Chapter 2 - The Voice on the Recording
“Say it again,” Sibil’s voice purred from the speakers. “Tell your father what your mother does when she forgets dinner.”
The image was tilted and blurred, but I could hear every word. Tyler’s small voice came next, shaky and almost inaudible. “She doesn’t forget dinner.” Then Richard answered, not angry, not loud—worse than that. Calm. Tired. The same voice he always used when he wanted the room to think I was unreasonable. “Buddy, we’ve been over this. If you want to stay someplace safe, you have to help us. The judge needs to hear the truth we practiced.” Sibil cut in softly, “And if your mother gets upset, that’s not your fault. She did this to herself.”
I stopped breathing for a second. Tyler stood pressed so close to me that I could feel the tremor in his body. The video continued. Sibil told him to repeat a script: Mommy sleeps all day. Mommy leaves me alone. Mommy takes pills and forgets things. Tyler whispered, “But that’s not true.” Richard replied, “Sometimes grown-ups have to explain things in a way people will believe.” Then came the sentence that made my fingers go numb around the iPad: “If you don’t help us, your mother could make this ugly, and then we won’t be able to protect you.”
Behind me, the staircase creaked. Richard had come back down.
May you like
“What is that?” he asked sharply.
I turned before he could reach us. He had one hand on the banister and the other half-lifted, like he was already deciding whether to snatch the iPad or pretend concern. I rose slowly, pulling Tyler behind me. “Go to your room, baby,” I said without taking my eyes off Richard. “Lock the door and put your headphones on. I’ll come in a minute.” Tyler hesitated, terrified to leave me and terrified to stay. “Go,” I whispered. The moment he was gone, Richard’s expression hardened. “Caroline, you are not seriously taking that out of context.” I held the iPad flat against my chest. “Don’t touch me,” I said. “And don’t say another word until I’ve seen all of it.”
