Chapter 5: The Phone Number That Never Disappeared
Monica couldn't stop staring at Curtis's phone.
The screen had gone dark.
But she'd seen the name.
DARIUS.
"Who is he?"" she whispered.
Curtis slipped the phone into his pocket.
"Nobody.""
"Then why is his name in your phone?""
Curtis looked toward Officer Daniels.
"She saw something and misunderstood it.""
Monica stepped forward.
"Don't lie to me.""
Officer Daniels moved slightly between them.
"Monica, stay where you are.""
Curtis shook his head.
"Unbelievable. After everything I've done for this family, this is how you treat me?""
Monica stared at him.
"Everything you've done?""
Her voice was shaking now, but she didn't lower it.
"You made me believe my son's father abandoned him. You watched me cry over a man you were apparently still talking to.""
Curtis rolled his eyes.
"You're making assumptions.""
"Then show me the messages.""
He didn't move.
"Show me, Curtis.""
"That's my private phone.""
"Then why did you look so scared when I saw his name?""
Curtis stepped toward the kitchen.
Officer Daniels immediately stopped him.
"Sir, stay here.""
He turned angrily.
"Am I under arrest?""
"You're being asked to remain here while we establish what's happening.""
"This is my house!""
"And we've already discussed that.""
Curtis looked at Monica.
His voice suddenly became softer.
"Baby, think about what you're doing.""
Monica felt something cold move through her chest.
There it was again.
The familiar voice.
The careful tone.
The suggestion that she was the one destroying everything.
"Don't call me baby.""
His expression changed.
That afternoon, Officer Daniels arranged for another officer to speak with Curtis while Monica and Renee went to collect documents from a locked filing cabinet.
The cabinet stood in Monica's bedroom.
It contained old tax returns, Malik's school records, medical paperwork, and the photographs she'd kept from his childhood.
Renee pulled out a folder.
"Is this the one?""
Monica nodded.
She began sorting through the papers.
Then she found the brown envelope.
Her fingers trembled.
The email was printed on two sheets of paper.
The message was short.
Monica, I've made a decision. I don't want contact with Malik anymore. I've moved on with my life. Please don't try to find me.
It was signed with Darius's first name.
But something about it bothered her.
She read it again.
Then she noticed the date.
The email had supposedly been sent on September fourteenth.
The exact day Darius had last called her.
Renee leaned over her shoulder.
"What's wrong?""
Monica pointed to the bottom of the page.
"Look.""
There was no email address.
No original sender information.
Just the printed message.
"Who printed this?"" Renee asked.
"I don't know.""
"Did you ever see it on a computer?""
Monica shook her head.
"Curtis gave it to me.""
Renee's mouth fell open.
"He gave it to you?""
"He said someone forwarded it to him.""
Renee stared at the page.
"Monica, why would Darius send that to Curtis?""
Monica felt sick.
She had never asked herself that question.
At the time, she had been too devastated to think clearly.
She sat on the edge of the bed.
"I believed him.""
Renee placed a hand on her shoulder.
"You believed your husband.""
Monica looked up.
"And he used that.""
At 3:42 p.m., Malik arrived with Renee's daughter, who had picked him up from school.
He walked into the bedroom and stopped when he saw the papers.
"Mom?""
Monica stood.
"Hey, sweetheart.""
He noticed the envelope.
"Is that about Dad?""
She nodded.
Malik picked up the printed email.
He read it slowly.
Then he looked at her.
"You believed he wrote this?""
"Yes.""
"Why?""
"Because Curtis told me he received it.""
Malik shook his head.
"That's not proof.""
"I know.""
"Mom, that's not even an email address.""
Monica closed her eyes.
"I know, baby.""
Malik placed the paper on the bed.
"Can I ask you something?""
"Anything.""
"Did you ever try to call Dad after that?""
"Many times.""
"Did Curtis ever stop you?""
Monica hesitated.
Malik's face changed.
"Mom?""
