Chapter 4 - The Wrong Story
Dr. Keller came back ten minutes later with a social worker and a police detective.
The detective introduced herself as Lena Ortiz. Early forties, dark blazer, watchful eyes. The kind of face that missed absolutely nothing.
Claire stood when Ortiz entered the room. She smoothed her hair, softened her expression, and became someone else.
“I’m so glad you’re here,” she said. “This whole thing has been twisted.”
Ortiz didn’t answer her. She pulled a chair up beside mine and lowered her voice.
“Mr. Mercer, because there are visible injuries and a statement involving restraint, we need to ask some questions.”
“Ask anything.”
Claire let out a slow breath. “Thank God. Because I have been trying to tell Ethan for months that Emma is having behavioral episodes.”
I turned so fast the chair legs scraped the floor.
“What?”
Claire held her ground. “She lashes out. She lies. She breaks things. She locked herself in the pantry last month and blamed me when I found her.”
Emma shrank so far back on the bed I thought she might disappear into the wall.
Ortiz noticed.
“Ms. Holloway,” she said evenly, “I’ll speak to you in a minute.”
But the damage was done.
Claire kept going. “His wife died two years ago. Emma never processed it. I have tried to help.”
“You put your hands on my child,” I said.
“She put her hands on me first.”
“Because she’s seven!”
Emma started shaking again. Dr. Keller moved closer to her.
Ortiz pulled a small notepad from her bag. “Emma, sweetheart, can you tell me what happened today?”
Emma wiped her face with the back of her hand. “Claire said I was being disgusting because I cried at lunch.”
Claire made an offended sound. “That is not—”
Ortiz raised one finger without looking at her.
Emma kept going. “I said I wanted my mommy. Claire squeezed me hard and said if I didn’t stop being dramatic, I could sit in the playhouse until I learned how to be grateful.”
The room went dead still.
Then Emma whispered the part that made even Ortiz blink.
“She said maybe Daddy would like the house better if I wasn’t always in it.”
Claire shot to her feet. “That is a lie.”
Ortiz stood too. “Sit down.”
Claire looked at me like I was supposed to rescue her.
I didn’t move.
My phone buzzed in my pocket.
I ignored it once.
It buzzed again.
When I finally checked it, my stomach dropped.
May you like
The home security app had sent a notification.
Backyard camera footage unavailable. Segment deleted: 2:14 PM to 2:26 PM.
