Chapter 4 - THE FIRST DOOR MICHAEL CLOSED
Attorney Rebecca Sloan met Michael at the hospital the following morning.
Her first advice was painfully ordinary.
Document everything.
Do not threaten anyone.
Do not destroy messages.
Do not allow Evelyn or Daniel access to Lily without hospital approval.
Do not sign anything.
Michael followed every instruction.
He removed Evelyn as an emergency contact from Lily’s school account. He notified the pediatrician that no family member could obtain records without written parental authorization. He changed the locks at home through a locksmith while police completed their initial report.
Then he discovered the first concrete sign that Anna had not imagined being trapped.
The smart-lock history showed the front door opening Monday at 6:12 p.m.
Evelyn’s old code had been used.
It showed the door opening again Tuesday morning.
Then Wednesday afternoon.
But there was no record of Anna’s code opening the door from inside because the deadbolt had been manually engaged.
Michael remembered installing that interior latch after Lily learned to open doors.
It could only be released from inside.
Unless someone physically stopped Anna from reaching it.
A grocery-delivery service provided another piece.
Anna placed an order Tuesday morning.
Someone canceled it fourteen minutes later from her account.
A second order Wednesday was canceled too.
The recovery email belonged to Daniel.
Michael felt something inside him harden.
He forwarded the records to Rebecca and the detective assigned to the incident.
Then he returned to Anna’s room.
“I believe you,” he said.
Anna stared at him.
“That shouldn’t feel new.”
Michael had no defense.
His first protective decision had restored some control.
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It had also exposed something worse.
He had spent years asking Anna to tolerate her family because confrontation made him uncomfortable.
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