Chapter 2 - The Name on the Recording
"Mercer said one more incident would do it," Vanessa's voice said from June's phone. "Then we can call her behavior a pattern."
Daniel felt the air leave his lungs.
The video showed Vanessa beside the garden tap, speaking into a wireless earbud. Lily stood several feet away, carrying her little watering can. She had no idea she was being discussed.
"Keep your voice down," Vanessa said on the recording. "Daniel comes home at six."
Then she filled the bucket with muddy water, walked directly toward Lily, and dumped it over her.
The recording stopped when Daniel appeared at the gate.
"Who's Mercer?" June asked.
"A child psychologist Vanessa recommended," Daniel said. "She told me the school was worried about Lily."
"I never said that," Lily whispered.
Vanessa stepped forward. Daniel shifted in front of her.
"This is ridiculous," Vanessa said. "A private conversation taken out of context."
"You poured mud on a child," June replied. "How much context do you need?"
Daniel called the police to document the incident, then Lily's pediatrician, who advised rinsing her eyes and watching for irritation.
While they waited, Daniel carried Lily inside, wrapped her in a dry towel, and sat on the bathroom floor while she washed.
"Did she do things like this before?" he asked.
Lily watched a bead of water slide down the shower door.
"She said not to make you sad."
"Telling me the truth won't make me stop loving you."
"Even if it's bad?"
"Especially then."
When the officer arrived, Daniel gave her June's video and requested that Vanessa leave for the night. Vanessa packed a small overnight bag, pausing at the front door.
"You're going to regret choosing a child's story over mine."
"I saw it with my own eyes," Daniel answered.
After she drove away, June sat across from him at the kitchen table.
"Daniel," she said, "I have another recording. It isn't of Lily."
May you like
On the screen, Vanessa was meeting a man beside the garden shed.
He carried a folder marked NORTHLINE DEVELOPMENT.
