Chapter 3: The Man In The Recording
I replayed the sentence three times.
A man's voice.
Not mine.
Not anyone I expected.
"Are you sure you want him to know what your mother did?""
The words echoed through the hallway.
Lily was watching my face.
Waiting.
"Dad?""
I looked at her.
"Who is that man?""
She hugged Mr. Buttons tighter.
"I don't know his name.""
"You don't know?""
She shook her head.
"He came to the house.""
My entire body went still.
"When?""
"At night.""
I felt anger rise again.
But this time it came with fear.
"Why didn't you tell me?""
"Because Mom told me I wasn't supposed to.""
I grabbed my keys.
"We're leaving.""
Before I could open the door, Vanessa appeared at the bottom of the stairs.
She looked exhausted.
But her eyes were focused.
"You heard the second recording.""
It wasn't a question.
I stepped in front of Lily.
"Who is he?""
Vanessa didn't answer.
"Who is the man in that recording?""
She looked at Lily.
Then at me.
"Daniel, you need to understand something.""
"No.""
My voice was sharper than I intended.
"You need to understand something. My daughter has bruises on her body, she has been hiding a recorder in a teddy bear, and now there is a stranger in my house talking to her.""
Vanessa's face tightened.
"He wasn't a stranger.""
"Then who was he?""
She looked away.
That was the first time I saw guilt.
Not fear.
Not surprise.
Guilt.
"His name is Mark.""
The name meant nothing.
"Who is Mark?""
Vanessa didn't speak.
"Louder.""
Her eyes met mine.
"My brother.""
The hallway went silent.
I blinked.
"Your brother?""
She nodded.
"You never told me you had a brother.""
"I know.""
The answer made no sense.
"You hid a family member from me?""
"Because he wasn't supposed to be part of our lives anymore.""
I stared at her.
"Why?""
She took a shaky breath.
"Because Mark has problems.""
"What kind of problems?""
She didn't answer.
And that terrified me more.
I grabbed Lily's hand.
"We're leaving.""
"Daniel, wait.""
"No.""
"Please.""
I stopped.
Not because of her.
Because of Lily.
My daughter was looking between us.
Confused.
Scared.
I softened my voice.
"Lily, go wait by the car.""
She nodded.
As she walked away, Vanessa whispered:
"I never hurt her.""
I looked at her.
"Then explain the bruises.""
Her eyes filled with tears.
"I should have told you.""
"Yes.""
"I should have protected her.""
The words surprised me.
Because for the first time that night, Vanessa wasn't defending herself.
She was blaming herself.
But I couldn't let that change what I had seen.
"What happened?""
She sat down on the bottom step.
"Mark came back six months ago.""
I listened.
"He needed money. He needed somewhere to stay. I told him no.""
"Then why was he here?""
Her hands shook.
"Because he threatened me.""
I frowned.
"Threatened you?""
"He said if I didn't let him stay, he would tell you things.""
"What things?""
Vanessa looked up.
"Things about my past.""
I felt a cold feeling in my stomach.
"What past?""
She looked toward the door where Lily had gone.
Then she whispered:
"The kind that would make you hate me.""
I didn't know what to say.
Because suddenly the story was changing.
But Lily was still hurt.
And I still had questions.
"Where is Mark now?""
Vanessa looked terrified.
"I don't know.""
Then my phone buzzed.
Unknown number.
I opened the message.
One sentence.
A photo was attached.
My fingers went numb.
The picture showed Lily sitting on her bed.
Holding Mr. Buttons.
The photo had been taken from inside her bedroom.
Underneath it were the words:
"You should have stayed away, Daniel.""
I looked up.
Vanessa was staring at my phone.
And she whispered:
"He's still here.""
The lights in the house suddenly flickered.
Lily screamed from outside.
"Dad!""
I ran toward the door.
But before I reached it, I heard Vanessa behind me.
"Daniel...""
I turned.
She was holding something in her hand.
Something I had never seen before.
A second recorder.
May you like
And she said:
"There's one more thing you need to hear.""
