Chapter 2: The Recording
“Where did this come from?””
Vanessa didn’t answer.
I held the recorder between two fingers.
Her eyes followed it.
“Caleb, give it to me.””
“No.””
“It belongs to me.””
That stopped me.
“You just said it was nothing.””
“I meant it’s nothing you need to worry about.””
“My son was locked in a cage beside it. I’m worried.””
Noah’s fingers tightened around my sleeve.
Vanessa looked at him.
It was only a glance.
But Noah immediately stepped behind me.
I noticed.
So did she.
“Get your things,” I told him.
Vanessa’s head snapped toward me.
“Where are you taking him?””
“Somewhere safe.””
“This is my house too.””
“And I’m not leaving him here.””
Noah hurried inside.
Vanessa waited until he disappeared down the hallway.
Then she whispered, “You’re making a mistake.””
I stared at her.
“That sounds like a threat.””
“It’s a warning.””
“About what?””
She glanced toward the hallway.
“You don’t know your son the way you think you do.””
I slipped the recorder into my pocket.
“I know enough.””
“No, Caleb. You don’t.””
Her calmness disturbed me more than her anger.
I picked up my laptop bag and followed Noah upstairs.
His bedroom door was open.
He stood beside his bed stuffing clothes into his dinosaur backpack.
Not toys.
Not books.
Clothes.
Like he already knew how to leave quickly.
“Buddy.””
He froze.
I crouched beside him.
“How many times?””
His eyes dropped.
“How many times has she put you in that cage?””
His silence answered before his mouth did.
“Three.””
I felt sick.
“Why didn’t you tell me?””
“I tried.””
“When?””
“The night you came back from Boston.””
I remembered.
Noah had waited outside my bedroom while Vanessa and I unpacked.
He said, Daddy, I need to tell you something about Vanessa.
Before he could continue, Vanessa appeared behind him.
She laughed.
Let me guess. I’m the meanest stepmom ever because I made you finish your homework?
I had smiled.
Actually smiled.
Then I told Noah we would talk later.
We never did.
“What else has she done?””
His eyes filled with tears.
“She makes me stand in the laundry room when I’m bad.””
“For how long?””
“I don’t know.””
“Has she hurt you?””
He touched his scalp.
“Sometimes.””
A floorboard creaked behind me.
Vanessa stood in the doorway.
“That’s enough.””
I rose.
“Stay away from him.””
She stared at Noah.
“You really want to do this?””
Noah moved behind me again.
Vanessa gave a small, humorless laugh.
“Fine. Let him tell you everything.””
“I intend to.””
“Ask him why I punished him today.””
I looked at Noah.
He swallowed.
“I found something.””
“What?””
Vanessa interrupted.
“He was snooping through my office.””
“I wasn’t snooping.””
“You opened a locked drawer.””
“It wasn’t locked.””
“Noah.””
“What did you find?”” I asked.
He looked toward Vanessa.
She took one step forward.
I blocked her.
“Noah?””
“A picture.””
“What picture?””
He opened his backpack.
From beneath a folded sweatshirt, he pulled out a photograph.
Vanessa’s breath caught.
Noah handed it to me.
It showed Vanessa standing beside a man I had never seen.
They were outside a courthouse.
The photograph looked several years old.
On the back was a handwritten date and a name.
*Eric Dalton.*
“Who is Eric?”” I asked.
Vanessa said nothing.
Then Noah whispered, “There were lots of pictures.””
“Of him?””
“And me.””
I turned toward him.
“You?””
Noah nodded.
“Pictures from school.””
My skin prickled.
“What kind of pictures?””
“Me walking outside. Me getting on the bus. Me at soccer.””
I looked at Vanessa.
She had gone pale again.
“Explain.””
“They aren’t mine.””
“They were in your office.””
“Someone gave them to me.””
“Who?””
She hesitated.
That was enough.
I pulled out my phone.
Vanessa’s composure finally broke.
“Who are you calling?””
“The police.””
“No!””
She grabbed for my wrist.
I stepped away.
“Don’t touch me.””
“You cannot call them.””
“Watch me.””
“You don’t understand what you’re doing.””
“Then explain it.””
Her eyes darted toward the recorder in my pocket.
Not the photograph.
The recorder.
Whatever was stored on that memory card frightened her more.
I took Noah downstairs.
Vanessa followed.
“Caleb, please.””
I stopped beside the kitchen counter.
“You have thirty seconds.””
She stared at me.
“Eric Dalton was my husband.””
I blinked.
“You were married?””
“A long time ago.””
“You told me you’d never been married.””
“I lied.””
“Why?””
“Because Eric was dangerous.””
Noah moved closer to me.
“Where is he now?””
Vanessa looked toward the patio.
“I don’t know.””
I didn't believe her.
I opened my laptop and removed the recorder from my pocket.
A small memory card slid free.
Vanessa’s face changed.
“Caleb.””
I inserted it into an adapter.
“Don’t.””
The folder opened.
Dozens of video files appeared.
Not three.
Dozens.
Some dated before Vanessa and I were married.
My pulse slowed into a heavy, sick rhythm.
I clicked the oldest file.
The screen showed our patio at night.
Empty cage.
Empty chairs.
Then someone walked into frame.
A man.
Tall. Baseball cap. Dark jacket.
He crouched beside the cage and adjusted the camera.
Vanessa appeared seconds later.
She looked directly at him.
They embraced.
Noah whispered, “Daddy…”
The man removed his cap.
I stared at his face.
Then at the photograph in my hand.
Eric Dalton.
Vanessa backed toward the front door.
On the laptop, Eric looked into the camera and said something that made every hair on my arms rise.
“The boy still doesn’t know, does he?””
Video-Vanessa shook her head.
Then Eric smiled.
“Good. Because if Caleb ever finds out who Noah really belongs to, we lose everything.””
I turned slowly toward my wife.
Vanessa had stopped breathing.
May you like
And beside me, Noah whispered the question I was suddenly terrified to answer.
“Daddy… what does he mean?””
