Chương 12
He stared at her.
“How do you know?”
“School attendance, a scheduled overnight with Claire before she moved, and location records from Daniel’s phone put Lily elsewhere.”
Vincent absorbed that.
“So Vanessa lied.”
“About at least one bruise, yes.”
His jaw hardened.
Alvarez saw it.
“This is exactly why I told you not to confront her.”
“I heard you.”
“You also said that before.”
“I haven’t confronted her.”
“I know.”
Vincent looked toward the hallway.
“What about the others?”
“We’re still checking.”
The conference room door opened.
Claire came out first.
Her face was pale.
Daniel followed several steps behind.
Vincent stood.
Claire looked at Alvarez.
“You told him?”
“Only about the photograph discrepancy.”
Claire nodded.
Daniel sat down heavily.
Vincent looked at his son.
“What did Lily say?”
Daniel rubbed both hands over his face.
Claire answered.
“She said Vanessa hit her hand more than once.”
Vincent stayed still.
Claire’s eyes filled.
“She said sometimes with the towel, sometimes with her fingers.”
Vincent’s stomach turned.
Daniel looked at the floor.
Claire continued.
“She said Vanessa pinched her arm when she cried in public.”
Vincent’s voice went very quiet.
“How many times?”
Claire shook her head.
“She couldn’t say.”
Alvarez stepped closer.
“She described specific incidents.”
Daniel looked up.
“One at the grocery store.”
His voice sounded scraped raw.
“One in the car.”
Vincent closed his eyes.
Daniel continued.
“She said Vanessa told her not to tell me because I’d send her back to her mother.”
Claire turned away.
Vincent opened his eyes.
The hallway seemed too bright.
“What else?”
Daniel swallowed.
“She said Vanessa said Claire left because Lily was too hard.”
Claire made a small sound and covered her mouth.
Alvarez looked toward her.
“Claire.”
“I’m fine.”
“You don’t have to be.”
Claire shook her head.
“No.”
She wiped her face quickly.
“She needs me fine.”
Daniel stared at his hands.
“Marissa said Lily’s account was consistent for her age.”
Alvarez nodded.
“That’s correct.”
Vincent looked at Daniel.
“What are you going to do?”
Alvarez glanced at him.
“Vincent.”
Daniel raised a hand.
“No.”
He stood.
“He gets to ask.”
Claire looked at him.
Daniel’s face had changed.
Not hardened.
Settled.
“I’m filing for a protective order.”
Vincent said nothing.
“I already called an attorney Sunday.”
Claire’s eyebrows lifted.
“You did?”
Daniel nodded.
“I didn’t tell anyone because I wasn’t sure if I was overreacting.”
Vincent’s mouth twisted.
“You were underreacting for months.”
Daniel met his eyes.
“Yes.”
The simple agreement removed the fight Vincent had been preparing for.
Daniel continued.
“I’m changing the locks today.”
Alvarez stepped in.
“Do that through your lawyer’s advice and document everything.”
“Do not remove her property without guidance.”
“I won’t.”
“Do not threaten her.”
“I won’t.”
Vincent said, “And Lily?”
Daniel looked toward the interview-room hallway.
“She doesn’t go back there until I know she feels safe.”
Claire’s eyes narrowed slightly.
“With who?”
Daniel heard the question beneath the question.
“With you, if that’s what she wants.”
Claire studied him.
“And you?”
“I’m not disappearing.”
He looked at Vincent briefly.
“I’m done pretending disappearing is noble.”
Claire looked down.
Daniel took a slow breath.
“I want time with her when she wants time with me.”
Claire nodded.
“That sounds better.”
“It’s not a plan yet.”
“No.”
“It’s just what I know.”
Alvarez said, “That’s enough for this hour.”
The side door opened again.
Marissa appeared with Lily.
The child held three stickers in one hand.
Not two.
Three.
Vincent noticed immediately.
“So she bribed you.”
Lily walked toward him.
“She had a pink unicorn in a drawer.”
Marissa smiled.
“I was saving it.”
“For what?”
“Apparently today.”
Lily held the sticker up to Vincent’s shirt.
“Can I put it here?”
He looked down at his white collar.
“Absolutely not.”
She peeled the backing anyway.
Vincent sighed.
The pink unicorn landed crooked over his chest pocket.
Claire laughed through the remnants of tears.
Daniel covered his mouth.
Even Alvarez smiled.
Lily looked at all of them.
“Why are you weird?”
Vincent glanced at the sticker.
“Because your family has collapsed morally.”
Claire laughed harder.
Lily did not understand, which made Daniel laugh too.
The sound surprised him.
Then Lily looked at her father.
“Are we going home?”
Daniel’s face changed.
“No.”
She watched him.
“Not to Vanessa?”
“No.”
The tension left her shoulders so quickly that Daniel had to look away for a second.
“Where then?”
He crouched so they were eye level.
“That’s up to you and Mom today.”
Lily frowned.
“You too?”
Daniel shook his head.
“I’ll come see you if you want.”
She considered him carefully.
“Can you come to Grandpa’s?”
“Yes.”
“For dinner?”
“Yes.”
“Pizza?”
Vincent objected.
“We had pizza.”
Lily looked at him.
“Then tacos.”
Claire said, “That is not how food planning works.”
“It is at Grandpa’s.”
Vincent pointed at her.
“Correct.”
Daniel waited.
Lily finally nodded.
“You can come.”
It was not forgiveness.
Nobody treated it as forgiveness.
Daniel stood slowly.
“Okay.”
Outside, the parking lot was brighter than when they had arrived.
Claire buckled Lily into the back seat of the rental car.
Vincent stood nearby with the pink unicorn still stuck to his shirt.
Daniel remained beside his own car.
His phone vibrated again.
Vanessa.
He looked at the screen.
Then at Lily.
He answered this time.
Claire stiffened.
Vincent took one step toward him.
Daniel raised a hand.
“Vanessa.”
Her voice came thin through the speaker.
“Finally.”
Daniel looked across the lot.
“What do you need?”
“I need to know what Lily said.”
“I’m not discussing that.”
“Daniel.”
“No.”
“You’re really doing this?”
He closed his eyes briefly.
“Yes.”
“You’re choosing them over me.”
Daniel looked at his daughter through the car window.
She was trying to stick another unicorn on Claire’s sleeve.
“No.”
His voice stayed calm.
“I’m choosing not to ignore her again.”
Vanessa went silent.
Then she said, “You don’t know what it was like with her.”
May you like
Daniel’s grip tightened around the phone.
“That sentence is exactly the problem.”
