Greg arrived at the advocacy center shortly after noon.<\/p>\n
Dana had warned me before he came upstairs. \u201cHe has been interviewed. At this point there is no indication he caused the injuries, but we are still assessing what he knew or should have known.\u201d<\/p>\n
I nodded.<\/p>\n
Kaylee heard only one thing.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy dad\u2019s here?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
She stood so quickly the stuffed llama dropped.<\/p>\n
For the first time since Friday evening, excitement overcame fear.<\/p>\n
\u201cCan I see him?\u201d<\/p>\n
Dana hesitated.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, but I need to be there.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kaylee was already moving toward the door.<\/p>\n
Greg entered the family room two minutes later.<\/p>\n
He looked ten years older than he had in my driveway.<\/p>\n
His work shirt was untucked. He had apparently left home without shaving. The moment he saw Kaylee, his face collapsed.<\/p>\n
\u201cBaby.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kaylee ran to him.<\/p>\n
He dropped to his knees.<\/p>\n
She threw both arms around his neck.<\/p>\n
For several seconds, nobody spoke.<\/p>\n
Then Greg saw the bandages.<\/p>\n
His entire body went rigid.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat happened to your feet?\u201d<\/p>\n
Kaylee froze inside his embrace.<\/p>\n
He felt it.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
She pulled away.<\/p>\n
\u201cI fell.\u201d<\/p>\n
Greg looked at Dana.<\/p>\n
Dana said, \u201cDon\u2019t question her.\u201d<\/p>\n
His face changed.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m her father.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat happened?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are still gathering information.\u201d<\/p>\n
Greg stood.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere\u2019s Tasha?\u201d<\/p>\n
Dana\u2019s answer was careful.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt home.\u201d<\/p>\n
His eyes narrowed.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cInvestigators are there.\u201d<\/p>\n
The room became silent.<\/p>\n
Greg turned toward Kaylee.<\/p>\n
She looked terrified again.<\/p>\n
He saw it.<\/p>\n
Something in him broke.<\/p>\n
\u201cKaylee.\u201d<\/p>\n
She stared at the floor.<\/p>\n
\u201cBaby, look at me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dana interrupted. \u201cGreg, don\u2019t ask her to explain anything right now.\u201d<\/p>\n
His jaw tightened.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe\u2019s hurt.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd somebody thinks my wife did this.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dana didn\u2019t answer.<\/p>\n
Greg dragged both hands over his face.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was home yesterday.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kaylee flinched.<\/p>\n
He noticed.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was there.\u201d<\/p>\n
His voice cracked.<\/p>\n
Dana said quietly, \u201cBeing physically present does not mean you had all the information.\u201d<\/p>\n
He looked at her.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat does that mean?\u201d<\/p>\n
Dana motioned toward the chairs.<\/p>\n
Greg sat.<\/p>\n
Kaylee chose the seat beside me rather than beside him.<\/p>\n
That seemed to hurt him more than anything else.<\/p>\n
Dana kept her voice neutral.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow often do you travel?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTen days out, four home. Sometimes twelve out if a project runs late.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow long have you had that schedule?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThree years.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWho handles Kaylee\u2019s daily care when you\u2019re away?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTasha.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMedical care?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTasha usually. I handle appointments when I\u2019m home.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSchool communication?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTasha.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMeals?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTasha.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDiscipline?\u201d<\/p>\n
Greg frowned.<\/p>\n
\u201cBoth of us.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dana asked, \u201cWhat does discipline mean in your home?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLoss of tablet. Earlier bedtime. Extra chores.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cStanding punishments?\u201d<\/p>\n
He stared at her.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIs Kaylee required to stand as punishment?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
The answer was immediate.<\/p>\n
\u201cOn rice?\u201d<\/p>\n
Greg\u2019s face emptied.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did you say?\u201d<\/p>\n
Dana did not repeat herself.<\/p>\n
He looked toward Kaylee.<\/p>\n
She pressed against me.<\/p>\n
Greg\u2019s eyes filled with horror.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dana remained calm.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou didn\u2019t know?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHas Tasha ever described using physical discipline?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHas Kaylee ever tried to tell you she was afraid of her?\u201d<\/p>\n
Greg opened his mouth.<\/p>\n
Nothing came out.<\/p>\n
That silence mattered.<\/p>\n
Dana asked again.<\/p>\n
\u201cHas she?\u201d<\/p>\n
He stared at the floor.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe complains.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kaylee\u2019s shoulders tightened.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat kinds of complaints?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat Tasha is strict. That she doesn\u2019t like chores. That she wants me home.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnything about being hurt?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnything about being hungry?\u201d<\/p>\n
Greg hesitated.<\/p>\n
\u201cOnce.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kaylee closed her eyes.<\/p>\n
Dana leaned forward.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat happened?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe called me while I was at a site. Said Tasha wouldn\u2019t give her dinner.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did Tasha say?\u201d<\/p>\n
Greg swallowed.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat Kaylee refused what she cooked and wanted junk food.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did you do?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI told Kaylee she had to eat what was served.\u201d<\/p>\n
The shame on his face was immediate.<\/p>\n
Dana asked, \u201cDid you speak to her again that night?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy not?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTasha texted that she ate.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kaylee whispered, \u201cI didn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n
Greg looked at her.<\/p>\n
She still would not meet his eyes.<\/p>\n
His face crumpled.<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kaylee said nothing.<\/p>\n
\u201cI swear to you, I didn\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dana raised a hand.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is not the time to ask her to reassure you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Greg stopped.<\/p>\n
