Vanessa was behind him, her arms crossed.
“What took so long?” Vanessa asked.
I stepped out first.
Mom remained behind me, wrapped tightly in the towel.
Daniel stared at her.
Then his eyes moved to the coat lying on the bathroom floor.
His face changed.
Only for a second.
But I saw it.
Fear.
“You took her coat off,” he said quietly.
“Yes.”
Daniel swallowed.
“What did she tell you?”
I smiled.
“That she was afraid of you.”
Vanessa immediately stepped forward.
“She’s confused. She has dementia.”
Mom flinched.
I looked directly at Vanessa.
“You said that before.”
Then I held up my phone.
“And now I have her statement recorded.”
Vanessa’s face went pale.
Daniel reached toward me.
I stepped back.
“Don’t touch me.”
For the first time that evening, neither of them spoke.
Then there was a knock at the front door.
Not Vanessa.
Not Daniel.
Three firm knocks.
Daniel turned toward the stairs.
“Who is that?”
I already knew.
The emergency protective order had been issued.
And the judge had contacted law enforcement.
Two officers entered the house with a social worker and an emergency medical team.
Daniel immediately began talking.
“This is a misunderstanding.”
“She’s elderly.”
“She gets confused.”
“My sister is trying to destroy our family.”
