Chapter 3 - The Door That Finally Opened
Emma made it downstairs before Matthew caught her.
His hand closed around the back of her sweater.
Fabric pulled tight against her throat.
She screamed and twisted.
“Let go!”
Matthew grabbed her arm.
“Stop acting insane!”
“Get away from me!”
She struck the wall with her shoulder.
Pain exploded down her side.
The baby moved violently.
Emma panicked.
“Matthew, please.”
For half a second, he loosened his grip.
Emma ran toward the kitchen.
She saw her purse on the counter.
Her car keys beside it.
She reached.
Matthew got there first.
He snatched the keys.
Emma grabbed her purse.
“You’re staying.”
“No.”
“Emma.”
“No!”
She stepped backward.
Matthew kicked the overnight bag that he had apparently already retrieved from Evelyn’s car.
It flew across the kitchen.
Emma stared.
“How did you get that?”
“Your neighbor isn’t as clever as she thinks.”
Emma’s stomach dropped.
Matthew had gone into Evelyn’s car.
Had he broken in?
Had she left it unlocked as planned?
He lifted the keys.
“You’re not taking my baby anywhere.”
“Our baby.”
“You don’t get to decide that anymore.”
Emma turned toward the hallway.
Matthew blocked her.
She tried to slip past.
He shoved her.
Emma fell sideways.
Her hip struck the tile.
Then her shoulder.
She curled immediately around her stomach.
Matthew looked down.
For one horrifying second, neither of them moved.
“Please,” Emma whispered.
He seemed to realize what he had done.
His face changed.
“Emma?”
She was crying.
“Don’t touch me.”
“I didn’t mean to…”
“Don’t touch me!”
That was when the pounding began.
Evelyn.
Then police.
Matthew opened the front door.
Two uniformed officers stood on the porch.
Neither was Caleb Grant.
The first was a woman in her forties named Officer Lena Torres.
The second was a younger man, Officer Daniel Price.
“Step outside, sir.”
Matthew gave them his most reasonable expression.
“There’s been a misunderstanding.”
“Step outside.”
“My wife fell.”
Officer Torres looked past him.
Emma was sitting against the lower kitchen cabinet.
Her bag lay open.
Clothing covered the floor.
“Ma’am, are you injured?”
Matthew answered for her.
“She’s fine.”
Torres did not look at him.
“I asked her.”
Emma swallowed.
“Yes.”
Matthew turned.
“Emma.”
Torres immediately moved between them.
“Sir, outside.”
“I live here.”
“And you are being instructed to step outside.”
Matthew’s mask cracked.
Only slightly.
But Evelyn saw it.
So did Emma.
Price escorted Matthew onto the porch.
Torres entered.
“Emma, I’m Officer Torres. Ambulance is on its way. Can you tell me where you hurt?”
“My side.”
“Did he push you?”
Emma looked toward the open front door.
Matthew was speaking rapidly to Price.
Then another figure appeared near the sidewalk.
A familiar man.
Officer Caleb Grant.
He was not in uniform.
He wore jeans and a dark jacket.
Emma’s breath stopped.
“Why is he here?”
Torres followed her gaze.
Her expression changed.
“Who?”
“Caleb Grant.”
Torres looked toward the porch.
Grant raised one hand as though greeting friends.
Matthew saw him.
Relief flashed across his face.
Emma grabbed Torres’s sleeve.
“He knows my husband.”
Torres glanced down at Emma’s hand.
“He knows him how?”
“They’re friends.”
Outside, Grant approached Officer Price.
“Daniel, I got this.”
Price looked uncertain.
Torres stood.
“No, you don’t.”
She walked to the doorway.
Grant frowned.
“Lena?”
“This is my call.”
“I heard the address over dispatch.”
“You’re off duty.”
“I know the husband.”
“Exactly.”
Grant glanced toward Emma.
For the first time, she saw irritation in his eyes.
Then he smiled.
“Just trying to help.”
“Then help by leaving.”
Matthew stepped forward.
“Caleb, tell them. Emma’s been unstable for months.”
Emma’s stomach twisted.
Grant sighed.
“I have seen some concerning behavior.”
Torres stared at him.
“You are not participating in this investigation.”
“Lena, come on.”
“Leave.”
The ambulance arrived.
Paramedics entered.
Matthew’s voice rose.
“She is not taking my child!”
Price placed a hand near his belt.
“Sir, calm down.”
“I’m the father.”
“You are also currently being detained.”
Matthew’s eyes widened.
“For what?”
Evelyn stepped off her porch holding her phone.
“For this.”
She raised the screen.
“I recorded part of it.”
Matthew stared at her.
Evelyn continued.
“And my security camera recorded you taking Emma’s bag out of my car.”
Matthew’s face hardened.
“That’s my wife’s property.”
“It was inside my vehicle.”
Torres looked sharply at him.
“You entered her vehicle?”
Matthew realized his mistake.
“I opened an unlocked door.”
Evelyn smiled without warmth.
“Thank you for admitting that.”
Paramedics helped Emma onto a stretcher.
As they rolled her outside, she passed Matthew.
His wrists were not cuffed yet.
That frightened her.
Then he leaned toward her.
Barely moving his lips.
“This isn’t over.”
Emma flinched.
Torres saw it.
“What did he say?”
Emma hesitated.
Then she remembered the card.
People will believe you before you prove anything.
She looked directly at Torres.
“He said this isn’t over.”
Torres turned to Matthew.
“Hands behind your back.”
The click of handcuffs was quieter than Emma expected.
Matthew began protesting immediately.
But Emma barely heard him.
She was watching Caleb Grant.
The off-duty officer stood near the curb, staring at Matthew.
Then at Emma.
And when he realized Emma was watching him back, Grant removed his phone from his pocket.
May you like
He typed one message.
A few seconds later, Matthew’s phone began ringing inside the house.
