Chapter 3 - The Lie
The photograph sat between us.
Daniel stared at it as if it were something alive.
"That's not me."
The officer didn't respond.
Daniel picked it up.
The image showed a man standing beside the kennel.
Dark shirt.
Tan pants.
Short brown hair.
From a distance, he looked almost exactly like Daniel.
But I knew my husband.
I looked closer.
"That's not Daniel."
The officer nodded.
"We know."
Daniel looked up.
"Then why show me?"
"Because your father gave us this photograph."
My chest tightened.
Richard had apparently claimed that Daniel had been near the kennel moments before the incident.
He had described his son's clothing.
He had described where Daniel supposedly stood.
He had even claimed Daniel was angry because the baby had been crying.
Every detail was designed to make the story believable.
Except for one thing.
The man in the photograph had a different watch.
Daniel always wore the same black watch.
The man in the image wore a silver one.
Daniel pointed at it.
"That's not mine."
The officer nodded.
"We noticed."
"Who is it?"
"We're trying to determine that."
I looked at the officer.
"Could it be my father-in-law?"
The officer didn't answer immediately.
Then he said:
"Your father-in-law owns several old jackets and hats that could change his appearance."
Daniel stared at the photograph.
"Why would he frame me?"
I already knew the answer.
Because Daniel was his son.
And because he thought his son would protect him.
For years, Daniel had defended Richard.
Now Richard had tried to make Daniel take the blame for something he had done.
That realization hurt Daniel more than the photograph.
He sat down.
"My whole life," he whispered.
I took his hand.
The officer received another message.
He read it silently.
Then he looked at us.
"We found something else."
"What?"
"There is a second camera."
Daniel looked confused.
"There are only four."
"There are five."
The officer showed us a photograph.
A tiny camera had been installed beneath the roofline.
It wasn't part of the original security system.
It faced the side entrance.
Daniel frowned.
"I didn't install that."
The officer nodded.
"Neither did your father, according to him."
"Then who did?"
The officer looked at us.
"That's what we're trying to find out."
Hours passed.
Our daughter remained under observation.
Daniel refused to leave her.
At around midnight, a nurse came in and told us we could see her briefly.
I cried when I saw her.
She looked so small beneath the hospital blanket.
I touched her tiny hand.
"I'm here."
Her fingers moved.
Daniel stood beside me.
"I'm here too."
For the first time that day, our daughter opened her eyes.
Just for a moment.
Then she closed them again.
I kissed her forehead.
"We're not going anywhere."
When we returned to the hallway, Daniel's mother was waiting.
Margaret looked exhausted.
She hugged her son.
"I'm sorry."
Daniel stepped back.
"Mom, I need the truth."
She began crying.
"I didn't know."
"Did Dad tell you he hated having a granddaughter?"
Margaret looked away.
"He never said it like that."
"But he said it."
She remained silent.
Daniel's voice became quieter.
"Mom."
She finally nodded.
"Yes."
I felt something inside me break.
Margaret wiped her eyes.
"He wanted a boy. He said having a granddaughter meant the family name wouldn't continue the way he imagined."
Daniel shook his head.
"That's not a reason."
"I know."
"Did he ever threaten her?"
"No."
"Did he ever talk about the dogs?"
Margaret hesitated.
Then she whispered:
"He said once that the dogs would teach her to be afraid of men."
Daniel stared at her.
"What does that mean?"
"I don't know."
"Mom."
She covered her face.
"He said he was joking."
Nobody believed that anymore.
Then the police officer returned.
He held a tablet.
"We recovered footage from the fifth camera."
Daniel stood.
"What does it show?"
The officer turned the screen toward us.
The video began.
It showed the side entrance.
Richard walked into frame.
Then another person appeared behind him.
The figure wore a dark jacket and a baseball cap.
The officer paused the video.
"Do you recognize this person?"
Daniel leaned closer.
I did too.
The figure slowly turned toward the camera.
May you like
And I recognized the face.
It was someone from our own family.
