Chapter 1 - The Scream at the Bottom of the Stairs
Daniel Carter knew something was wrong before he even unlocked the front door.
His four-year-old daughter was screaming for him.
“Daddy!”
The sound came from the stairwell.
He shoved the door open.
Emma was on the floor, crying and trying to crawl toward the stairs. Behind her, Daniel’s older sister, Rachel, had one fist tangled in the back of the little girl’s hair.
And standing between them was eight-year-old Noah.
“Let her go!” Noah shouted.
Rachel grabbed his arm.
“Move.”
“No!”
“Move, Noah.”
Daniel dropped his work bag.
“What are you doing?!”
Rachel released both children so fast it looked rehearsed.
Emma scrambled toward Daniel.
He scooped her up.
Noah stood in front of his sister as if he still did not trust the danger had passed.
Rachel raised both hands.
Daniel stared at her.
“I saw you.”
Emma buried her face in Daniel’s shoulder.
Noah said, “She wasn’t.”
Rachel snapped, “Stay out of this.”
Daniel turned.
“No.”
Rachel’s face went still.
Daniel knelt so Noah could see him.
“What happened?”
Noah looked at Rachel.
Then whispered, “Can I tell you later?”
Daniel’s stomach dropped.
“Why later?”
Noah started crying harder.
“Because Aunt Rachel said if I told you everything, she’d make Emma go away.”
Rachel laughed once.
Noah looked at his father.
“She said you’d believe her because grown-ups always believe grown-ups.”
Daniel stood.
“Rachel, get your purse.”
Her eyes widened.
“You’re throwing me out because a child is upset?”
“No.”
He looked at Noah.
“I’m asking you to leave because my son is afraid to speak while you’re in the room.”
Rachel stared at him.
Then smiled.
Not kindly.
“You have no idea what your kids are really like when you’re gone.”
Daniel opened the front door.
That night, after Emma finally fell asleep, Noah walked into Daniel’s room carrying a small blue notebook.
“Dad?”
“Yes?”
Noah held it out.
“I wrote down the days Aunt Rachel was mean.”
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Daniel opened the first page.
There were thirty-seven dates.
