Chapter 4 - Where Rachel was
Rachel answered her phone at 6:41 p.m.
I was at the pediatric emergency department with Emily.
My attorney had not yet called me back.
A detective named Lena Ortiz was sitting outside the room.
Rachel called.
I answered before thinking.
“Michael?”
“Where are you?”
“Why are you with the police?”
Interesting question.
Not:
Where’s Emily?
“What did you do?”
Silence.
Then:
“Is Emily okay?”
“You tell me.”
“Michael.”
“She was in a cage.”
Rachel started crying.
Not denying.
Crying.
“You weren’t supposed to be home until tomorrow.”
The sentence came out before she stopped it.
I sat down.
“What?”
“I mean—”
“No. Say that again.”
“I was coming back.”
“From where?”
“Mom’s.”
Rachel’s mother lived ninety minutes away.
“Why was Emily at Uncle Richard’s house?”
“Because Cole was there.”
“Why was Cole watching her?”
Silence.
“Rachel.”
“I needed a break.”
May you like
That became her first explanation.
Not the last.
