Chapter 6 - The Face Behind the Shadow
The air in the room felt suddenly void of oxygen. Maya stared at the paper, the letters burning into her retinas.
“Marlene...” Maya whispered, her voice trembling violently. “It wasn't a teacher. It was Marlene.”
Clara Higgins looked up at Maya, her expression hardening with professional focus. “Mrs. Vance, who is Marlene?”
“My ex-husband’s fiancé,” Maya said, her hands shaking so violently she had to grip the edge of the bed to stay upright. “Julian moved in with her three months ago. She... she’s been pushing to take Chloe on weekends! She’s been trying to play mother!”
Just then, the door to the room opened, and Julian walked in, carrying a fresh bag of toiletries he had retrieved from his car. He stopped when he saw the intense, frozen expressions on everyone’s faces.
“What’s going on?” Julian asked, looking between Maya, Clara, and Chloe. “Did something happen?”
Maya turned on him with the fury of a hurricane. In three strides, she closed the distance between them, slamming her hands against his chest with enough force to knock him back against the doorframe.
“Where is she, Julian? Where is Marlene?” Maya screamed, tears of pure rage spilling down her face.
Julian gasped, trying to hold Maya’s wrists. “What are you talking about?! Marlene is at work! What is wrong with you?!”
“Chloe wasn't writing 'Mrs. Gable'!” Maya shouted, pointing a trembling finger at the paper on the bed. “She was writing MARLENE’S NAME! Marlene did this to our daughter!”
Julian’s face went dead white. “That’s... that’s impossible. Marlene was at her corporate office all day yesterday! She had meetings from 9 AM to 5 PM!”
“Then why did Chloe just spell her name?!” Maya demanded, her voice cracking. “Why would a seven-year-old child write her name down unless she saw her face right before she was choked?!”
Clara Higgins stepped between Maya and Julian, raising her hands to keep the peace. “Mr. Vance, we need you to call Miss Ross immediately and ask her to present herself at the precinct for questioning.”
Julian stumbled backward, shaking his head in denial. “No... no, there’s been a mistake. Marlene loves Chloe! She bought her that sweater Chloe is wearing right now!”
May you like
Maya stopped dead in her tracks.
Slowly, terrifyingly, Maya turned her head to look at the blue sequin sweater folded neatly on the chair in the corner of the room—the sweater Marlene had gifted Chloe three days ago for her birthday.
