Chapter 2: What Was Behind Her Bedroom Door
I didn't ask Vanessa another question.
I picked Lily up and carried her toward the stairs.
“Michael, where are you going?”” Vanessa demanded.
“To my daughter's room.””
“You can't just barge around my house!””
“Our house,” I corrected.
“And she's my daughter.””
Vanessa followed us.
Mason came behind her, keeping several steps between himself and his mother.
Lily buried her face in my shoulder.
“Daddy?””
“Yes, sweetheart?””
“Are you mad at me?””
I stopped halfway up the stairs.
The question hit harder than the slap I had witnessed.
“No, baby. Never.””
“Because I ate Mason's bread?””
I closed my eyes.
“No. You did nothing wrong.””
“But Mommy said I was bad.””
I kissed her forehead.
“Mommy was wrong.””
When we reached Lily's bedroom, I pushed the door open.
Everything looked normal at first.
Her pink bedspread was neatly arranged. Stuffed animals sat against the pillows. A small bookshelf stood beside the window.
But Mason remained in the doorway.
“Dad,” he said quietly, “look at the closet.””
I turned.
The closet doors were closed.
“What about it?””
“Open it.””
Vanessa suddenly rushed forward.
“Don't touch that!””
I stared at her.
“Why?””
“Because it's messy. I'll clean it tomorrow.””
I opened the closet.
A row of tiny dresses hung from plastic hangers. Her shoes were lined up beneath them. A pink backpack sat on the floor.
Then I noticed something unusual.
A small metal hook had been screwed into the outside of the closet door.
Not inside.
Outside.
I crouched to examine it.
There were scratches around the doorframe, as though someone had repeatedly pushed against it from the other side.
I turned toward Vanessa.
“Why is there a latch outside my daughter's closet?””
She crossed her arms.
“It's a safety lock.””
“For what?””
“So she doesn't get into things.””
I looked at Lily.
She had stopped crying.
Instead, she was staring at the closet with a terrible familiarity.
“Baby,” I whispered, “does Mommy put you in there?””
Lily's fingers tightened around my shirt.
Vanessa immediately interrupted.
“Don't question her like that. You're confusing her.””
But Lily nodded.
I felt my jaw tighten.
“Why?””
“She says I'm naughty.””
“What happens when you're inside?””
Lily looked down.
“It's dark.””
Mason stepped forward.
“She turns the light off.””
Vanessa spun around.
“Go to your room, Mason!””
“No!””
“I'm your mother!””
“And she's my sister!””
The room fell silent.
Mason's eyes filled with tears.
“I can hear her crying, Dad. Sometimes she bangs on the door, but Mom tells me not to open it.””
Vanessa grabbed his arm.
“That's enough.””
I immediately pulled him away.
“Don't touch him.””
She released him.
I examined the closet again. The scratches weren't the only thing that bothered me.
There was a small plastic cup on the floor.
Beside it sat a folded blanket.
A child-sized blanket.
I slowly stood.
“How long have you been locking her in there?””
Vanessa shook her head.
“You're twisting everything. She goes in there when she throws tantrums.””
“She is five years old!””
“And she needs discipline!””
“Discipline doesn't mean locking a child in a dark closet!””
Vanessa's face flushed.
“You have no idea how difficult it is raising someone else's child!””
The words came out before she could stop them.
I stared at her.
“Someone else's child?””
Vanessa realized her mistake.
“That's not what I meant.””
“No. Say it again.””
She looked away.
“I meant you're never home. You leave me with all the responsibility.””
I pulled out my phone.
“I'm calling the police.””
Her eyes widened.
“Michael, don't be stupid.””
I dialed emergency services.
While I explained what had happened, Vanessa began pacing.
“This is a private family matter.””
The dispatcher asked whether Lily was injured.
I looked at her red cheek.
“Yes,” I answered.
“My five-year-old daughter has been struck. And I have reason to believe she's been confined in a closet and denied meals.””
Vanessa lunged toward my phone.
I stepped back.
“Don't.””
She stopped.
The dispatcher instructed me to keep the children away from Vanessa and seek medical attention for Lily.
I agreed.
Then Mason tugged at my sleeve.
“Dad, can I tell you something without Mom hearing?””
I looked at Vanessa.
She was standing near the doorway, watching us.
“Go ahead.””
Mason leaned close.
“There's a camera in Lily's room.””
I frowned.
“What camera?””
He pointed toward the stuffed rabbit sitting on the bookshelf.
“The pink one. It has a little black hole in its eye.””
I walked over and picked up the rabbit.
Sure enough, a tiny lens was hidden inside its plastic eye.
My stomach turned.
I examined the toy.
A small memory card was tucked inside a compartment beneath its battery cover.
“Why is there a camera in here?”” I asked.
Vanessa's face drained of color.
“It's a baby monitor.””
“Lily is five. Why didn't you tell me?””
“You're never home, Michael!””
Mason shook his head.
“Dad, that's not why she watches it.””
I turned toward him.
“Then why?””
He looked at his mother.
Then he said:
“She watches Lily to make sure she doesn't talk to you.””
Vanessa took a step backward.
I felt the blood drain from my face.
“What?””
Mason's voice cracked.
“Whenever you call Lily from work, Mom makes her put the phone on speaker. Then she tells her what to say.””
I looked at Vanessa.
She didn't deny it.
May you like
Instead, she whispered something I would never forget.
“Because I couldn't let Lily tell you what happened before you married me.””
