Chapter 4 - THE ORDER
“Sarah Mitchell?”
“Yes.”
“I need you to remain calm.”
Linda gave a small, victorious sigh.
“You called them before I touched you.”
“We have a temporary protective order signed this morning.”
“This morning?”
Jason rubbed his forehead.
Sarah looked at the timestamp.
9:12 a.m.
Linda had thrown the towel at 1:36 p.m.
“This says I assaulted my husband last night.”
Harris looked toward Jason.
Jason’s face went blank.
Sarah’s voice dropped. “I slept in Miles’s room last night because Jason was snoring.”
“That’s irrelevant,” Linda snapped.
“No,” Mark said. “It isn’t.”
The second deputy glanced at the crowded room.
“Ma’am, under the order, you have to leave the residence temporarily.”
“My residence?”
“I understand.”
“No, you don’t.”
Harris kept his tone measured. “You can challenge it at the hearing Tuesday.”
“Today is Sunday.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Two nights for Jason to do whatever “file Monday” meant.
Sarah looked at her phone, then at the forged deed image.
“Can I show you evidence this order is based on a setup?”
“You can show me, but I don’t have authority to cancel a signed order.”
She handed him the phone anyway.
“Screenshot these somewhere safe.”
“I already did.”
“Good.”
Linda stepped forward. “Officer, she attacked me. Everyone saw.”
“I saw Linda throw a filthy towel in her face first.”
“So did I.”
Linda’s confidence cracked.
Deputy Harris exhaled. “That matters at the hearing.”
Sarah knelt and hugged Miles.
“Am I coming?”
Sarah looked at the order.
Jason had requested temporary sole custody.
“The child stays with the named custodial parent unless the court changes it.”
“No. I go with Mommy.”
Sarah pressed her lips to his hair.
“I’m coming back.”
Then the boy whispered something into Sarah’s ear.
Something so quiet nobody else heard.
“Daddy put Grandma’s papers in your desk.”
Sarah pulled back.
“What papers?”
May you like
Miles pointed upstairs.
And Jason immediately blocked the staircase.
