Chapter 7: The Evidence Against Me
I stared at the photograph on my phone.
Patricia stood outside my house, holding a brown envelope. The timestamp showed that the picture had been taken three days earlier.
I looked across the table.
Patricia was trembling.
"I've never signed anything against you," she whispered.
"Then why is your name on the statement?""
"I don't know.""
I turned the phone toward her.
"Have you ever been to my house recently?""
She shook her head.
"Not since Vanessa fired me.""
"When was that?""
"About eight months ago.""
Rachel leaned forward.
"Why did she fire you?""
Patricia looked down.
"Because I gave Lily a sandwich.""
I felt my stomach tighten.
"Tell me exactly what happened.""
Patricia took a shaky breath.
"Vanessa had gone shopping. Lily was in the kitchen. She was crying because she hadn't eaten since breakfast. I made her a sandwich and gave her some milk.""
"And?""
"When Vanessa came home, she found the plate. She asked who had given Lily permission to eat.""
I clenched my jaw.
"What happened next?""
"She threw the sandwich away. Then she told me I had no right to interfere with her parenting.""
Patricia wiped her eyes.
"I told her a four-year-old child shouldn't have to ask permission to eat.""
Rachel muttered something under her breath.
Patricia continued.
"Vanessa fired me that afternoon. She said I had stolen groceries and encouraged Lily to disobey household rules.""
I looked at the photograph again.
"Why were you outside my house three days ago?""
Patricia's eyes widened.
"I wasn't.""
"Are you sure?""
"Marcus, I swear.""
She leaned closer.
"Look at the photograph.""
I enlarged it.
The woman had Patricia's hairstyle.
Her coat looked similar.
But something was wrong.
The face was partially obscured by the angle.
I zoomed in further.
The woman's left hand was visible.
There was a large silver ring on her finger.
Patricia didn't wear rings.
Rachel noticed it too.
"That's not her.""
I looked at Patricia.
"Can you prove where you were that day?""
She nodded.
"I was at the dentist. I have the appointment confirmation.""
I showed Rachel.
She exhaled.
"Someone is deliberately setting her up.""
My phone rang again.
David.
"Marcus, I need you here now.""
"I'm coming.""
"And bring Patricia if she's willing. We need her to explain the forged statement.""
Patricia nodded.
"I'll come.""
Before leaving, I went to the sofa.
Lily was playing with Captain the elephant.
"Where are you going, Daddy?""
"To talk to someone about making sure everything is okay.""
"Are you coming back?""
I knelt.
"Always.""
She held out her little hand.
"Promise?""
I kissed her fingers.
"Promise.""
Rachel agreed to stay with her.
I drove to David's office with Patricia beside me.
The moment we arrived, he placed a thick folder on the desk.
"Sit down.""
I opened it.
The first page was the custody petition.
Vanessa was requesting temporary primary custody of Lily, alleging that I had failed to provide adequate supervision and had allowed the child to develop unhealthy emotional attachments.
I read the statement twice.
Then I reached the supporting documents.
Photographs.
Medical notes.
A psychological assessment.
And two witness declarations.
The first was signed by Eleanor Hale.
The second carried Patricia's name.
I looked at David.
"Where did this psychological report come from?""
He adjusted his glasses.
"Dr. Elaine Porter. Apparently, Vanessa claims Lily attended several sessions with her.""
I frowned.
"Lily has never seen a psychologist.""
"That's what I thought.""
David handed me another sheet.
I read the report.
It described Lily as emotionally unstable, oppositional, and prone to manipulating adults through food-related behavior.
It also claimed that I encouraged her to reject Vanessa.
My hands began shaking.
"This is fabricated.""
"Possibly. We need to verify the doctor's records.""
Patricia leaned forward.
"That's not the only false thing.""
She pointed to the witness declaration.
"That isn't my signature.""
David examined it.
"Do you have examples of your actual signature?""
Patricia opened her handbag and produced an old employment contract.
David placed the documents side by side.
The signatures were different.
"Good," he said.
"We'll have this examined.""
I turned to the next page.
It was a photograph of Lily standing in the kitchen.
She looked thin.
Her dress hung loosely around her shoulders.
The caption read:
Child appears distressed after father refuses to provide food.
I recognized the dress.
It was from six months earlier.
I remembered that day.
I had come home from work and found Lily asleep on the sofa.
Vanessa told me she had eaten dinner.
I had believed her.
Now I looked at the photograph again.
The image had been cropped.
The background was missing.
And the caption was a lie.
I pointed to the date.
"Can we obtain the original photograph?""
David nodded.
"That will be important.""
Then he showed me the final document.
A letter from Eleanor.
It claimed I had become increasingly unstable after Claire's death and that I had repeatedly placed Lily's needs above the emotional well-being of the rest of the household.
I laughed bitterly.
