Chapter 4
The first video destroyed me.
It showed Karen in the kitchen two weeks earlier.
Mia was sitting on the floor with blocks.
She knocked over a cup of water by accident.
Karen grabbed her by the arm and dragged her to the cabinet.
Mia screamed.
The same scream.
The same words.
“I’m sorry! Dark box no!”
Karen shoved her inside and closed the door.
The video shook because the teddy bear sat on the shelf, but the audio was clear.
“If you cry, you stay longer.”
I turned away and vomited into Rachel’s trash can.
Rachel stood behind me, shaking with rage.
Officer Harris paused the video.
“We have enough for charges.”
Rachel whispered, “Play the rest.”
I shook my head.
“I can’t.”
Officer Harris looked at me gently.
“You don’t have to watch it all right now.”
But I did.
I owed Mia that much.
I watched Karen slap food from her hand.
Watched her pinch Mia under the table.
Watched her smile when my car pulled into the driveway and scoop Mia into her arms like a loving stepmother.
I watched my daughter become still whenever Karen entered the room.
Still.
Not calm.
Frozen.
On one video, Karen knelt in front of Mia and whispered, “Daddy will believe me because grown-ups believe wives, not bad little girls.”
I broke then.
I hit the table with my fist.
Not hard enough to hurt anyone.
Hard enough to make the room jump.
Rachel grabbed my shoulder.
“Daniel.”
I sobbed.
“She was trying to tell me.”
Rachel’s voice cracked.
“How?”
“She said she didn’t like cabinets. I laughed. I thought she meant monsters.”
Rachel closed her eyes.
Karen was arrested that night.
Child abuse.
Unlawful confinement.
Assault.
Endangerment.
When the officers led her out, she looked at me.
“This is Rachel’s fault,” she said.
“She always hated me.”
I looked at her.
“No.”
May you like
My voice was quiet.
“This is what happens when the door opens before you expect it.”
