Chapter 3 - The Folder Marked Family Court
The police kept Claire in the living room while Daniel watched the recovered footage downstairs.
Marcus entered Sophie's bedroom at 8:47 that morning.
He photographed the room from four angles.
Then he opened Sophie's desk and placed something inside the bottom drawer.
Daniel paused the video.
"Go upstairs," he told the officer.
They found a small bottle in the drawer.
Unlabeled.
Claire shouted from the hallway, "I've never seen that before!"
Daniel did not answer.
The officer bagged it.
Under the bottle was a folded report.
BEHAVIORAL SAFETY ASSESSMENT.
Patient: Sophie Sutton.
It described aggression, night wandering, food refusal, violent outbursts, and repeated statements that Daniel frightened her.
Recommendation: immediate residential stabilization at Brightwood Family Center.
Signature: Dr. Malcolm Rusk.
"Who is this?" Daniel asked.
Claire stepped forward.
"He's a child therapist."
"Sophie has never seen him."
"I spoke to him about her behavior."
"You had a therapist write a report on my daughter without meeting her?"
"I was worried."
"You were trying to make her say she's afraid of me on camera."
"You don't understand what it's like here when you're gone."
"Brightwood is the bad school."
Daniel knelt.
"Who told you that?"
"Claire."
Claire snapped, "I did not call it bad."
Sophie continued.
"She said if I told you about the food, you would send me there."
"Did she show you pictures?"
"A room with no toys."
Daniel went through the FAMILY COURT folder.
Inside was a draft emergency petition.
It claimed Daniel worked excessive hours, became verbally unstable after Sophie's mother died, and refused professional recommendations.
It requested temporary decision-making authority for Claire.
He had never seen the document before.
Claire looked at it and whispered, "Marcus did that."
"Five minutes ago you said you barely talk to him."
The doorbell rang.
A woman from Child Protective Services stood outside with two police officers.
"Mr. Sutton? We received an emergency report about your daughter."
Daniel stared at Claire.
"The caller said you were intoxicated, threatening, and refusing to let Sophie leave the house."
Claire lowered her eyes.
May you like
The report had been filed before he came home.
Tonight had been planned.
