Chương 12
Nobody answered because there was nothing useful to say.
We turned onto Briarwood Lane.
The neighborhood looked forgotten rather than poor.
Large trees crowded the road.
Several homes had porch lights on, but few showed signs of anyone awake.
Two police vehicles were parked half a block from Celeste’s mother’s old house with their emergency lights dark.
That relieved me.
A uniformed officer stood beside a mailbox speaking into his radio.
David slowed.
“Stay in the car until we know what they want.”
Emily reached for the door handle before he finished.
“Emily.”
“She is my child.”
She got out.
I followed.
The officer walked toward us.
“Mrs. Westbrook?”
“Yes.”
“Your daughter is inside.”
Emily stopped.
“Is she okay?”
“As far as we can tell.”
“As far as you can tell?”
“We made contact at the door.”
“With Celeste?”
“Yes.”
“And Sophie?”
“We saw her.”
Emily closed her eyes for one second.
Her entire body sagged.
I put my hand near her back but did not touch.
The officer continued.
“Your mother-in-law says she brought Sophie here because she believed there was a family emergency.”
“That’s a lie.”
“I understand.”
“No, you don’t.”
Emily’s voice sharpened.
“She told my father-in-law I was in the hospital.”
The officer nodded.
“We have that information.”
“Then bring my daughter out.”
“We’re working on that.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means Mrs. Westbrook is refusing to open the door again.”
Emily stared at him.
“You said you made contact.”
“We did.”
“She closed the door?”
“Yes.”
Raymond and Nolan pulled up behind us.
The officer continued.
“She says she wants a lawyer present before speaking further.”
“She can have ten lawyers.”
Emily pointed toward the house.
“Sophie comes out.”
The officer held her gaze.
“We agree the child needs to be removed from the conflict.”
“Then do it.”
“We are determining the safest way.”
A curtain moved in the front window.
Emily saw it.
“Sophie.”
She stepped toward the house.
The officer moved with her.
“Please stay here.”
“My daughter is looking out that window.”
I saw a small face behind the curtain.
Then it vanished.
Emily made a sound I had never heard from her before.
Not a cry.
Something lower.
Almost physical.
The front porch light came on.
The door opened a few inches.
Celeste appeared behind the chain.
Her voice carried across the lawn.
“Emily, go home.”
Emily stopped dead.
Celeste continued.
“You are upsetting Sophie.”
The restraint left my daughter’s face.
“You lied to her.”
“I protected her from a chaotic situation.”
“You told her I was in the hospital.”
“I told her you were hurt.”
“You told Robert I was hospitalized.”
Celeste glanced toward the officers.
“This conversation is being distorted.”
Emily walked to the edge of the property.
The officer stayed beside her.
“Bring Sophie outside.”
“Not while you’re behaving like this.”
Emily laughed in disbelief.
“Like what?”
“Emotional.”
The word hung in the darkness.
Nolan whispered, “Oh, Mom.”
Celeste looked toward him.
“You stay out of this.”
Emily took one more step.
Then she stopped herself.
I watched her make the choice.
Not the choice she wanted.
The harder one.
She lowered her voice.
“Sophie needs to see me calm.”
Celeste’s expression shifted.
Emily looked at the officer.
“Can you stand beside me?”
“Yes.”
She looked at me.
“Mom, stay back.”
Every instinct in me rebelled.
I obeyed.
Emily walked to the porch with the officer.
She did not shout.
She did not threaten.
She simply stood below the door and said, “Celeste, tell Sophie her mother is here.”
Nothing moved inside.
Then a child’s voice called from somewhere beyond the door.
“Mommy?”
Emily’s knees nearly buckled.
“I’m here, baby.”
The chain rattled.
Not from Celeste’s side.
From lower down.
A small hand appeared through the opening.
Celeste said sharply, “Sophie, stop.”
The child began crying.
Emily’s face hardened.
“Open the door.”
Celeste hesitated.
That hesitation ended everything.
Because Sophie screamed for her mother.
And the officer beside Emily reached for his radio.
The officer spoke into his radio without taking his eyes off the doorway.
“Child is distressed, adult refusing access, requesting supervisor.”
Celeste’s face appeared again through the narrow opening.
“This is unnecessary.”
Emily stood at the bottom of the porch steps.
Her voice was quieter now.
“Open the door.”
“I am protecting Sophie.”
“No.”
Emily shook her head.
“You are protecting Adrian.”
Celeste’s mouth tightened.
“Those are not the same thing.”
“They became the same thing a long time ago.”
Sophie cried from somewhere behind her.
“Mommy.”
Emily’s whole body moved toward the sound before she stopped herself again.
The officer stepped closer to the porch.
“Mrs. Westbrook, I need you to open the door fully.”
Celeste looked at him.
“Do you have a warrant?”
“Not at this moment.”
“Then you have your answer.”
She began closing the door.
Sophie screamed.
“Mommy, don’t go.”
Emily’s face broke.
“I’m not going anywhere, baby.”
The officer raised his voice.
“Mrs. Westbrook, do not shut that door.”
Celeste hesitated.
Then a second officer came around the side of the house.
He had been checking the property while we stood in front.
“There’s a back door open.”
Celeste turned.
That was enough.
Sophie slipped past her.
The front door jerked against the chain as the child pushed.
Her small fingers appeared again.
“Mommy.”
Emily climbed one step.
The officer lifted his hand.
“Wait.”
Celeste grabbed Sophie around the waist.
The little girl shrieked.
“Let me go.”
The sound went through Emily like electricity.
She stepped forward.
The officer did not stop her this time.
He spoke directly to Celeste.
“Release the child.”
Celeste stared at him.
“She’ll run into the street.”
“She is three feet from her mother.”
“I said I’m protecting her.”
“Release her.”
Sophie kicked against Celeste’s legs.
The chain rattled as the door shook.
Celeste’s grip loosened.
The second officer entered from the rear of the house.
We heard him announce himself inside.
May you like
Celeste looked over her shoulder.
That distraction was enough for Sophie to twist free.
