Chapter 3
The words hung in the air like poison.
"What are you talking about?" I demanded, pressing my knee harder into his back.
Richard just laughed again. It was a horrible sound—wet and gurgling and full of malice.
"Ask your ex-wife," he said. "She knows. She's known from the beginning."
I looked at Sarah. She was still staring at the wall, but now her hands were trembling.
"Sarah," I said. "What is he talking about?"
She didn't answer.
"Sarah!"
She flinched at the sound of my voice. Slowly, she turned her head and looked at me. Her eyes were red and puffy, but there was something else in them now.
Defiance.
"It doesn't matter," she said. "The police are coming. You've won. Take your son and go."
"It does matter," I said. "What did you do?"
Before she could answer, we heard the sirens.
They were close. Getting closer.
Richard tensed beneath me. "You're making a mistake," he hissed. "If you do this, if you put me away, you'll never find out the truth."
"The truth about what?"
"About why I did it."
The sirens were deafening now. Tires screeched in the driveway. Doors slammed.
"Police!" a voice shouted from outside.
"Don't come in!" I yelled back. "I have the suspect restrained. My son is safe."
"Open the door slowly," the officer called.
I hesitated. I didn't want to let go of Richard. Not when he was hinting at something else. Something worse.
But I had to.
"Ethan," I said. "Open the door for the officers."
Ethan nodded, his face pale. He unlocked the door and pulled it open.
Two uniformed officers rushed in, their hands on their weapons. They took in the scene at a glance—Richard pinned to the floor, Sarah crying on the couch, Ethan standing by the door looking like he'd seen a ghost.
"Step away from the suspect," one of the officers said to me.
Reluctantly, I got off Richard. The officers pulled him to his feet and cuffed him. He winced as they tightened the restraints.
"Are you David Carter?" the other officer asked me.
I nodded. "That's me."
"And this is your son?"
"Yes. Ethan."
The officer knelt down to Ethan's level. He had a kind face, soft eyes. "Hey, buddy. I'm Officer Martinez. You're safe now, okay?"
Ethan nodded, but he didn't say anything. He ran to me and clung to my leg.
I put my hand on his head. "He's been through a lot."
"We can see that," Officer Martinez said. He stood up and looked at Richard, who was being led toward the door. "We'll need to take him in. And we'll need both of you to come down to the station to give statements."
"I want a doctor to look at Ethan first," I said.
"Of course. We'll arrange that. And we'll need to take that laptop as evidence." He nodded toward the coffee table.
One of the other officers bagged the laptop. Richard watched them take it, and for a moment, I saw pure terror in his eyes.
Then he looked at me.
And he smiled.
It was the most unsettling thing I'd ever seen.
"You think you've won," he said as the officers led him out. "But you have no idea what's coming."
The door closed behind him.
Sarah was still on the couch. She hadn't moved.
Officer Martinez looked at her. "Ma'am, we'll need you to come with us too."
Sarah stood up slowly. She brushed off her pants and straightened her shirt. She looked at me, and for a moment, I thought she was going to say something.
But she didn't.
She just walked past me, toward the door.
Ethan clung tighter to my leg.
"She didn't even say goodbye," he whispered.
My heart broke for him.
The next few hours were a blur.
We went to the hospital first. A doctor examined Ethan, took photographs of his bruises, documented everything. She was gentle and kind, and she kept telling Ethan how brave he was.
Ethan didn't say much. He just nodded when she asked him questions. He held my hand the entire time.
After the hospital, we went to the police station. I gave my statement. Ethan talked to a child psychologist who specialized in abuse cases. She told me later that he was in shock, but that he'd confirmed everything.
The police told me Richard was being charged with felony child abuse. They'd found the pictures on his laptop—dozens of them. Some dated back six months.
Sarah was released after questioning. The police said they didn't have enough evidence to charge her yet, but they were investigating.
I took Ethan home. To my small apartment. The one that didn't have a spare bedroom, but had plenty of love.
I made him his favorite dinner—macaroni and cheese with hot dogs. He ate a few bites, then pushed the plate away.
"Dad?" he said, his voice small.
"Yeah, buddy?"
"Is he going to hurt me again?"
I knelt down in front of him. I looked him in the eyes.
"No," I said. "Never. I promise you. As long as I'm alive, no one will ever hurt you again."
He nodded, but I could see he didn't quite believe me.
That night, he slept in my bed. He clung to me like he was afraid I'd disappear if he let go.
I didn't sleep at all.
I lay awake, thinking about Richard's words.
There's something else. Something you'll never be able to undo.
And Sarah's silence.
I knew there was more to this. Something I wasn't seeing.
The next morning, my phone rang.
It was the police.
"Mr. Carter," the detective said. "We have a problem."
My heart stopped.
"What kind of problem?"
"Sarah has filed a restraining order against you," he said. "And she's filed for emergency custody of Ethan."
I felt the blood drain from my face.
May you like
"On what grounds?" I demanded.
"She says you kidnapped him," the detective said. "And she says you're the one who's been abusing him."
