Chapter 6 - WHAT DANIEL DIDN’T HEAR
Daniel stopped the video too late.
The whisper had already filled the parking lot.
His thumb hovered over the screen.
Sophie’s stiff smile.
Vanessa’s voice.
Good. Now say she scares you.
“That could mean anything.”
Hannah almost slapped him.
Instead, she said, “You brought me a coached video as proof that I’m coaching her.”
“I didn’t know she said that.”
“You didn’t listen to the whole thing?”
“Vanessa sent me clips.”
“How many?”
“How many, Daniel?”
“Six or seven.”
The scale of it hit Hannah harder than the first clip.
A file.
“Send me every video.”
“I can’t.”
“Why?”
“Because I deleted the thread after you filed that school complaint.”
Hannah stared at him. “You deleted evidence.”
“I deleted an argument.”
“Where’s your phone backup?”
Daniel’s eyes hardened. “I’m not handing you my phone.”
Dr. Shah stepped out of the building behind them.
She took in their faces and stopped. “Is everything all right?”
“No,” Hannah said.
Daniel shoved his phone into his pocket. “This is private.”
Dr. Shah looked at him for a long moment. “Not if a child is being pressured to make false statements.”
That night he called Hannah again.
“I asked Vanessa about the videos.”
“And?”
“She said it’s a bonding exercise recommended by a parenting coach.”
“Name the coach.”
“She won’t tell me.”
Hannah closed her eyes.
Daniel continued, “I’m going to check the house cameras.”
“Do it now.”
“I’m at work.”
“Then go home.”
“Hannah… the blue room camera is offline.”
Her grip tightened on the phone.
“Since when?”
“I don’t know.”
Keys clacked on his end.
Then Daniel stopped breathing for a second.
May you like
“What?” Hannah demanded.
“The system says someone deleted seventy-three video files last night.”
