Chapter 4 - The Man Beside the Crib
Leonard went gray.
Ethan took the monitor from Mara and stared at the frozen frame.
The timestamp read 7:43 p.m.
Claire stood beside Sophie’s crib. Leonard was in the doorway. His hand appeared to be holding a folder.
“You said you arrived fifteen minutes ago,” Ethan said.
Leonard looked at the floor.
“Say something.”
“I can explain.”
Claire cut in. “He came upstairs because I asked him to.”
Ethan laughed once. “That is not helping you.”
He pressed the playback button.
Static filled the tiny speaker.
Then Claire’s voice.
“…sign tonight. He doesn’t need to know until after the board vote.”
Leonard’s voice followed. “That is not what Rachel intended.”
Claire: “Rachel is dead.”
The recording crackled.
Ethan felt every person in the hall listening.
Leonard took a step forward. “Ethan, stop the playback.”
“No.”
On screen, Mara entered the nursery carrying Sophie. Claire turned sharply. The video skipped two seconds.
Then came Mara’s voice: “Why is Mr. Shaw here?”
Claire replied, “Leave the baby and go downstairs.”
Mara: “No.”
A long silence.
Then Claire said, calm and cold, “You should have listened.”
The same words she had spoken minutes earlier.
The screen shook as if someone had bumped the monitor.
Sophie began crying.
Mara shouted, “Give her to me!”
The image went black.
Ethan slowly lowered the receiver.
Claire’s composure finally cracked. “That proves nothing.”
“It proves you lied.”
“It proves I had a conversation with your lawyer.”
“About what?”
Leonard closed his eyes.
Claire looked at him. “Don’t.”
Ethan turned to Leonard. “About what?”
The attorney’s shoulders dropped.
“Rachel’s trust,” he said. “And a petition Claire wanted filed.”
Ethan felt a chill. “What petition?”
Leonard reached into his jacket and removed a sealed envelope.
Claire lunged for it.
Daniel caught her wrist before she reached him.
Guests gasped.
“Let go of me!” Claire snapped.
Ethan took the envelope.
Inside was a draft filing from a private family court attorney.
PETITION FOR EMERGENCY TEMPORARY GUARDIANSHIP OF MINOR CHILD.
Proposed petitioner: Claire Bennett.
Grounds: alleged instability, alcohol abuse, violent behavior, and impaired judgment by Ethan Cole.
Ethan stared at the page.
Every accusation was false.
But attached behind it were photographs.
Photographs of him asleep at his desk with an empty whiskey bottle nearby.
Photographs of prescription pills in his bathroom.
Photographs of Sophie with bruises Ethan had never seen.
He looked up slowly.
“Where did these come from?”
Leonard whispered, “That’s the problem.”
He pointed to the final page.
May you like
At the bottom was a notarized statement.
Signed by Mara Ellis.
