Chapter 6 - SOPHIE’S INTERVIEWThe forensic interviewer’s name was Dana Wells.
She met Sophie three days after the haircut.
I watched from another room with Detective Lopez.
Dana did not start with scissors.
She asked about Sophie’s favorite dinosaur.
“Parasaurolophus.”
Dana looked impressed.
“Why?”
“It had a thing.”
“What thing?”
Sophie touched the top of her head.
“A long thing.”
Scientific enough.
Eventually Dana asked:
“Tell me about your hair.”
Sophie’s face closed.
“Claudia cut it.”
“What happened before that?”
“I said no.”
“To what?”
“Pictures.”
“What pictures?”
“The party pictures.”
There had been a charity dinner planned for that weekend.
Family photographs before it.
Claudia had ordered dresses.
Sophie hated hers.
“It scratched.”
Dana asked:
“What did Claudia want you to do?”
“Wear the blue dress and let her curl my hair.”
“What did you say?”
“No.”
“What happened?”
“She said I was embarrassing Daddy.”
My stomach turned.
Dana asked:
“Did Daddy say that?”
“No.”
Good.
Then:
“What happened outside?”
Sophie rubbed her palms.
“I ran.”
“Why?”
“She had scissors.”
“Where did the scissors come from?”
“The kitchen.”
“Did she tell you what she was going to do?”
Sophie nodded.
“What?”
“If I act like a baby, I get baby hair.”
I closed my eyes.
Dana continued gently.
“Did she cut your hair before Daddy came?”
“Yes.”
“Did you want her to?”
“No.”
“Did you tell her?”
“A lot.”
There.
No elaborate secret.
A child refused clothing and styling.
An adult decided refusal required humiliation.
But that was only the afternoon.
May you like
The interview continued.
And I learned it had not started there.
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