Chapter 7: The Other Little Girl
Her name was Lily Mercer.
She had been nine years old.
I stared at the name on Ms. Reynolds's phone until the letters blurred.
“What happened to her?””
Ms. Reynolds lowered the screen.
“I don't know yet.””
“But she's connected to Patricia?””
“Indirectly.””
Michael pulled out a chair.
“Explain exactly what you found.””
Ms. Reynolds sat.
“Seven years ago, Patricia wasn't a party to the Mercer custody case. Lily's mother, Rebecca Mercer, was.””
“And Patricia?””
“A character witness.””
I frowned.
“For Rebecca?””
“Yes.””
“How did they know each other?””
“I haven't established that.””
Michael asked, “What happened in the custody dispute?””
“Lily's father, Thomas Mercer, petitioned for primary custody. Rebecca accused him of being irresponsible and claimed Lily wasn't safe at his home.””
The similarities made my stomach tighten.
“What kind of accusations?””
Ms. Reynolds scrolled.
“Alcohol. Unsecured medication. Leaving Lily unattended.””
I looked at Michael.
The room went silent.
“No,” I whispered.
Ms. Reynolds continued.
“Police were eventually called to Thomas's residence after Rebecca reported that Lily had told her about prescription medication being left where she could reach it.””
“What did they find?””
“A bottle in Lily's overnight bag.””
My chair scraped backward.
Michael swore under his breath.
“The same method.””
“We don't know that,” Ms. Reynolds cautioned.
“Not yet.””
“What happened to Thomas?””
“He temporarily lost unsupervised parenting time.””
“And Lily?””
“She remained primarily with Rebecca.””
I swallowed.
“How did she die?””
Ms. Reynolds hesitated.
“The record I'm seeing only says accidental poisoning.””
The words struck me like a fist.
Michael immediately asked, “Prescription medication?””
“Yes.””
I stood and walked away from the table.
I couldn't sit anymore.
An image of Emily asleep in her bed filled my mind.
Her stuffed rabbit tucked under one arm.
Her hair across her face.
A bottle hidden inside her bag.
Something that might not have been empty.
“Daniel,” Michael said quietly.
I turned.
“That bottle was in my daughter's bag.””
“We know.””
“What if she'd opened it?””
“We don't know what was inside.””
“Sarah said it belonged to another little girl.””
Michael didn't answer.
I slammed my palm against the wall.
Not hard.
Just enough to feel something real.
Ms. Reynolds stood.
“Daniel, Emily is safe right now.””
“Right now.””
“Yes.””
“And Patricia knows where I live.””
Michael stepped closer.
“Which is why you are not taking Emily home tonight.””
I stared at him.
“What?””
“We request temporary protective arrangements.””
“She's staying with me.””
“Not at your house.””
That made sense.
I hated that it made sense.
My phone rang.
Unknown number again.
All three of us froze.
Michael nodded toward it.
“Speaker.””
I answered.
“Hello?””
Nothing.
Then a woman's voice.
Not Sarah.
Older.
Calm.
“Daniel.””
I knew it immediately.
Patricia.
My blood turned cold.
“Where is Sarah?””
She ignored me.
“You've made this much bigger than it needed to be.””
Michael silently activated the recorder on his phone.
I kept my voice steady.
“What did you put in Emily's bag?””
Patricia sighed.
“Always dramatic.””
“What was in the bottle?””
“You should be asking what your ex-wife was willing to do to keep her daughter.””
“I'm asking you.””
A pause.
Then Patricia laughed softly.
“You think Sarah invented all of this?””
“I think you taught her.””
Silence.
I knew I'd hit something.
Patricia's voice hardened.
“My daughter was terrified you were going to take Emily.””
“So you watched my house?””
“I protected my family.””
“You used an eight-year-old child.””
“Don't pretend you're innocent, Daniel.””
“What did I do?””
“You left Sarah.””
I almost couldn't believe it.
“Our marriage ended, so you planted something in my daughter's bag?””
“She shouldn't have taken it inside.””
My breath stopped.
Michael's eyes widened.
Patricia realized too late what she'd said.
I lowered my voice.
“So you admit you put it there.””
“I didn't say that.””
“You just did.””
Patricia hung up.
For half a second nobody moved.
Then Michael said, “Save that recording in three places.””
Ms. Reynolds was already contacting the court.
Within twenty minutes, the courthouse atmosphere changed completely.
Judge Harrison reconvened the hearing without Sarah present.
Michael summarized the call.
The recording was preserved.
The judge's face became colder with every sentence.
He issued an emergency temporary custody order placing Emily solely with me, with Sarah's contact restricted pending further review.
Patricia was to have no contact with Emily.
I should have felt victorious.
Instead, I felt terrified.
Because Patricia hadn't sounded scared.
She'd sounded annoyed.
As if we had interrupted something.
That evening, arrangements were made for Emily and me to stay temporarily at my brother Mark's house.
Two police officers accompanied us while I collected clothes.
Emily held my hand the entire time.
As we walked past her bedroom, she stopped.
“Dad?””
“What?””
“Can I get Mr. Bunny?””
“Of course.””
I entered first.
The room looked exactly as we'd left it.
I picked up the stuffed rabbit from the bed.
Then Emily pointed toward the window.
“That's where Grandma stood.””
I froze.
“Inside?””
Emily shook her head.
“Outside.””
I followed her finger.
The window faced the narrow side yard.
“You saw her?””
“Once.””
“When?””
Emily thought.
“The night Mommy came for the bottle.””
My pulse quickened.
“What was Grandma doing?””
Emily hugged herself.
“Looking in.””
One of the officers stepped toward the window.
He shined a flashlight outside.
Then he stopped.
“What is it?”” I asked.
He crouched beside the frame.
There was a small black object attached beneath the exterior ledge.
He didn't touch it.
Instead, he called his partner.
My stomach sank.
“What is that?””
The officer looked at me.
“It appears to be a camera.””
Emily grabbed my hand.
I stared at the tiny lens pointed directly into my daughter's bedroom.
And suddenly I understood.
May you like
The photographs weren't the only thing Patricia had.
She had been watching us from inches away.
