Chapter 2 - The Silent Audience
The heavy oak front door swung open slowly.
Two men in dark suits stepped into the hallway.
Neither of them wore a police uniform.
"Step away from the children, Mr. Miller," the taller man said.
Mark moved instinctively, shielding Lily and Emma behind him.
"Who the hell are you?" Mark demanded.
"How did you get into my house?" he added.
The tall man pulled out a leather badge holder.
He flashed it briefly before tucking it into his jacket.
"Child Protective Services," the man said smoothly.
"We received an anonymous tip twenty minutes ago," the second man added.
Mark stared at them in utter disbelief.
"An anonymous tip?" Mark repeated.
"My wife was about to hit my daughter with a baseball bat!" Mark yelled.
He pointed a trembling finger at Sarah.
Sarah began to cry instantly.
It was a sudden, dramatic burst of tears.
"He's lying!" Sarah sobbed, collapsing onto the sofa.
"He did this to her!" Sarah wailed, pointing at Lily's bruised arm.
Mark’s breath caught in his throat.
"What?!" Mark gasped.
"She's out of her mind!" Mark yelled at the men.
"Look at the camera on the shelf!" Mark insisted.
He reached into his pocket to show them the black device.
His pocket was empty.
Mark panicked.
He searched his jacket quickly.
The small camera was gone.
He looked up at Sarah.
She was dabbing her eyes with a tissue, watching him coldly.
She had slipped it out of his hand when she pushed past him.
"Mr. Miller, please calm down," the lead agent said sternly.
"Sir, look at my daughter's arm!" Mark pleaded.
He knelt down and pulled back Lily's sleeve again.
"Lily, tell them," Mark begged softly.
"Tell the officers what Mommy was doing," Mark urged.
Lily looked up at her father.
Her big eyes were flooded with tears.
She looked past Mark toward Sarah.
Sarah gave a subtle, single nod.
Lily flinched.
The young girl lowered her head.
"Daddy did it," Lily whispered softly.
The room went completely silent.
Mark felt as if the air had been sucked out of his lungs.
"Lily... no..." Mark breathed.
"Why are you saying that?" Mark asked, his voice cracking.
"Daddy got angry last night," Lily mumbled into her knees.
"He told us not to tell," Emma added from the corner.
Mark stared at his two daughters in absolute terror.
Their voices were flat.
Their answers sounded rehearsed.
"They're terrified of her!" Mark screamed at the agents.
"She coached them! She's threatening them!" he shouted.
The taller agent stepped forward and pulled out a pair of handcuffs.
"Mark Miller, you need to turn around and place your hands behind your back," the agent said.
"No! You're making a mistake!" Mark fought back.
"Check the house! Check her phone!" Mark pleaded.
The second agent grabbed Mark's right arm.
Mark tried to pull away.
"Don't resist, sir!" the agent barked.
"Daddy, stop!" Emma cried out.
Mark looked at his children as he was forced to the ground.
The hard floor pressed against his cheek.
The metal cuffs clicked coldly around his wrists.
From his angle on the floor, Mark could see under the sofa.
Lying deep in the shadow beneath the couch was something small.
It was a child's notebook.
On the open page, written in crayon, were five words:
MOMMY SAID IF I TALK.
The rest of the sentence was scribbled out in dark red.
Mark tried to point at it.
"Look under the couch!" Mark shouted as they dragged him up.
The agent ignored him completely.
Sarah stepped forward and placed her hands over her daughters' ears.
May you like
She looked directly into Mark's eyes as he was led away.
"You should have stayed at work, darling," Sarah whispered.
