Chapter 15 - No One Was Above the Order
The photographer's backup confirmed Melissa's account. Counsel preserved it. The family could no longer claim nobody had tried to bury the truth.
For two months, investigators checked records while lawyers filed motions. Emma saw a counselor. My burns healed.
Daniel's parenting time continued under the temporary arrangement. He sent pictures of the model trains they built. Emma sometimes returned laughing. Sometimes she came home quiet and wanted to sleep beside me.
I learned not to make her explain her mood before she was ready.
Linda challenged the no-contact restrictions. Her lawyer called her a devoted grandmother under terrible stress. Margot presented the school incident and the original footage from Christmas.
"Stress isn't permission to strike someone," the judge said, maintaining the restrictions pending further proceedings.
Linda stared at me from across the courtroom. I expected that stare to make me small. Instead it made me tired.
Afterward she tried to approach in the hall. A deputy reminded her of the separation requirements and directed her away.
"Your father thinks money can make people do whatever he wants!" she shouted.
I turned around. "Money didn't make you hit me, Linda. You did that all by yourself."
It was the last thing I said to her for a long time.
At home, Emma wanted to know whether she could still love Grandma.
"You can have feelings for someone and still need distance from them," I said. "The grown-ups will decide what's safe."
She considered that, then returned to coloring.
My phone rang. Margot sounded unusually serious.
"Daniel has told the financial investigators he's willing to provide a full statement. He says Linda instructed him to alter the documents."
"Will it help him?"
May you like
"Maybe. But he's also admitting what he did."
Then she added, "Sarah, the investigators found a fourth account. This one wasn't in your name. It was in Linda's."
