Chapter 13 - THE PHONE IN THE VENT
Daniel went home with Dana and a private investigator named Luis Ortega.
They did not touch the vent at first. Luis photographed it from every angle.
Then he unscrewed the cover.
A small black phone slid into his gloved hand.
It was powered off.
Dana said, “Don’t turn it on.”
Luis placed it in an evidence bag.
Daniel stared at it.
“That was above their bedrooms.”
“Yes.”
“She recorded my children in their own hallway.”
“Yes.”
Daniel wanted to call Rachel. Instead, he called the detective assigned after Officer Kim’s report.
The phone’s contents came back two days later through a forensic technician working with law enforcement.
There were hundreds of clips.
Most showed ordinary life.
Noah helping Lily with pajamas.
Lily crying after a nightmare.
Daniel rushing through breakfast before work.
But some had been labeled.
DANIEL ANGRY.
NOAH MELTDOWN.
LILY FEARFUL.
The labels twisted normal moments into evidence.
One clip showed Daniel raising his voice because Noah ran toward the street after a soccer ball.
Another showed Noah yelling after Rachel hid his mother’s photograph.
Then came a video recorded in the hallway at 7:42 p.m. three weeks earlier.
Rachel stood in front of Noah.
“Say it again.”
“I feel safer with Aunt Rachel.”
“Again.”
“I feel safer with Aunt Rachel.”
“Without sounding sarcastic.”
Noah’s face crumpled.
“I don’t want to.”
Rachel leaned close.
“If you keep making this difficult, Lily goes somewhere else and you won’t see her.”
Daniel stopped the video.
His hands were shaking.
Dana said, “We have enough to ask for a protective order.”
Luis shook his head.
“Keep watching.”
The next clip began with Peter Sloan entering the hallway.
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He handed Rachel a folder.
And said, “Once Daniel signs the revised trust page, you won’t need the kids to cooperate for long.”
