Chapter 2 - The Woman Across the Street
Lucas didn't watch the rest.
Not yet.
Gracie needed medical care.
That came first.
He drove toward Mapleton Regional Hospital while Gracie sat quietly beside him, hugging her bear.
Every few minutes he looked at her.
"Doing okay?"
She nodded.
Ten minutes later:
"Still okay?"
Another nod.
At a red light, she finally asked, "Are you mad at me?"
Lucas turned toward her.
"No."
"Not even a little?"
"Not even a little."
She looked down at the bear.
"Mom gets mad when I make problems."
"You didn't make this problem."
"But if I didn't spill the juice—"
"Gracie."
She looked up.
"Spilling juice is a seven-year-old problem."
She almost smiled.
"What happened afterward was an adult problem."
That seemed to reach her.
At the hospital, Lucas requested an examination and explained only what he knew.
He didn't embellish.
He didn't accuse.
He didn't speculate.
Gracie had reported pain after an incident at home.
He wanted her evaluated.
A pediatric physician examined her.
Lucas stayed nearby whenever Gracie wanted him there.
When questions needed privacy, he stepped outside.
That was harder than he expected.
He paced the hallway.
His phone contained Mrs. Gable's video.
He still hadn't watched it.
Sabrina called eleven times.
He ignored every call.
Then Lorraine called.
Sabrina's mother.
Lucas stared at the screen.
The phone stopped.
Thirty seconds later, Lorraine called again.
He answered.
"Lucas."
Her voice was unusually calm.
"Where's Gracie?"
"With a doctor."
Silence.
"Was that necessary?"
Lucas closed his eyes.
There it was again.
Not Is she okay?
Not How badly is she hurt?
Was that necessary?
"Why wouldn't it be?"
"Because Sabrina told me it was a minor accident."
"Did Sabrina tell you what happened?"
"Children fall."
"That's not what I asked."
Lorraine sighed.
"You've been away. Sabrina has been overwhelmed."
Lucas opened his eyes.
"Is that supposed to explain something?"
"Don't twist my words."
"I'm asking questions."
"And I'm telling you that marriage requires perspective."
Lucas nearly laughed.
"My daughter is being examined in a hospital, Lorraine."
"Which is exactly why everyone needs to stay calm."
"I am calm."
That was true.
And perhaps that frightened Lorraine, because her voice changed.
"Lucas, don't do anything rash."
"Like what?"
"Don't turn one bad evening into something that destroys your family."
The phrase hit him.
Gracie had used almost the same words.
If I told you, I would destroy the family.
"Who said anything about destroying the family?"
Lorraine went silent.
Lucas stood completely still.
"Who told Gracie she'd destroy the family if she talked?"
"I don't know what you're implying."
"I didn't imply anything."
A nurse appeared.
"Mr. Prescott?"
Lucas raised one finger.
"One second."
Then he spoke into the phone.
"Did you tell Gracie that?"
Lorraine hung up.
Lucas stared at the screen.
The nurse waited.
"The doctor would like to speak with you."
Lucas followed her.
The physician explained that Gracie needed rest and follow-up care. The findings would be documented, and appropriate procedures would be followed based on what Gracie had reported.
Lucas asked for copies of everything he was permitted to receive.
Not because he wanted revenge.
Because two people had already tried to convince him that documentation itself was dangerous.
That meant documentation mattered.
When they finally left, it was after ten.
Gracie fell asleep before they reached the parking lot exit.
Lucas drove to Mrs. Gable's house instead of home.
He texted her first.
Her porch light switched on.
Mrs. Gable opened the door.
"Bring her inside."
Lucas carried Gracie into the living room.
Mrs. Gable had already made a bed on the sofa.
Lucas gently laid his daughter down.
Mrs. Gable covered her with a blanket.
Then she looked at him.
"Now watch."
She handed him a tablet.
The video was already loaded.
Timestamp:
4:17 P.M.
Yesterday.
The camera pointed across the street.
Gracie appeared behind an upstairs window.
