Chương 9
The screen filled with missed calls and messages so quickly that the notifications blurred into one another.
His assistant.
His attorney.
Two board members.
His sister.
Three numbers he did not recognize.
Victoria’s attorney.
Victoria herself, twice, before whatever had happened to her phone access.
Arthur felt a pulse of nausea.
Dana watched him.
“You don’t have to read all of that now.”
“I know.”
He called his security company.
The first person who answered told him emergency residential service would need authorization.
Arthur gave his account number.
The person placed him on hold.
Arthur closed his eyes.
A recorded voice thanked him for his patience.
Dana sipped cold coffee.
Arthur almost laughed.
After seven minutes, a supervisor agreed to send a technician.
Arthur requested new exterior locks, new alarm codes, deactivation of every existing remote entry credential, and a temporary camera review.
The supervisor told him footage preservation required a separate request.
Arthur looked at Dana.
“Do I preserve it?”
“Yes.”
He added that.
Then he called the household manager, who was spending the week with her sister in Connecticut.
She answered on the fourth ring.
“Mr. Mercer?”
“Ruth, I need you to listen carefully.”
Her voice changed immediately.
“What happened?”
“Victoria is not allowed in the house.”
There was silence.
“Is Leo all right?”
Arthur closed his eyes.
“He will be.”
Another silence.
Ruth did not ask what Victoria had done.
That bothered him.
“Did you know something?”
Dana looked up.
Ruth inhaled slowly over the phone.
“I knew they weren’t getting along.”
“That isn’t what I asked.”
“No.”
“Did you know she was hurting him?”
“No.”
Arthur believed the answer, but not completely.
“Did you suspect it?”
Ruth was quiet too long.
“Mr. Mercer.”
“Answer me.”
“I thought she was too hard on him.”
“How hard?”
“She corrected him constantly.”
Arthur gripped the phone.
“For what?”
“Table manners.”
“What else?”
“Noise.”
“What else?”
“Interrupting.”
“What else?”
“Leaving toys out.”
“What else?”
Ruth sighed.
“Being a child, sometimes.”
Arthur lowered his head.
Dana wrote another note.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
Ruth answered immediately.
“I did.”
Arthur looked up.
“When?”
“June.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
“You told me she had high standards.”
“I told you Leo was becoming anxious around her.”
Arthur stopped breathing.
The memory came back slowly.
Ruth standing in his study near the bookshelves.
Arthur typing an email while she talked.
Victoria had criticized Leo for spilling milk during breakfast.
Ruth had said the atmosphere in the house was changing.
Arthur had answered without looking away from the laptop.
He remembered the exact phrase now.
Give them time to find their rhythm.
Ruth’s voice came through the phone.
“You told me not to interfere in family adjustments.”
Arthur shut his eyes.
Dana looked away.
He whispered, “Jesus.”
Ruth said nothing.
Arthur pressed his fingers against his forehead.
“I need you to come back tomorrow.”
“I can be there in the morning.”
“And Ruth?”
“Yes?”
“Do not delete anything.”
“I won’t.”
“Texts, notes, schedules, messages from Victoria, anything involving Leo.”
“I understand.”
Arthur ended the call.
He sat motionless.
Dana gave him nearly a minute.
Then she said, “You need to be careful not to turn this into a private investigation.”
Arthur gave her a tired look.
“You’re the second person tonight to tell me not to touch my own life.”
“That may be what protects your son.”
Arthur looked down at the wedding ring again.
He pulled it off.
The skin underneath was pale.
He placed the ring on the desk.
Dana’s eyes moved to it.
Arthur pushed it away.
“Can he come home with me?”
“I don’t make that decision alone.”
“Who does?”
“There will be consultation.”
“That sounds like no.”
“It sounds like process.”
Arthur leaned back.
“I hate that word.”
“I can tell.”
He stared at the ceiling.
“What are you worried I’ll do?”
Dana did not answer immediately.
“Right now?”
“Yes.”
“That you’ll confront your wife.”
Arthur looked at her.
“She’s not my wife anymore.”
“Legally, she is.”
“Not to me.”
“That distinction is exactly why I’m asking.”
Arthur rubbed his face.
“I’m not going near her.”
“What if she calls?”
“I won’t answer.”
“What if she comes to the house?”
“I’ll call the police.”
“What if she asks to speak to Leo?”
“No.”
“Through an attorney?”
“No.”
“Through a family member?”
“No.”
Dana folded her hands.
“You may not get to control every part of that.”
Arthur’s eyes sharpened.
“I control whether she speaks to my son.”
“Tonight, probably.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means family court exists.”
Arthur stared at her.
“She hurt him.”
“And allegations are investigated.”
“He told the doctor.”
“That matters.”
“The bruises matter.”
“Yes.”
“The police matter.”
“Yes.”
“Then why are we talking about court like she might get access to him?”
“Because systems do not disappear just because the facts feel obvious in one room.”
Arthur looked toward the door.
His breathing had become shallow.
Dana lowered her voice.
“This is why you preserve evidence and follow instructions.”
Arthur nodded once.
He did not like it.
He understood it.
That would have to be enough.
When he returned to the pediatric room, Leo was sitting cross-legged on the bed with crackers arranged in a line across the paper sheet.
Elena sat beside him.
Camila leaned against the wall scrolling silently through her phone.
Leo pointed at the crackers.
“This one is Dad.”
Arthur looked.
The cracker was broken at one corner.
“Why am I broken?”
“Because you don’t know how to do seat belts.”
Camila snorted.
Elena covered a smile.
Arthur sat beside Leo.
“Harsh.”
Leo pointed at another cracker.
“This is Elena.”
It was whole.
“Of course.”
Elena raised an eyebrow.
“And this is me.”
Leo chose the smallest cracker.
Arthur stared at it.
The humor disappeared.
Leo noticed.
“What?”
Arthur forced his face to relax.
“Nothing.”
“You made the sad face.”
“I did not.”
“You did.”
Camila said, “He definitely did.”
Arthur looked at her.
“Thank you for your expert testimony.”
May you like
“You’re welcome.”
Leo smiled.