"She makes loving my daughter sound like a psychological disorder.""
David didn't smile.
"Your mother is attempting to establish a narrative. We need to respond with evidence, not anger.""
He opened another folder.
"Fortunately, we have quite a bit.""
He listed everything.
The laundry-room photographs.
The notebook.
The recordings.
Patricia's original messages.
The medical examination.
Noah's statements.
The food hidden beneath the stairs.
And Claire's letter.
"We will submit all of it," David said.
"Will that stop Vanessa?""
"It will make her allegations considerably harder to defend.""
I leaned back.
"What about Noah?""
David's expression softened.
"His safety matters too. We should make sure the authorities understand that he may also be experiencing emotional abuse.""
I nodded.
"He's a good boy. He's been protecting Lily.""
David closed the folder.
"Then let's make sure he isn't punished for telling the truth.""
My phone buzzed.
A message from Rachel.
*Lily asked whether Noah can come stay with us. She misses him.*
I looked at Patricia.
Then at David.
"Can we arrange that?""
David nodded.
"Subject to the authorities' assessment and the necessary arrangements, yes.""
I replied to Rachel.
*Tell her we're going to try.*
Then another message arrived.
This one was from an unknown number.
*Stop trusting Patricia. Ask her why she was paid $15,000 six months ago.*
I stared at the screen.
Patricia noticed my expression.
"What is it?""
I turned the phone toward her.
She read the message.
Her face changed.
"I don't understand.""
I looked at her.
"Have you ever received money from Vanessa?""
"No.""
"From my mother?""
She shook her head.
"Never.""
David took the phone.
"Don't respond. We'll investigate.""
Patricia looked devastated.
"Marcus, please. I know what it looks like, but I would never take money to hurt Lily.""
I wanted to believe her.
But I had learned that trust without evidence could be dangerous.
"I need to know the truth," I said.
She nodded.
"I understand.""
David contacted the bank records specialist he worked with.
With Patricia's consent, they began checking the details of the alleged payment.
Meanwhile, I returned to Rachel's apartment.
Lily was sitting at the dining table drawing a picture.
She had drawn three people.
A tall man.
A little girl.
And a woman with long hair.
I smiled.
"Who's that?""
"That's Aunt Rachel.""
Rachel leaned over.
"Very pretty.""
Lily pointed to the tall figure.
"That's Daddy.""
"And the little girl?"" I asked.
"Me.""
I noticed a fourth figure in the corner.
A small boy wearing a blue shirt.
"Who's that?""
"Noah.""
I smiled.
"He's part of the picture too?""
Lily nodded.
"Because he's my brother.""
I crouched beside her.
"That's right.""
She handed me the paper.
"Can we make him come home?""
I looked at her.
"We're going to do everything we can.""
She considered that.
Then she pointed to the empty space beside Noah.
"Can you draw Mommy Claire there?""
I took the pencil.
I drew a small heart.
"How about this?""
Lily smiled.
"She can watch us from there.""
I kissed her forehead.
For a moment, the world felt almost normal.
Then Rachel's phone rang.
It was Officer Bennett.
Rachel answered and put it on speaker.
"Hello?""
"Ms. Rachel, I need to speak with Marcus.""
I took the phone.
"What's happened?""
"We've received additional information regarding the custody allegations.""
"From Vanessa?""
"Yes. She has claimed that Patricia previously took money from the household and that you were aware of it.""
I glanced toward Patricia.
"That's false.""
"We're investigating. But there's something else. We've identified the woman in the photograph sent to you.""
My stomach tightened.
"Who is she?""
Officer Bennett paused.
"Your mother.""
I closed my eyes.
The silver ring.
The familiar coat.
The photograph had been designed to make Patricia look guilty.
"Why was she carrying an envelope?""
"We don't know yet. But our officers are reviewing the footage from the property.""
"Can you identify what was in it?""
"Not yet.""
I thanked her.
Then I looked at Patricia.
She was crying.
"I told you," she whispered.
I nodded.
"I'm sorry.""
She wiped her cheeks.
"It's okay.""
But Officer Bennett wasn't finished.
She called back ten minutes later.
"Mr. Hale, we've found something else.""
"What?""
"The envelope contained a printed document. It appears to be a financial transfer authorization.""
My stomach tightened.
"Whose authorization?""
"Patricia's.""
I looked at Patricia.
She shook her head.
"That's impossible.""
Officer Bennett continued.
"The document appears to show a payment of $15,000 from an account connected to your family.""
I stared at the phone.
"Did Patricia receive it?""
"We're still verifying that.""
Then she said:
"There's one detail you should know. The account that transferred the money belonged to your mother.""
I looked at Patricia.
She had gone completely pale.
And suddenly, I understood why someone wanted me to distrust her.
May you like
Someone had been moving money in her name.
But the real question was why.
