Chapter 10 - My Father’s Confession
I drove to my parents’ house alone.
My father was waiting on the porch.
He already knew.
Police had spoken to him.
I did not sit.
“Why?”
Thomas looked at his hands.
“Monica told me Eli was unsafe.”
“You believed her?”
“She showed me pictures.”
“Pictures of bruises from soccer and playgrounds.”
“I didn’t know that.”
“You could have asked me.”
“She said you’d deny it.”
I laughed bitterly.
“So you reported me anonymously.”
“I thought CPS would check.”
“They did.”
“And if they found nothing—”
“You thought no harm would be done?”
He looked ashamed.
“Yes.”
I stared at him.
“My son asked whether strangers were taking him away.”
Thomas closed his eyes.
“I’m sorry.”
“No.”
“You’re sorry because you were caught.”
His face crumpled.
“That’s not fair.”
“Neither was using the government to investigate your daughter because you were too afraid to ask her a question.”
He looked older suddenly.
“What can I do?”
“Tell the truth.”
“I already did.”
“All of it.”
He hesitated.
I saw it.
“There’s more.”
Thomas sat down.
“Monica came to me in February.”
“She said you were losing control.”
“She showed me messages from Sarah.”
“What messages?”
“Sarah said you were making mistakes at work.”
“Leaving Eli with neighbors.”
“Drinking.”
I stared at him.
“I barely drink.”
“I know.”
“Now.”
His voice broke.
“I know now.”
“What did Monica ask you to do?”
“At first, nothing.”
“Then?”
“She asked me to document anything unusual.”
My father had become another evidence collector.
He photographed my car arriving late to Sunday dinner.
He noted when Eli wore mismatched socks.
He saved texts when I canceled family events because of work.
Ordinary life.
Converted into accusation.
Then he whispered.
“I gave Sarah something.”
My stomach tightened.
“What?”
“A key.”
“The spare to your house.”
There it was.
The office photograph.
Sarah had entered my home with my father’s key.
“When?”
“March.”
I closed my eyes.
“You gave someone a key to my house without telling me.”
“She said she needed to check on Eli if you were called away.”
I turned toward the driveway.
I could not look at him.
Thomas continued.
“She returned it.”
“No.”
“She returned a key.”
“The office spare was missing afterward.”
He understood.
“Oh God.”
“Yes.”
That night, investigators confirmed Sarah had copied two keys.
One for my front door.
One for my office.
Then Marcus Shaw called.
Peter Lang had made another move.
He had filed a complaint with the Navy Inspector General.
The allegation claimed I had used my official position to intimidate a CPS investigator.
If sustained, it could damage my clearance and end my promotion.
May you like
The family attack had become a military one.
Exactly as Peter intended.