"Sometimes he'd tell me there was no point. Sometimes he'd say I was embarrassing myself.""
Malik looked down.
Then he spoke in a voice so quiet that Monica almost missed it.
"I used to think my dad didn't want me.""
She reached for him.
He stepped into her arms.
"I know," she whispered.
"I'm so sorry.""
He held her tightly.
"I don't hate you.""
Monica began crying.
"But I wish you had told me.""
"I know.""
"I could have handled it.""
She pressed her cheek against his hair.
"You shouldn't have had to handle any of this.""
For a moment, they were simply a mother and her son.
No Curtis.
No police officers.
No weapon.
Just two people trying to understand how much of their lives had been built around a lie.
At 5:10 p.m., Officer Daniels called Monica downstairs.
She was holding a small notepad.
"We've spoken with Mr. Curtis," she said.
"What did he say?""
"He claims he had limited contact with Darius after the separation. He says they exchanged messages about Malik.""
Monica's stomach tightened.
"What kind of messages?""
"He hasn't provided them.""
Malik stood beside his mother.
"Can you make him show you?""
Officer Daniels looked at him.
"We're following the appropriate procedures. I can't promise you an immediate answer.""
Malik clenched his jaw.
"He's lying.""
Officer Daniels didn't argue.
Instead, she handed Monica a card.
"I'd like you to contact our victim advocate. They'll help you with safety planning, temporary housing options, and the next steps.""
Monica nodded.
Then Officer Daniels added something.
"We also need to talk about the firearm your son found.""
Malik lowered his eyes.
Monica took his hand.
"I understand.""
Officer Daniels spoke gently.
"Malik, I know you were trying to protect your mother. But having access to a gun can turn a frightening situation into a fatal one very quickly.""
Malik nodded.
"I understand.""
"Going forward, don't touch any firearms you find. Move away and get help from a safe adult or emergency services.""
"Okay.""
Officer Daniels glanced at Monica.
"And we need to establish who owns the weapon and how it ended up where you found it.""
Monica looked toward the garage.
"I think Curtis knows.""
That evening, Renee took Monica and Malik to her house.
Monica slept in the guest room.
Malik slept on the couch.
Around midnight, she heard him moving around downstairs.
She found him sitting in the dark, looking at an old photograph.
It showed him at four years old, sitting on Darius's shoulders at a summer festival.
His father's arms were wrapped around his legs.
Both were laughing.
Monica sat beside him.
"I remember that day," she whispered.
Malik touched the photograph.
"He looks happy.""
"He was.""
"Did he ever stop loving me?""
Monica's eyes filled.
"No, baby.""
"How do you know?""
She looked at the picture.
"Because I remember the way he looked at you.""
Malik nodded.
Then he pulled out his phone.
"I searched his name.""
Monica turned.
"What?""
"I found an old social media profile. It hasn't been active in years.""
He showed her.
The profile picture was blurry, but Monica recognized the face immediately.
Darius.
There were several old photographs.
One showed him standing outside an auto repair shop.
Another showed him with a woman Monica didn't recognize.
Then Malik scrolled farther.
He stopped.
"Mom.""
"What?""
"Look at the date.""
The photograph had been uploaded six years earlier.
Darius was standing beside a teenage girl.
The caption read:
My daughter. My whole world. I'll never stop fighting for my children.
Monica stared at the screen.
"Your father has another daughter?""
Malik nodded.
Then he clicked the profile's contact information.
There was a phone number.
The same number appeared in an old message Malik had received from an unknown account.
He looked at his mother.
"Mom, I think I can find him.""
Before Monica could respond, her phone vibrated.
A message from Renee appeared.
*Renee:* Monica, don't panic. I just received a call from someone asking about Malik.
A second message followed.
*Renee:* He said his name was Darius.
Monica stood so quickly that the photograph slipped from Malik's fingers.
May you like
Then Renee sent one final message.
*Renee:* He says Curtis contacted him yesterday. And he says he has something important to tell you.
