Chapter 1 - She Pushed Me, Daddy
Arthur Bennett heard his daughter scream before the front door had fully opened.
He dropped his briefcase.
“Lily?”
At the top of the marble staircase, seven-year-old Lily was already falling backward.
Victoria stood behind her.
One hand still extended.
The young caregiver lunged across the landing, wrapped both arms around Lily, twisted, and took the impact against her own shoulder as they hit the lower steps.
“I’ve got you. I won’t let you go.”
Victoria rushed down after them.
“Give her to me!”
Arthur reached the bottom landing and dropped to his knees.
Lily was trembling in Elena’s arms.
“Elena?”
“I’m okay.”
She clearly was not.
Her shoulder hung stiffly.
Arthur reached for Lily.
Victoria’s face changed instantly.
“Arthur! Thank God. She slipped.”
Lily grabbed his jacket.
“No.”
His daughter looked up at him, face wet with tears.
“She pushed me, Daddy.”
Victoria shook her head.
“She’s confused.”
Lily clutched him tighter.
“She pushed me.”
Arthur stood and put himself between Victoria and everyone else.
“You tried to kill my daughter!”
Victoria backed away.
For the first time since Arthur had known her, she looked afraid.
Then Elena whispered:
“Arthur.”
She was staring at the upper landing.
“What?”
“The camera.”
Arthur followed her gaze.
A tiny black lens sat inside the hallway alarm housing.
“That isn’t one of mine.”
Victoria’s face went white.
Arthur looked back at her.
“What is that camera?”
Then the front-door security system chimed.
A second device had connected to the house network.
Name:
VIC-LAPTOP.
Arthur stared at the alert.
Victoria whispered:
May you like
“You weren’t supposed to be home yet.”
And suddenly the fall looked like only the beginning.
