Chapter 2 - The Facade of a Monster
The sterile waiting room of the police precinct felt like an alternate dimension.
For three hours, I sat in a plastic chair while specialized child psychologists and detectives gently interviewed my daughter in a separate, softly lit room. They had taken my phone to log the photos into evidence. A forensic nurse had documented every single millimeter of the bruising on her fragile back.
Detective Aris, a hardened woman with tired eyes but a surprisingly warm demeanor, finally stepped out into the hallway and approached me.
“Mr. Hayes,” she said quietly, handing me a cup of terrible breakroom coffee. “Your daughter is incredibly brave. And she is very consistent. She detailed four separate incidents, all occurring when Marcus was babysitting her or when she was alone in a room with him during family gatherings.”
My jaw clenched so hard I thought my teeth might shatter. “What happens now?”
“Now, we build the trap,” Detective Aris said, her voice dropping to a whisper. “If we go kick his door down right now, his high-priced lawyers will claim she fell, that she’s confused, that it’s a misunderstanding. We need an admission. We need him completely cornered.”
“Tell me what to do.”
“You are going to take Lily to your sister’s house across town. She needs to be completely out of the blast radius. Then, you are going to go home. You are going to look Marcus in the eye, and you are going to act completely normal.”
My stomach churned. “I don't think I can do that without killing him.”
“You have to,” Aris commanded, her eyes locking onto mine. “He doesn't know she told you. He feels invincible. We are sending an undercover surveillance team to your street. I will be listening through a wire we are going to place on you. You get him to talk. You get him to slip up.”
An hour later, Lily was safely tucked into bed at my sister’s house, surrounded by her cousins and entirely out of Marcus’s reach.
I parked my SUV in my driveway. The sun was beginning to set, casting long, dark shadows across the manicured lawn. Marcus’s sleek black Audi was parked by the curb.
I took a deep breath, patted the small audio transmitter taped to my ribs beneath my shirt, and unlocked the front door.
Laughter echoed from the kitchen.
I walked in to find Marcus sitting at our kitchen island, swirling a glass of my expensive bourbon. He looked exactly the same as always—perfectly styled hair, an expensive designer sweater, that easy, arrogant smile that made everyone trust him instantly.
Sarah was laughing at a joke he had just told.
“There’s the devoted dad!” Marcus cheered, raising his glass to me. “Sarah said Lily came down with a bug. Is the little princess feeling better?”
The nickname little princess made my blood turn into battery acid.
“She’s resting at my sister’s,” I said, forcing a tight, exhausted smile. I walked over to the cabinet and poured myself a heavy glass of bourbon. My hands were remarkably steady. “Doc said it was just a twenty-four-hour thing.”
“Shame she missed the recital,” Marcus sighed, taking a sip of his drink. “I bought her a new stuffed bear to celebrate. Left it up in her room on her bed.”
He had been in her room.
While I was at the police station, this monster had walked upstairs and stood in the sanctuary where my daughter slept.
I gripped the edge of the granite counter, looking right into his dark, smiling eyes.
“Sarah,” I said softly, never breaking eye contact with Marcus. “Could you go upstairs and check on the laundry? I think I left my work shirts in the dryer.”
Sarah rolled her eyes playfully. “You are helpless without me, Julian. I’ll be right back.”
May you like
Her footsteps faded up the stairs.
We were alone.
