Chương 11
Somewhere between those facts was a decision made by an adult.
He looked at Collins.
“Can you tell whether somebody opened it?”
“Not yet.”
“Can you tell whether somebody deleted it?”
“We can tell it was deleted.”
“By whom?”
“Not yet.”
Arthur laughed once without humor.
“That phrase is becoming my favorite.”
Collins did not respond.
He looked toward the stairs.
“What happens if Victoria is released tonight?”
“She was booked.”
“That wasn’t my question.”
“Her attorney is seeking release.”
Arthur’s hand tightened around the railing.
“On what?”
“She hasn’t been charged with a violent felony at this point.”
“At this point.”
“That investigation is active.”
Arthur took two steps away, then turned back.
“Can I get an order keeping her away from Leo?”
“You can ask your attorney about an emergency protective order.”
“I’ll do that now.”
“Do that.”
He reached for his phone.
Collins raised a hand.
“One more thing.”
Arthur stopped.
“We have to speak to Elena again.”
His face tightened.
“About the message?”
“Yes.”
“She’s been through enough.”
“I know.”
“She called you.”
“I know.”
“She protected him.”
“That may all be true.”
“May?”
Collins held his gaze.
“We don’t assume.”
Arthur stared at her.
Then he nodded reluctantly.
“I’ll call her.”
“No.”
Collins’s tone changed.
“Don’t discuss the message with her.”
Arthur looked offended.
“Why?”
“Because if she has information, I need it from her without your version shaping it first.”
He understood the logic and hated it.
“Fine.”
Collins turned toward the door.
Arthur said, “Detective.”
She looked back.
“If she did get that message and didn’t tell me—”
Collins waited.
Arthur could not finish.
His anger had returned, but now it had too many targets.
Victoria.
Elena.
Ruth.
Himself.
Mostly himself.
Collins seemed to read some part of that.
“Don’t decide what happened before you know.”
Arthur looked down.
“That advice would’ve been useful six months ago.”
“It’s useful now.”
She left.
Arthur stood alone beneath the chandelier.
The house was nearly silent.
The security technician worked near the front panel with a flashlight between his teeth.
One officer upstairs opened and closed a drawer.
Arthur heard the soft click and felt an absurd urge to shout that nobody should touch anything.
Then he remembered that was exactly why they were there.
His phone vibrated again.
This time the name on the screen was Daniel Price, his family attorney.
Arthur answered.
“Tell me you can keep her away from him.”
Daniel did not waste time.
“I can file for an emergency order tonight.”
“Do it.”
“I need facts.”
“I’ll send you everything.”
“Not everything.”
Arthur closed his eyes.
“What does that mean?”
“It means don’t send me material the police told you not to distribute.”
Arthur looked toward the front door.
“Fine.”
“Has she contacted Leo?”
“No.”
“Has she contacted you?”
“Twice.”
“Did you answer?”
“No.”
“Good.”
Arthur hated being praised for something so basic.
Daniel continued.
“Do not engage with her.”
“I wasn’t planning to.”
“You say that now.”
Arthur’s jaw tightened.
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“It means I know you.”
Arthur said nothing.
“You get angry and you want resolution immediately.”
“I want her away from my son.”
“Then give me room to do that legally.”
Arthur rubbed his forehead.
“What happens to the house?”
“What do you mean?”
“Her things.”
“Don’t touch them.”
“I’m getting that from everybody tonight.”
“Because everybody is right.”
Arthur glanced toward the hallway.
“Can I move Leo somewhere else?”
“Yes.”
“I don’t know if he wants to.”
“Then don’t turn tonight into another disruption unless you have to.”
Arthur leaned against the railing.
Daniel lowered his voice.
“Arthur, this may become public.”
Arthur stiffened.
“I don’t care.”
“You will.”
“No.”
“You will when reporters call your office, when people photograph Leo’s school, when someone posts an old photo of Victoria and invents a story around it.”
Arthur’s face hardened.
“Keep his name out of it.”
“I’ll try.”
“That’s not enough.”
“It’s reality.”
Arthur looked toward the guest room upstairs.
“No one uses his name.”
“I agree.”
“Then make sure.”
Daniel sighed.
“I’ll work on the emergency order.”
Arthur ended the call before the conversation could become more honest.
Upstairs, Leo was still asleep.
Arthur checked twice.
The second time he stood in the doorway longer.
Leo had kicked one leg out from under the blanket.
Arthur crossed the room and covered it again.
The boy did not wake.
Arthur returned downstairs and found Collins gone.
The technician handed him a temporary code written on a yellow card.
“Only you have this one right now.”
Arthur took it.
“Can anyone with the old app get in?”
“No.”
“Garage?”
“Disabled.”
“Side gate?”
“Disabled.”
“Guest keypad?”
“Reset.”
Arthur nodded.
The technician held up a second page.
“You’ll want to change the Wi-Fi password too.”
Arthur stared at him.
“Why?”
“Some of your exterior devices run through the home network.”
Arthur looked at the page.
“I don’t know the password.”
The technician waited.
Arthur almost laughed.
Victoria had set it.
“Of course.”
He called Ruth again.
She answered faster this time.
“The Wi-Fi password.”
There was a pause.
“I think it’s LeoBirthday.”
Arthur closed his eyes.
“Numbers?”
“His birth year.”
Arthur told the technician.
The man entered it.
“Worked.”
Arthur looked toward the staircase.
He felt physically tired now.
Not sleepy.
Heavy.
Ruth asked, “How is he?”
“Asleep.”
“Good.”
Arthur hesitated.
“Ruth.”
“Yes?”
“Did you ever see Victoria with his tablet?”
A long pause.
“Yes.”
Arthur straightened.
“How often?”
“She used to take it away when he was punished.”
“What punishment?”
“No games.”
“What else?”
“No cartoons.”
“What else?”
Ruth was silent.
Arthur’s voice lowered.
“What else?”
“She restricted calls.”
His grip tightened around the phone.
“Calls to whom?”
“You.”
Arthur closed his eyes.
“When?”
“Sometimes.”
“That is not a time.”
“I don’t know exactly.”
“Ruth.”
“Arthur, I’m trying.”
He stopped.
The fact that she used his first name made him hear his own tone.
He forced himself to breathe.
“Sorry.”
May you like
Ruth exhaled.
“She said you had asked not to be disturbed during work.”
