Chapter 7: The Door That Should Have Been Locked
Nobody moved.
Daniel’s phone screen continued glowing in his hand.
Marcus.
The name sat there like a warning.
A video call request.
The principal immediately stepped closer.
“Don’t answer it.””
Daniel looked at her.
“Why?””
“Because we don’t know what he wants.””
I stared at the phone.
A part of me wanted answers.
A part of me wanted to hear the voice of the person who had terrified my daughter.
But another part of me remembered Lily’s face when she whispered that she was scared.
And that part won.
“Don’t answer,” I said.
Daniel looked at me.
For once, he didn’t argue.
The call stopped.
For three seconds, nothing happened.
Then Daniel’s phone rang again.
This time, it wasn’t a video call.
It was a normal call.
He looked at me.
I nodded.
“Put it on speaker.””
Daniel answered.
“Marcus?””
A quiet laugh came through the phone.
“You finally decided to listen.””
My hands curled into fists.
“Where is my daughter?””
The voice paused.
Then:
“She’s not my problem anymore.””
My stomach tightened.
“Then why are you calling?””
“Because Daniel needs to understand something.””
Daniel’s face hardened.
“What?””
“You ruined my life.””
The room became silent.
“You made me lose everything.””
Daniel shook his head.
“You stole from the company.””
Marcus laughed.
“You always make yourself the hero.””
“I told the truth.””
“No.””
Marcus’s voice became colder.
“You protected yourself.””
I looked at Daniel.
The accusation clearly hurt him.
But before he could respond, Marcus continued.
“You think Emily knows everything about you?””
My heart skipped.
“What does that mean?””
Nobody answered.
Daniel looked nervous.
“Marcus, don’t.””
That one sentence made me turn toward him.
“Don’t what?””
Marcus laughed again.
“Oh, she doesn’t know.””
I felt a cold wave move through my body.
“Know what?””
Daniel immediately stepped forward.
“Marcus.””
But the call ended.
Just like that.
No explanation.
No answer.
Only fear.
I turned to Daniel.
“What is he talking about?””
He looked away.
“Daniel.””
“I was going to tell you.””
“When?””
He didn’t answer.
That was becoming his favorite response.
Silence.
Avoidance.
Secrets.
I shook my head.
“Not again.””
“It’s not what you think.””
“I don’t even know what to think anymore.””
The principal interrupted.
“We need to focus on safety first.””
She was right.
I hated that she was right.
Whatever Daniel had hidden could wait.
Lily couldn’t.
The police arrived twenty minutes later.
They took statements.
They checked the community center.
They reviewed the school records.
But the worst moment came when an officer asked Daniel a simple question.
“Do you have cameras at your apartment?””
Daniel froze.
“Yes.””
“Do they record?””
“Yes.””
“Then we need access immediately.””
The officer looked at him.
“When was the last time you checked them?””
Daniel went quiet.
I already knew the answer.
He hadn’t.
We followed the officers to Daniel’s apartment.
The entire drive there, Lily sat beside me in the back seat.
She held my hand.
The whole time.
When we arrived, the building looked normal.
That almost made it worse.
The lights were on.
Neighbors walked by.
Someone laughed in the hallway.
A completely ordinary evening.
Except we were walking toward a place where someone might have been waiting.
The officer unlocked the door.
“Stay behind us.””
We entered slowly.
The apartment was dark.
Nothing looked wrong.
No broken locks.
No signs of damage.
Then Lily whispered:
“He was here.””
Everyone stopped.
I looked down.
“Who?””
She pointed toward the living room.
“Marcus.””
Daniel looked confused.
“When?””
Lily hugged herself.
“Before.””
My heart raced.
“Before today?””
She nodded.
“He came when Daddy was gone.””
Daniel went pale.
“What?””
The officer turned.
“Mr. Carter, did Marcus have access to your apartment?””
Daniel shook his head.
“No.””
Then he stopped.
Slowly.
His expression changed.
“What?””
The officer noticed.
“What did you remember?””
Daniel walked toward the kitchen.
“He had a key.””
I stared at him.
“You gave him a key?””
“No.””
“Then how?””
Daniel looked terrified.
“Because the spare key was missing.””
Nobody spoke.
The officer immediately checked the apartment.
A few minutes later, he returned.
His face was serious.
“We found something.””
My heart dropped.
“What?””
He held up a small object inside an evidence bag.
A key.
Daniel’s face turned white.
“That’s mine.””
The officer nodded.
“It was hidden behind a cabinet.””
I looked at Daniel.
“So he had access this entire time.””
Daniel looked broken.
“I didn’t know.””
Again.
Those words.
But this time, they weren’t annoying.
They were heartbreaking.
Because Daniel finally understood.
His carelessness hadn’t just affected him.
It had put Lily in danger.
Then another officer entered from the hallway.
“Sir.””
The first officer turned.
“What?””
“We found a camera.””
My blood ran cold.
“Where?””
May you like
The officer looked toward Lily’s room.
“Inside her bedroom.””
