanessa rolled her eyes.
“You watch too much television, Claire.”
I turned toward her.
“And you’ve spent too long thinking nobody can touch you.”
For a second, her mask slipped.
Pure hate.
Then Daniel walked in.
Mia stood immediately.
“Dad.”
He didn’t go to her first.
He went to Vanessa.
That told me everything.
“What happened?” he asked.
Vanessa threw her arms around him.
“She attacked me.”
Mia’s face collapsed.
I watched my daughter realize, in real time, that her father had walked into a room and chosen someone else first.
Again.
“Daniel,” I said.
He pulled back from Vanessa.
“Can everyone stop yelling?”
“I’m not yelling.”
He looked at Mia.
Finally.
“What happened, kiddo?”
Mia stared at him.
“Aunt Vanessa ripped my dress.”
Daniel glanced at the bag.
Then at Vanessa.
“She says you and Ava were fighting.”
“We weren’t.”
“She says you sent Ava threatening messages.”
“I didn’t.”
His eyes moved to me.
“Claire?”
“Don’t look at me. Look at your daughter.”
“I am.”
“No, you’re investigating her.”
Daniel’s face hardened.
“I’m trying to understand.”
Officer Ramirez stepped over.
“Mr. Cole, I can help with that.”
He summarized the video.
Then the audio.
Then the missing phone.
Daniel looked at Vanessa.
“Is that true?”
“Obviously not.”
“The officer just saw it.”
“It’s being twisted.”
“How do you twist video?”
Vanessa’s voice sharpened.
“You’re seriously taking her side?”
Daniel looked at Mia.
I thought this was it.
I thought he would finally walk across that room and protect his child.
Instead, he said, “I need to see everything.”
Mia sat back down.
Her shoulders folded inward.
I wanted to slap him.
I didn’t.
I did something better.
I took out my phone.
“Rachel,” I said, “send me your recording.”
Vanessa’s attorney stepped forward.
“I’d advise you not to distribute—”
“You’re not my attorney.”
Rachel sent it.
I emailed it to myself.
Then to my sister.
Then to a cloud drive.
Then to Officer Ramirez.
Then to an attorney I knew from work.
Five copies.
Five places Vanessa couldn’t reach.
Her face told me she understood exactly what I was doing.
Then Mia spoke.
Quietly.
“There’s more.”
Everyone looked at her.
She was staring at Daniel.
“Aunt Vanessa made Ava do things too.”
Vanessa turned sharply.
“Mia.”
My daughter flinched.
Officer Ramirez caught it.
“What things?” he asked.
Mia looked at the floor.
“She made Ava record me crying.”
Daniel went pale.
“Why?”
May you like
Mia’s answer came out as a whisper.
“Because she wanted to send it to Dad.”
