Chapter 12 - The Mother Daniel Couldn’t Defend Anymore
Margaret agreed to meet only after Daniel told her he would give CPS the purchase confirmation whether she cooperated or not.
They met at Megan’s office.
Margaret refused to look at Rachel.
“I did not feed that child magnets.”
Rachel believed her.
That was never what she suspected.
“Then tell us what happened.”
Margaret folded her hands.
Nothing.
Daniel placed the order confirmation on the table.
“You said you never owned these.”
“I forgot.”
“Thirty-six of them?”
Margaret’s eyes snapped toward him.
There.
The number again.
Rachel leaned forward.
“How many were missing?”
Margaret stood.
“I am not sitting here being interrogated by her.”
Daniel blocked neither the doorway nor his mother.
He simply said, “Mom.”
Margaret stopped.
Something in his voice changed her.
Not anger.
Withdrawal.
For the first time, Daniel was refusing to rescue her.
Margaret slowly sat again.
Lily had been playing beside Margaret’s home-office desk while Margaret answered a call.
When Margaret looked back, the magnetic sculpture had been pulled apart.
Silver balls were scattered across the carpet.
Lily had several in her hands.
Margaret took them away.
She said she never saw Lily put one in her mouth.
Later, after Lily complained that her stomach hurt, Margaret counted what remained.
Thirty-six.
Exactly half the set was missing.
Rachel felt cold.
“What did you do?”
Margaret stared at the table.
“I looked everywhere.”
“Then?”
“I thought she might have dropped them.”
“You knew thirty-six were gone.”
“I didn’t know she swallowed them.”
“But you knew it was possible.”
Margaret’s mouth tightened.
She had called Daniel at 7:13 because Rachel had texted the family group saying Lily was nauseated.
Margaret told Daniel nothing about the missing magnets.
She only asked where Lily had been playing after she came home.
Then she suggested the craft room.
Rachel finally understood the rearranged drawer.
“You went into my craft room when you dropped her off.”
Margaret did not answer.
Daniel looked at his mother.
“Did you put something in there?”
“No.”
Too fast.
Rachel watched her.
“What happened to the other thirty-six magnets?”
May you like
Margaret’s eyes shifted toward the window.
That was the only answer anyone needed to know the lie was not finished.
