Chapter 2: The Camera
Vanessa stopped fighting my grip.
That scared me more than if she had screamed.
“What camera?”” I asked.
Caleb looked toward his mother.
She shook her head once.
A warning.
I stepped between them.
“Caleb, you are not in trouble.””
“Yes, he is,” Vanessa snapped.
“He stole something that belongs to me.””
Caleb ran.
Not toward the stairs.
Toward the laundry room.
Vanessa shoved past me.
“Caleb!””
I followed.
He dropped to his knees beside the dryer and reached behind a stack of detergent boxes.
Vanessa grabbed his shoulder.
“Give it to me!””
Caleb twisted away.
I pulled Vanessa back.
“Don’t touch him.””
Caleb stood with a small black camera in his hand.
I recognized it immediately.
I had bought two identical cameras after someone stole packages from our porch the previous Christmas.
One had disappeared months ago.
Vanessa told me it had stopped working.
“Where was that?”” I asked.
Caleb pointed toward the kitchen.
“On top of the cabinets.””
Vanessa laughed too loudly.
“Oh, for God’s sake. I put it there because food kept disappearing.””
“You filmed the kitchen?””
“Yes. Because Emily was stealing.””
Emily stood in the doorway behind us.
Her face crumpled.
“I wasn’t.””
“I know,” I said.
Vanessa rolled her eyes.
“You don't know anything, Daniel. You’re barely here.””
The words landed because they were true.
I was barely there.
I had convinced myself the overtime was for my family.
Mortgage.
College funds.
Vacations.
Security.
Meanwhile, my daughter had been saving biscuits in her pocket because she didn't know whether she would eat the next day.
“Where are the recordings?”” I asked.
Vanessa’s expression changed.
“There aren’t any.””
Caleb spoke immediately.
“Yes, there are.””
Vanessa turned on him.
“Stop lying!””
“You watch them on your laptop.””
I looked at her.
She said nothing.
I walked toward our bedroom.
Vanessa followed.
“Daniel, this is insane.””
I kept moving.
“You’re invading my privacy!””
I reached the bedroom and grabbed her laptop from the dresser.
It was password protected.
“Open it.””
“No.””
“Open the laptop.””
“You have no right.””
I stared at her.
“My six-year-old has a hand-shaped bruise on her wrist.””
“It is not hand-shaped.””
“Open it.””
Vanessa folded her arms.
“No.””
A small voice came from the hallway.
“Try Ava’s birthday.””
We both turned.
Ava stood beside Caleb.
Vanessa looked betrayed.
“Ava.””
The girl stepped behind her brother.
I typed Ava's birthday.
The desktop appeared.
Vanessa rushed forward.
I held the laptop away.
“Daniel, give me that!””
I opened the folders.
Work.
Taxes.
Photos.
Then I saw one labeled KITCHEN.
My hand trembled as I clicked it.
Dozens of video files appeared.
Dates.
Times.
Months of them.
I clicked one from three weeks earlier.
The kitchen appeared on screen.
Emily was standing beside the table wearing her school uniform.
Vanessa entered carrying takeout containers.
“Can I have some?”” video-Emily asked.
Vanessa placed food in front of Caleb and Ava.
“You had lunch at school.””
“So did they.””
“Don’t argue.””
“I’m hungry.””
Vanessa turned.
Even through the tiny laptop speakers, her voice was clear.
“You are not my child, Emily. Your father pays for this house. That doesn't mean you get everything my children get.””
Beside me, real Emily started crying.
I paused the video.
My hands shook so badly I nearly dropped the laptop.
Vanessa stared at the floor.
“You took that out of context.””
“What context makes that acceptable?””
“She was being disrespectful all day.””
I clicked another file.
Emily reached for a banana.
Vanessa slapped it from her hand.
Another.
Emily sat at the table while the other children ate pizza.
There was nothing in front of her.
Another.
Vanessa emptied Emily’s lunchbox into the trash.
Another.
Emily tried to call someone from the kitchen phone.
Vanessa snatched it away.
“Your grandmother doesn't need to hear your little stories.””
I stopped the video.
I couldn't breathe properly.
Then Caleb pointed at the screen.
“There’s one from Tuesday.””
Vanessa suddenly moved.
She grabbed the laptop.
We struggled for half a second before I took it back.
“Why Tuesday?””
Caleb's face tightened.
“Because that’s when Emily got the bruise.””
“No,” Vanessa said.
Emily buried her face against my side.
I opened Tuesday’s file.
The video began.
Emily was at the counter doing homework.
Vanessa walked into frame holding a sheet of paper.
Even before she spoke, I recognized it.
Emily’s spelling test.
A red 100% was written across the top.
My daughter had been so proud when she showed it to me.
I remembered kissing her forehead.
Vanessa placed the test on the counter.
“You showed your father?””
“Yes.””
“I told you not to bother him at work.””
“He asked about school.””
Vanessa grabbed Emily's wrist.
Hard.
Emily cried out.
I felt my stomach twist.
Then Vanessa leaned close to her.
“You need to understand something. Daniel had a family before you became the center of everything.””
I paused.
“What does that mean?””
Vanessa didn’t answer.
I played it again.
Emily was crying.
Then she said something so quietly I almost missed it.
“But Daddy says Mommy died.””
Vanessa's fingers tightened around her wrist.
“She did.””
“Then what family?””
Vanessa suddenly released her.
The video ended two minutes later.
I turned slowly toward my wife.
“What was Emily talking about?””
“Nothing.””
“Who did you mean?””
Vanessa backed toward the door.
“I was angry. I said something stupid.””
“What family?””
“Daniel, stop.””
Caleb looked confused.
Ava did too.
But Emily tugged my shirt.
“Daddy?””
I knelt.
“What, sweetheart?””
She glanced at Vanessa.
Then she whispered, “I know why she doesn't want me here.””
Vanessa's face drained of color.
“Emily, don't.””
My daughter reached into her hoodie pocket.
Not the pocket with the biscuit.
The other one.
May you like
She pulled out a folded piece of paper.
“I found this under Vanessa’s bed.””
