Chapter 2: The Woman on Camera
“Let go of my arm, Vanessa.””
My voice was quiet, but something in it made her release me.
She stepped backward, breathing hard.
“Michael, listen to me. You don't understand what you're about to do.””
“Then explain it.””
“I was upset. I shouldn't have slapped Lily. I know that.””
“You don't get to change the subject.””
She looked toward the staircase, then toward the front door.
For the first time in our marriage, Vanessa looked less angry than frightened.
“I can replace the money,” she said.
“I'll give you seven hundred dollars tomorrow. We can forget this happened.””
I slowly lowered my phone.
“Why would you replace money you claim my daughter stole?””
Vanessa opened her mouth.
Nothing came out.
Behind me, Lily sniffled.
I turned toward her. She was sitting on the couch with her stuffed rabbit tucked beneath her chin. The redness on her cheek had begun to fade, but her eyes were still swollen.
I wanted to take her upstairs, wrap her in a blanket, and tell her everything would be all right.
But I couldn't ignore what I had seen.
I returned to the recording.
The camera showed Vanessa entering Lily's room. She stood there for several seconds, looking around before stepping toward the small desk beside the bed.
Then she reached down.
The image was grainy, but I could see her hand moving toward Lily's school backpack.
She opened it.
Removed a folder.
Then she placed the white envelope inside and zipped the backpack shut.
I watched the clip twice.
Neither of us spoke.
Finally, I looked at my wife.
“You put the money in her backpack.””
Vanessa shook her head quickly.
“No. That's not what happened.””
“I just watched you do it.””
“You're taking it out of context!””
“What context makes this acceptable?””
She rubbed her forehead with trembling fingers.
“I was going to explain everything after I calmed down.””
“You had an entire day to calm down. Instead, you slapped my daughter and demanded that I throw her out.””
“I made a mistake!””
“You made a choice.””
Vanessa suddenly began crying.
It was a familiar performance, though I had never before questioned its sincerity. Whenever an argument went against her, tears often appeared, followed by apologies and promises that whatever had happened would never happen again.
This time, I couldn't bring myself to comfort her.
“Michael, please,” she whispered.
“Think about our marriage.””
“I am thinking about my daughter.””
“And what about me? What about everything we've built together?””
I looked at her for a long moment.
“Did you put that envelope in Lily's backpack because you wanted me to believe she stole it?””
Vanessa wiped her cheeks.
“I didn't know you would react like this.””
“That isn't an answer.””
She turned away.
The silence told me more than her tears did.
I locked my phone and walked to the couch.
“Lily, sweetheart, can you tell me what happened this morning? Take your time.””
My daughter stared at Vanessa.
Her shoulders rose toward her ears.
“It's okay,” I told her.
“You're not in trouble.””
Lily swallowed.
“I was coloring a picture for school. Mommy Vanessa came into my room and asked if I wanted to go live with Aunt Rachel.””
I frowned.
“When was this?””
“Yesterday. She said you were thinking about sending me away because I was too much work.””
I felt the room tilt slightly.
“I never said that.””
“I know, Daddy. I told her you promised I could stay with you.””
Lily twisted one of the rabbit's ears between her fingers.
“Then she got mad. She said sometimes grown-ups have to make difficult decisions.””
Vanessa interrupted.
“She misunderstood what I meant.””
I raised my hand.
“Let her finish.””
Lily looked down at her lap.
“This morning, Mommy Vanessa came into my room when I was getting ready for school. She told me to put my backpack on the bed. Then she said I shouldn't touch anything in her bedroom because she had important things in there.””
“And the money?””
“I didn't see any money, Daddy. I swear.””
She hesitated.
“After she left, I heard her talking on the phone in the hallway.””
My stomach tightened.
“What did she say?””
“I don't remember everything. She was whispering. But she said, 'Once he's gone, we can finally finish this.''”
Vanessa's face drained of color.
“Lily, that's enough.””
My daughter flinched.
I stood up.
“Do not speak to her like that.””
Vanessa pressed her lips together.
I turned back to Lily.
“Did she say anything else?””
Lily nodded slowly.
“She said somebody was coming to the house yesterday. A man. She told him not to ring the doorbell because you might come home early.””
I glanced at Vanessa.
She had gone completely still.
“Who was the man?”” I asked.
“I don't know his name. He had a black jacket and a big silver watch.””
Lily suddenly looked toward the television.
“Daddy, I think he was on the camera.””
I opened the security application again.
Vanessa rushed forward.
“Michael, stop. Please.””
I moved away from her.
“Why are you so afraid of this recording?””
“Because you don't know what you'll see!””
“Then let me see it.””
She grabbed the edge of the coffee table so tightly that her knuckles whitened.
“You're going to destroy everything over a misunderstanding.””
I opened yesterday's footage and selected the upstairs hallway.
At 2:43 p.m., the front door opened.
A tall man wearing a black jacket walked inside.
He didn't look like a delivery driver or a repairman. He entered without knocking, as though he had been there many times before.
Vanessa appeared on-screen moments later.
She smiled at him.
Not the polite smile she gave our neighbors.
Not the brief smile she offered strangers.
It was the warm, familiar smile of someone greeting a person she had been waiting to see.
The man reached into his jacket and handed her a small brown folder.
Vanessa looked over her shoulder before accepting it.
Then the two of them disappeared into our bedroom.
My heart began pounding.
I paused the recording.
“Who is he?””
Vanessa's eyes filled with fresh tears.
“I can explain.””
“You've said that three times.””
“Michael, please. Not in front of Lily.””
I looked at my daughter.
She was staring at the frozen image of the man on my screen.
Then she whispered, “Daddy, that's not the part that scared me.””
I crouched beside her.
“What do you mean?””
Lily pointed toward the screen.
“When they came out of your bedroom, the man gave Mommy Vanessa something else.””
I zoomed in.
The image blurred, but I could make out a small rectangular object in the man's hand.
A photograph, perhaps.
Lily's voice dropped to a frightened whisper.
“I saw the picture when Mommy dropped it. It was Grandma Emily.””
I stopped breathing.
May you like
Emily had been dead for three years.
And suddenly, I couldn't stop wondering why a stranger had brought my dead wife's photograph into my house.