The sentence landed hard.<\/p>\n
He nodded slowly.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re right.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dana continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cDid Tasha ever tell you Kaylee exaggerates?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow often?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAll the time.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid she describe Kaylee as manipulative?\u201d<\/p>\n
Greg stared at Dana.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAttention-seeking?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDishonest about physical discomfort?\u201d<\/p>\n
He looked sick.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dana placed the note from the backpack on the table.<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you know your wife sent this with Kaylee?\u201d<\/p>\n
Greg read it.<\/p>\n
Then again.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIs the handwriting hers?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
His hands began shaking.<\/p>\n
He put the note down.<\/p>\n
\u201cI need to talk to her.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo,\u201d Dana said.<\/p>\n
Greg looked up sharply.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou should not contact Tasha while investigators are at the house.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe\u2019s my wife.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd this is an active child-welfare investigation.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat are they looking for?\u201d<\/p>\n
Dana glanced at Kaylee.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ll discuss that privately.\u201d<\/p>\n
Greg understood.<\/p>\n
He stood.<\/p>\n
\u201cCan Kaylee come home with me?\u201d<\/p>\n
The child stopped breathing.<\/p>\n
Dana saw it.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo did Greg.\u201d<\/p>\n
He sat down again.<\/p>\n
The silence that followed was brutal.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo,\u201d Dana said.<\/p>\n
Greg\u2019s eyes reddened.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause you think I hurt her?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause we have not yet completed a safety assessment.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI would never\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not making that accusation.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen she belongs with me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dana\u2019s voice remained even.<\/p>\n
\u201cHer safety comes first.\u201d<\/p>\n
Greg looked at his daughter.<\/p>\n
This time he did not ask her anything.<\/p>\n
He simply whispered, \u201cOkay.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kaylee finally looked at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re not mad?\u201d<\/p>\n
Greg stared at her.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt you?\u201d<\/p>\n
She nodded.<\/p>\n
His face broke.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFor telling?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTasha said you would be.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dana\u2019s attention sharpened.<\/p>\n
Greg went completely still.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did she say?\u201d<\/p>\n
Kaylee immediately withdrew.<\/p>\n
Dana stepped in.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo questions.\u201d<\/p>\n
Greg nodded through clenched teeth.<\/p>\n
A phone vibrated.<\/p>\n
Dana checked hers.<\/p>\n
She read the message, then stood.<\/p>\n
\u201cI need to speak with the investigator.\u201d<\/p>\n
Greg rose too.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did they find?\u201d<\/p>\n
Dana looked toward Kaylee.<\/p>\n
\u201cNot here.\u201d<\/p>\n
They stepped into the hallway.<\/p>\n
I remained with Kaylee.<\/p>\n
She was watching the door.<\/p>\n
\u201cMrs. Harper?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDad didn\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n
I chose my words carefully.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe says he didn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe didn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou believe that.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
She looked down at the stuffed llama.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe was gone.\u201d<\/p>\n
I thought of every ordinary family conversation I had ever had with Greg.<\/p>\n
Work.<\/p>\n
Traffic.<\/p>\n
School fundraisers.<\/p>\n
Weather.<\/p>\n
All while his daughter had been living a second life inside his own house.<\/p>\n
Ten minutes passed.<\/p>\n
Then fifteen.<\/p>\n
When Dana returned, Greg was not with her.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere\u2019s Dad?\u201d Kaylee asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s speaking with another worker.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIs he leaving?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dana pulled a chair closer.<\/p>\n
\u201cKaylee, the investigators found some things in your house.\u201d<\/p>\n
The child\u2019s face changed instantly.<\/p>\n
Dana continued gently.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey found a plastic container in the laundry room.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kaylee began to shake.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou don\u2019t have to tell me what it was used for.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tears spilled down her face.<\/p>\n
Dana reached for tissues but didn\u2019t touch her.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey also found a small camera.\u201d<\/p>\n
My skin prickled.<\/p>\n
Greg appeared in the doorway behind Dana.<\/p>\n
He had clearly heard.<\/p>\n
\u201cA camera?\u201d<\/p>\n
Dana turned.<\/p>\n
\u201cGreg.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere?\u201d<\/p>\n
She did not answer in front of Kaylee.<\/p>\n
But Kaylee did.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn the laundry room.\u201d<\/p>\n
Greg stared at his daughter.<\/p>\n
She was crying openly now.<\/p>\n
\u201cTasha said it proved whether I cheated.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCheated at what?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n
Kaylee wiped her face.<\/p>\n
\u201cStanding.\u201d<\/p>\n
Greg turned away.<\/p>\n
He pressed both hands against the wall.<\/p>\n
And for the first time, I understood why Kaylee had been afraid that Tasha would \u201cclean\u201d before anyone arrived.<\/p>\n
There had been evidence.<\/p>\n
Not only of punishment.<\/p>\n
Of surveillance.<\/p>\n
Greg arrived at the advocacy center shortly after noon. Dana had warned me before he came upstairs. \u201cHe has been interviewed. At this point there is no indication he caused … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":21369,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-21385","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-insightdrama"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21385","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=21385"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21385\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":21472,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21385\/revisions\/21472"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/21369"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=21385"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=21385"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=21385"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}