Part 4
The counselor quietly stepped out of the room, shutting the heavy wooden door behind her to give us privacy.
I pulled a chair up right in front of Maya, sitting close enough so our knees touched.
"He called me, Maya," I said softly, keeping my voice steady. "He left messages. He said the police went to the house."
Maya stiffened, her hand instantly flying to her mouth. "Oh god. He knows. Dad, he’s going to lose his mind. You don't understand what he does when he loses control. We have to go back. I have to fix this."
The conditioning was deep.
Even now, sitting in a safe school office, her first instinct was to protect the monster from his own consequences.
"Look at me," I commanded gently, reaching out to take her trembling hands. "You are not fixing anything. You are not going back there."
"Dad, you don't know what he's like!" she cried out, tears spilling over her pale cheeks. "He tells me I'm crazy. He tells me I imagine things. He says if I ever try to leave, he will use his money and his lawyers to make sure I never see Tanner or Lily again. He'll tell the judge I'm unstable."
I reached into my pocket.
May you like
My fingers wrapped around the cold, hard plastic of Tanner's digital recorder.
"He can lie to a judge, Maya," I said, setting the tiny device on the desk between us. "But he can't lie to this."
