Chapter 6 - His Statement
Emily looked at her husband as if he were a stranger wearing Daniel's face.
"You saw me attack her?"
Daniel would not meet her eyes. "Things got out of control."
"She slapped me."
"I didn't see that part."
"You were sitting three feet away."
The officer raised a hand. "Everybody stop talking at once."
"Emily has been unstable for months," she said. "She resents this family. Tonight she became violent."
Emily almost laughed.
Henry stepped beside her. "That's a lie."
"Sir, did you witness the original incident?"
"No. I came in after."
The officer looked disappointed.
Daniel said, "I just want everyone safe."
Emily stared at him.
Four years of marriage, and he had chosen his mother in under thirty seconds.
Then a younger officer pointed toward the ceiling.
"Is that a camera?"
Everyone looked up.
Gloria stopped crying.
Henry's eyebrows lifted.
"Security system was upgraded last spring. Audio too."
Daniel moved quickly. "The interior cameras aren't recording."
Henry looked at him. "How would you know?"
"Because I manage the app."
Emily saw the panic now.
The older officer asked, "Can you access the footage?"
Daniel pulled out his phone. "It hasn't worked in weeks."
Henry said, "Use mine."
He unlocked his phone and handed it over.
The recording loaded.
There was Gloria raising her hand.
There was Emily falling.
There was Daniel watching.
And there was Gloria saying, A wife should know when to stop arguing with her husband's mother.
The room went dead quiet.
The officer looked at Gloria. "Ma'am, turn around."
Daniel stepped forward. "Wait. We don't need to do this."
It never included her.
As the officer cuffed Gloria, she looked straight at Emily.
"You think you've won because of a house?"
Emily said nothing.
Gloria smiled through her tears.
"Ask your husband what he did with the lake file."
Daniel's face drained white.
Emily turned toward him.
"What lake file?"
He whispered, "Mom, shut up."
Gloria laughed as the officers led her away.
"Too late, Danny."
Emily's stomach twisted.
May you like
Because Daniel wasn't angry at his mother for lying.
He was terrified she had told the truth.
