Chapter 2 - The House on Maple Street
By 1:30 a.m., Sophie had been safely transferred to a pediatric room on the third floor, resting comfortably under the care of a night nurse Laura deeply trusted.
Laura stood in the hospital parking garage, her breath pluming in the freezing Denver air. She unlocked her SUV, slid behind the wheel, and checked her phone. There were three missed calls from Daniel. The latest text message flashed across her screen:
“Laura, where the hell are you? Sophie took a bad spill, she’s fine, stop making a scene at the hospital and come home. Serena is worried.”
Laura stared at the words, a bitter, humourless smile touching the corners of her mouth. Serena is worried. They still thought they held all the cards. They still thought she was the quiet, accommodating wife who would absorb a blow to keep the peace.
She shifted the car into drive and pulled out of the garage.
When she turned onto Maple Street twenty minutes later, the blue-and-red strobe lights of two parked police cruisers were painting the neighborhood houses in flashing swathes of color. A small crowd of curious neighbors had gathered near the sidewalk, whispering behind winter coats.
Laura parked her vehicle right behind the lead cruiser.
As she stepped out onto the frosty pavement, Officer Miller walked down the front steps of her house, flanked by another patrolman. Behind them, the heavy front door swung open.
Daniel was being led out in handcuffs.
His expensive wool coat was unbuttoned, his tie slightly askew, his hair disheveled. The arrogant, untouchable posture he usually carried into corporate boardrooms had completely evaporated, replaced by a frantic, whining desperation as he caught sight of Laura.
"Laura! Thank God!" Daniel yelled, straining against the officer's grip. "Tell these cops they're making a massive mistake! It was an accident! Sophie tripped over her own toys in the dark! Serena and I were just—we were talking—"
"Shut your mouth, Mr. Mercer," the second officer warned, shoving Daniel forward toward the squad car.
Serena was brought out moments later, wrapped in a blanket, her face stained with mascara tears, trembling violently as she saw Laura standing by the bumper of her SUV.
"Laura... please," Serena sobbed, her voice cracking as she stumbled down the porch steps. "I didn't mean for her to fall... Daniel pushed her, I swear I tried to stop him—"
"Save it, Serena," Laura cut her off. Her voice wasn't loud, but it cut through the night air with the force of a falling blade. "You had a choice when you walked into my bedroom. You had a choice when my daughter cried out in pain on those stairs. You made your bed. Now lie in it."
Serena flinched as if she had been physically struck, sagging into the arms of the female officer escorting her toward the second cruiser.
Officer Miller walked up to Laura, flipping his notebook shut. "We secured the premises, Captain. There are empty whiskey bottles in the living room, and the forensic team is processing the stairwell for trace evidence and fingerprints. We also recovered your husband's phone; based on the text logs, there's a mountain of corroborating evidence regarding the affair and the cover-up attempt. Both suspects are being booked at the Denver Detention Center."
"Thank you, Detective," Laura said, her hands steady as she gripped her jacket lapels. "Can I go inside?"
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"Technically, it's an active crime scene," Miller cautioned. "However, since you're the sole homeowner—the deed is registered entirely in your name, by the way—we can clear the main floor for you once the techs finish the primary sweep in about thirty minutes."
Laura nodded. "I'll wait in my car."
