Chapter 1 - THE PHONE I LEFT RECORDING
I knew something was wrong before Emily turned around.
She was standing at the kitchen sink with both hands braced against the counter, shoulders shaking over a pile of dirty dishes. Her burgundy sweater was wrinkled at the waist, her hair was pulled back carelessly, and even from the doorway I could see that she had been crying for a long time.
Daniel stood behind her with one hand gripping her shoulder.
His mother, Patricia, sat at the dining table watching.
Not helping.
Not concerned.
Watching.
“Stop crying and bring me more food,” Daniel said.
I froze in the doorway.
For several weeks, Emily had been telling me she was tired.
That Daniel was under pressure.
That Patricia had been staying with them because of “some family arrangements.”
That she was sorry she had missed my calls.
Every excuse suddenly rearranged itself into something uglier.
I took out my phone and started recording.
“Take your hand off my daughter.”
Daniel spun around.
His hand dropped immediately.
“Rebecca?”
Emily turned.
The terror in her face hurt worse than anything Daniel could have said.
“Mom… please don’t leave.”
That sentence changed me.
Not help me.
Not call somebody.
Don’t leave.
As if leaving her alone with them was the most frightening thing she could imagine.
I moved beside her and wrapped an arm around her waist.
Daniel recovered quickly.
Men like him usually do.
“She’s not going anywhere.”
I kept the phone pointed toward him.
“That isn’t your decision.”
He looked at the phone.
Then at me.
Then at Emily.
For the first time since I walked in, he looked uncertain.
I started guiding Emily toward the front door.
She moved slowly, as though even walking away required permission.
Near the dining table, I set my phone down for a moment so I could support her with both arms.
The camera was still recording.
Daniel and Patricia apparently forgot that.
We were almost at the entryway when Patricia leaned toward her son.
“Don’t worry,” she whispered. “By Friday, the house will finally be ours.”
Daniel’s face tightened.
I stopped.
Emily stopped too.
I turned my head toward the phone.
“Friday?”
Patricia froze.
Daniel snapped toward her.
“Mom, stop talking.”
I walked back, picked up my phone, and looked directly at him.
“Too late.”
I still did not know what Friday meant.
But Daniel’s face told me one thing.
May you like
Whatever he and Patricia were planning, Emily was not supposed to know about it.
And neither was I.
