Chapter 14 - The Truth from the Child
Inside the bedroom, Diana sat on a small plastic chair while Emma curled up on the edge of her bed.
The room was clean and filled with books, though the bare walls still showed the absence of the decorations Evelyn had discarded.
"That's a very nice bear you have there, Emma," Diana said gently, trying to break the ice and build trust.
"His name is Barnaby," Emma whispered, squeezing the plush toy tighter. "Mommy gave him to me."
"He looks very loved," Diana smiled. "Emma, do you know why I'm here today?"
Emma nodded, her eyes serious. "Evelyn told lies about my daddy because she's mad at him."
Diana leaned forward slightly, her pen poised over her notepad, but her voice remained soft. "What kind of lies?"
"She told you that Daddy doesn't look after me, but he does. He works very hard to buy me pretty things."
"And what happened to your birthday dress, Emma? The report says your father got angry and ruined it."
Emma gasped, her eyes widening with a sudden, fierce defensiveness that caught Diana by surprise.
"No! That's not true! Daddy didn't do it! I spilled juice on it because I was clumsy."
"And Evelyn said I didn't deserve pretty things, and she threw away my birthday banner in the trash."
"Daddy found them in the garbage and he cried because he was sad for me. He never hurts me."
Diana listened intently, noting the genuine emotion and the consistent details in the young girl's story.
Children can be coached to lie, but Emma's raw defense of her father was too authentic to be manufactured.
"How do you feel when you're with your dad, Emma?" Diana asked, watching her body language closely.
"I feel safe," Emma said immediately, her voice strong for the first time. "When Evelyn was here, I was scared all the time."
"She told me Daddy would leave me if I was bad, but Daddy said he will never leave me, no matter what."
Diana closed her notepad with a soft click, a look of profound clarity appearing on her face.
"Thank you for telling me the truth, Emma. You are a very brave girl, you know that?"
"Can you tell the police to make Evelyn stay away?" Emma asked, her eyes full of pleading hope.
"We are going to do everything we can to make sure you and your dad are safe," Diana promised, standing up.
She walked out of the room to find Mark waiting in the hallway, his face tight with an agony of suspense.
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Diana gave him a small, reassuring smile that made the heavy knot in his chest instantly dissolve.
"Your daughter is wonderful, Mr. Miller. The report will be filed as unfounded, and I will be making a note about the retaliatory nature of the claim."