Then the second figure entered.
Lucas enlarged the image.
Lorraine.
His mother-in-law.
"What was she doing there?"
Mrs. Gable shook her head.
"Keep watching."
The footage had no clear indoor audio.
Only exterior sound.
Lorraine disappeared from the upstairs window.
Twenty seconds later, Gracie disappeared too.
Then Sabrina's car entered the driveway.
Lucas frowned.
"Wait."
Mrs. Gable nodded.
"Sabrina wasn't home when Lorraine arrived."
Lucas replayed it.
Mrs. Gable pointed toward the timestamp.
3:52.
Lorraine entered the house.
4:18.
Sabrina arrived.
"How did Lorraine get inside?"
"She has a key."
Lucas knew that.
But something else bothered him.
Gracie had said Sabrina had been talking to Lorraine on the phone when the juice spilled.
Was Gracie confused about the timing?
Or had there been more than one incident?
The video continued.
At 4:31, Mrs. Gable herself appeared at the edge of the frame, walking toward Lucas's house.
"What were you doing?"
"I heard crying."
Lucas looked at her.
"From across the street?"
"My upstairs window was open."
She swallowed.
"I went over."
Onscreen, Mrs. Gable reached Lucas's gate.
Sabrina came outside.
Even without audio, the confrontation was obvious.
Sabrina pointed toward Mrs. Gable's home.
Mrs. Gable eventually retreated.
"What did she say?"
Mrs. Gable hesitated.
"She told me Gracie had thrown a tantrum."
Lucas's jaw tightened.
"And?"
"She told me not to interfere."
"Anything else?"
Mrs. Gable looked ashamed.
"I should have called you immediately."
"You didn't know what happened."
"I knew something was wrong."
She sat beside him.
"Lucas, yesterday wasn't the first time."
He turned.
"What?"
"I've heard arguments when you've been away before."
"Between Sabrina and Gracie?"
"Sometimes."
The answer wasn't complete.
Lucas heard it.
"Sometimes?"
Mrs. Gable looked toward sleeping Gracie.
"Sometimes Lorraine was there."
Lucas leaned forward.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"Because I wasn't sure."
"Sure of what?"
Mrs. Gable looked at him.
"That they were arguing about Gracie."
A chill moved through him.
"Who else would they be arguing about?"
Mrs. Gable reached for the tablet.
"Three weeks ago, your camera company sent technicians to work on your front gate."
"Yes."
"One of them accidentally connected your exterior camera to my wireless network for several minutes."
Lucas frowned.
"What does that have to do with—"
"I saw something."
She opened another file.
Not her camera.
His.
The Prescott driveway camera.
Three weeks earlier.
Sabrina stood beside Lorraine near the garage.
They were talking.
No audio.
Then Lorraine handed Sabrina a large envelope.
Sabrina looked inside.
Her face changed.
She immediately glanced toward the house.
Then she tore the envelope from Lorraine's hand and disappeared into the garage.
"What was in it?"
"I don't know."
Mrs. Gable paused.
"But that's not the important part."
She dragged the timeline forward.
Eleven minutes later, Gracie appeared.
She was holding something.
A white sheet of paper.
Sabrina rushed toward her.
The footage ended.
Lucas stared at the black screen.
"Why did it stop?"
"Someone deleted the original camera recording."
Lucas turned slowly.
"Then how do you have this?"
"The temporary connection cached part of it on my system."
Lucas looked toward Gracie.
His daughter shifted in her sleep.
Her stuffed bear slipped from her hand and landed on the carpet.
Something made a small plastic sound.
Lucas bent down.
He picked up the bear.
There was a zipper along its back.
He had never noticed it before.
He opened it.
Inside was a folded piece of paper.
Gracie had hidden something inside her bear.
Lucas unfolded it.
It wasn't a drawing.
It was a photocopy of a legal document.
At the top was Gracie's full name.
Below it was Lucas's.
May you like
And beneath both names was a signature line Lucas had never seen before.
The signature already written there belonged to Sabrina.
