Chapter 2 - The Man on the Phone
I kept the phone pressed to my ear even after the man stopped speaking.
"Emily, listen to me," he said. "Don't open your bedroom door for your father. Open your window a few inches, but stay inside. Can you do that?"
My hands shook so badly I almost dropped the phone. "Who are you?"
A pause. Then: "I'm Arthur. Your grandfather."
I'd seen one picture of him, tucked into Mom's old photo album. He had silver hair, a straight back, and a serious face. Dad had told us Arthur abandoned the family before I was born, and whenever I asked why Mom kept the picture, she said some questions needed to wait until I was older.
"You said you were coming," I whispered.
"I am. The officers outside are there to protect you and your mother. Keep the phone with you."
A heavy knock sounded downstairs. Then another, harder one.
"Police!" a woman called. "Daniel Cole, step away from Sarah and show us your hands."
Dad began talking in the smooth voice he used with teachers and neighbors. "There's been a misunderstanding. My wife is upset, and my daughter is confused."
Mom coughed. I heard her say, "No. Please don't let him take me again."
The words made my stomach twist. Again?
A shadow crossed my bedroom door. Dad's shoes stopped outside.
"Emily," he said gently. "Open up, sweetheart. You don't want strangers making this worse."
I backed away.
The phone crackled. Arthur's voice came through, low and steady. "Don't answer him."
Dad tried the knob. Once. Twice.
Then he leaned close to the door. "Did you call my father?"
I stayed silent.
His voice lost its softness. "That man has no right to come here."
Downstairs, the front door opened. Several boots crossed the hall. A woman announced that Daniel was being detained while they checked the scene.
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Dad didn't move away from my door.
"Your grandfather," he whispered, "is the reason your mother has been lying to you."
