Chapter 5: The Report That Disappeared
At 6:31 a.m., Laura received the access-log records.
She studied them twice.
“Someone used Hayes's credentials to access the preliminary incident report,” she said.
Marcus leaned over her shoulder.
“Can we establish whether it was actually him?””
“Not from this alone. We need authentication records and device information.””
I folded my arms.
“What did they change?””
Laura scrolled through the records.
“The original entry described visible injuries, the victim's initial statement, and the responding officers' observations.””
“And the attempted revision?””
She looked up.
“It described the incident as a domestic disagreement involving an intoxicated female who had sustained injuries after falling.””
I felt my fingers curl.
“That is exactly what Daniel said.””
“Which is why we're preserving every version,” Laura replied.
Marcus shook his head.
“They were trying to rewrite the report before the investigation even began.””
I looked at the timestamp.
5:56 a.m.
Less than ten minutes after the photograph arrived.
Someone was moving fast.
“Can they erase the original?””
“Not if the audit logs are intact,” Laura said.
“But we need the department's system administrator to secure the records and prevent further unauthorized access.””
Marcus made another call.
I returned to Emma's room.
She was awake, staring at the ceiling.
“Claire?””
I pulled the chair closer.
“Hey. How are you feeling?””
“Like I got hit by a truck.””
I tried to smile.
“That's one way to describe it.””
She looked at my face.
“Something happened.””
I hesitated.
“Why do you say that?””
“Because you make that expression when you're trying not to tell me something.””
I sighed.
“Daniel has contacted an attorney. He's also making claims about what happened.””
Emma looked away.
“Of course he is.””
“He's saying you were drunk.””
She let out a bitter laugh.
“I haven't had alcohol in four months.””
“I believe you.””
“He knows that. He knows I stopped drinking because he used to accuse me of embarrassing him whenever I had a glass of wine.””
I wrote that down.
“Did he ever make you feel like you were responsible for his behavior?””
She stared at the blanket.
“Every day.””
I waited.
“Last Christmas, he threw a plate at the wall because I bought the wrong brand of coffee. Then he told his mother I had a breakdown.””
My jaw tightened.
“His mother believed him?””
“She told me to stop provoking him.””
I looked at her.
“Did she know he was hurting you?””
Emma nodded slowly.
“She saw the bruises once. Daniel told her I'd fallen down the stairs.””
I felt sick.
“How long ago?””
“Last September.””
I wrote it down.
“Emma, I need to ask you something about Robert.””
Her expression changed immediately.
“Hayes?””
“Yes.””
“He was there.””
“The photograph suggests that.””
She sat up slightly, then winced.
I reached toward her shoulder.
“Easy.””
“He came into the bedroom after Daniel hurt me.””
“What did he do?””
“He looked at me. Then he looked at Daniel.””
“And?””
“He asked Daniel if the neighbors had heard anything.””
I felt cold.
“Did he check your injuries?””
“No.””
“Did he call an ambulance?””
She shook her head.
“What did he say?””
Emma's eyes filled with tears.
“He said, 'You need to get your story straight before someone asks questions.''”
I closed my notebook.
For a moment, neither of us spoke.
Then she whispered, “Claire, he knew.””
“Yes.””
“He knew Daniel had hurt me.””
I took her hand.
“We're going to document everything you remember. You don't have to do it all right now.””
She nodded.
Then her face changed.
“There's something else.””
“What?””
“Daniel has a safe.””
“Where?””
“In his office. Behind the framed picture of his father.””
“What does he keep inside?””
“I don't know. But I saw him put my phone in there once.””
My pulse quickened.
“Your phone?””
She nodded.
“After he took it from me, he went into his office. I heard the safe opening.””
“Did you see him put it inside?””
“No. But I heard him tell Robert that everything important was locked away.””
I looked at Laura, who had entered quietly.
She immediately began taking notes.
“That's potentially important,” she said.
“We'll relay it to the investigators handling the residence.””
Emma grabbed my hand.
“There's a second thing.””
I leaned closer.
“Tell me.””
“Daniel has a little black notebook.””
“What kind?””
“A business notebook. He writes names and numbers in it. Sometimes dates.””
“Where does he keep it?””
“In the safe.””
“Do you know why it's important?””
Emma hesitated.
“Because I saw my name in it.””
Laura looked up.
“What did it say?””
Emma swallowed.
“Beside my name, there were three dates. The first was the day he hit me for the first time. The second was the day I contacted the divorce attorney.””
“And the third?””
Emma's voice dropped.
“Yesterday.””
I felt the hairs rise on my arms.
“What was written beside yesterday's date?””
She stared at me.
“'Final warning.''”
Laura immediately wrote those words down.
A few minutes later, Marcus returned.
“Claire, I need you outside.””
I followed him into the corridor.
“What happened?””
“The internal affairs investigator is here. They want your formal statement.””
“Fine.””
“There's also an update from the station.””
“What?””
“Daniel's attorney has requested that his client be released.””
I frowned.
“On what grounds?””
“Insufficient evidence for continued detention at this stage.””
“That's ridiculous. Emma has visible injuries, medical documentation, and an initial statement.””
“I'm aware. The investigators are reviewing the legal basis for each step.””
I looked at him.
“Is Daniel going home?””
“Not necessarily. But we cannot promise an arrest or continued detention without the required legal grounds.””
I took a slow breath.
“What about the safe?””
“The search team is working through the proper authorization process.””
I nodded.
Then Marcus lowered his voice.
“There's something you should know about Hayes.””
I waited.
“Internal affairs checked his duty records. He was supposed to be off duty last night.””
“I know.””
“But his department vehicle was recorded entering the Mercer neighborhood at 11:38 p.m.””
My stomach tightened.
“Before Emma called me.””
“Exactly.””
“Can we identify the vehicle's route?””
“That's being requested.””
I stared at him.
“Why would he go there?””
Marcus didn't answer.
Instead, he handed me a printed document.
It was a personnel assignment record.
Robert Hayes had recently been appointed as the supervisor responsible for reviewing domestic violence incidents involving several neighborhoods.
One of those neighborhoods included Daniel's address.
I looked up.
“Was he assigned to this case?””
“Not officially.””
“Then why was he at the house?””
Marcus shook his head.
“We're trying to find out.””
My phone vibrated.
A message from an unknown number.
This time, there was no threat.
Just one sentence.
<box border radius="lg" padding={3} gap={2}> *UNKNOWN NUMBER — 6:52 A.M.*
"Ask your sister what Daniel was planning for Saturday."" </box>
I read it again.
Saturday was two days away.
I immediately returned to Emma's room.
“Sweetheart, did Daniel have any plans for Saturday?””
She stared at me.
Then the color drained from her face.
“He said we were going away.””
“Where?””
“He wouldn't tell me.””
I moved closer.
“What else did he say?””
May you like
Her eyes filled with tears.
“He said it would be our last weekend together.””
