Chapter 10 - The Night at the Window
Valeria moved both children upstairs.
Police searched the property.
No one was found.
The second photograph had been taken from beyond the back fence near a line of trees.
Security footage showed movement.
A hooded figure.
Too distant for identification.
Damian was questioned.
He denied involvement.
His attorney called the accusations harassment.
Valeria did not care what he called them.
She moved the children to a secure apartment owned by her company.
Only Marcus, her sister, and police knew the address.
For three days, nothing happened.
Elliot returned to school with a counselor aware of the situation.
Beatrice attended classes remotely.
Valeria worked from the apartment.
Every sound made them look toward the door.
On the fourth morning, Beatrice finally asked, "Are we hiding forever?"
Valeria closed her laptop.
"No."
"When do we go home?"
"When it's safe."
"What if it never is?"
Valeria sat beside her.
"It will be."
"How do you know?"
"I don't."
Beatrice looked at her.
Valeria continued.
"But safe doesn't mean never being scared. It means the person who scares you doesn't get to make every decision."
Beatrice thought about that.
Then she nodded.
Later that day, Marcus called.
"We found the sender."
Valeria stood immediately.
"Damian?"
"No."
Her relief mixed with confusion.
"Who?"
"Someone named Victor Lang."
Valeria recognized the name.
Damian's former driver.
"He worked for Damian."
"Yes."
"Did Damian pay him?"
"We're investigating."
Victor was arrested on unrelated charges after police discovered he had violated a restraining order involving another person.
Under questioning, he admitted taking the photographs.
According to Victor, Damian had paid him.
But not to hurt anyone.
Only to scare Valeria into dropping the custody fight.
The payment had been made in cash.
There was still no direct record.
Then Victor produced something better.
Messages.
Damian had used an encrypted app.
Victor had saved screenshots.
Make her understand she cannot protect them.
No physical contact.
Fear is enough.
Valeria read the words twice.
Marcus looked at her.
"This changes the case."
It did.
Damian was arrested for witness intimidation and violations related to the protective order.
The arrest did not end everything.
Charges had to be proven.
Custody still required court review.
But for the first time, Damian could no longer simply walk into their lives.
That night, Valeria told the children.
Elliot exhaled as though he had been holding his breath for weeks.
Beatrice did not react.
She simply stared at the floor.
"Bee?"
"Is he in jail?"
"Tonight, yes."
"For how long?"
"I don't know."
"Is he scared?"
Valeria hesitated.
"I don't know."
Beatrice looked at her.
"I hope he is."
Valeria did not correct her.
Anger was allowed.
It did not have to become cruelty.
Beatrice began crying.
"I hate him."
Valeria moved closer.
"And I love him."
Valeria held her.
"And I hate that I love him."
"I know."
"Do you?"
"Yes."
Beatrice shook her head against Valeria's shoulder.
"No, you don't."
Valeria accepted that.
Maybe she did not.
Damian was Beatrice's father.
The same person who had taught her to ride a bicycle.
Who had read bedtime stories when she was little.
Who had carried her asleep from the car.
Who had also frightened her.
Threatened her.
Controlled her.
Children did not receive the comfort of simple villains.
They received complicated people who could create beautiful memories and terrible ones with the same hands.
Valeria did not ask Beatrice to stop loving him.
She only promised love would no longer require obedience.
Two weeks later, the court granted Valeria temporary guardianship while Damian's criminal case proceeded.
Beatrice came home from the hearing holding the court document like something fragile.
"Does this mean you're my mom now?"
Valeria crouched in front of her.
"I have felt like your mom for a long time."
"But legally?"
"Temporarily, I am your guardian."
"Temporarily."
The word frightened her.
Valeria took her hand.
"We deal with today first."
Beatrice nodded.
That evening, they returned to the Calloway house.
The staircase waited in the foyer.
Beatrice stopped when she saw it.
Elliot stopped too.
Valeria understood immediately.
"We can move."
Elliot looked surprised.
"This is our house."
"A house is walls."
Beatrice stared at the stairs.
"I don't want him to take this too."
Valeria waited.
Beatrice walked forward.
One step.
Then another.
She climbed all the way to the top.
Elliot followed.
Valeria remained below.
At the landing, Beatrice turned.
"I want to stay."
Valeria smiled through tears.
"Then we stay."
But when Valeria went into Damian's former office later, she found one final object beneath the desk.
A tiny voice recorder.
May you like
The red light was blinking.
It had been recording them.
