Chapter 7
Rachel’s mother tried to come to the house.
Patricia stood at the gate yelling into the intercom.
“You cannot keep my daughter’s home from her!”
I answered from inside.
“This is not her home anymore.”
“She was disciplining a disturbed child.”
Sophie heard that word and hid behind the couch.
Something in me went cold.
I opened the door, but stayed behind the locked gate.
“Say one more thing about my daughter and I’ll send this recording to the prosecutor.”
Patricia’s mouth snapped shut.
That was when I knew she had more to hide.
Nora subpoenaed Patricia’s phone records.
The messages were worse than we expected.
Patricia owed money.
Rachel owed money.
They had discussed Sophie’s trust like it was buried treasure.
Patricia wrote:
Once you control the trust, Daniel will have to obey.
Rachel replied:
First I need him to believe Sophie is the problem.
The words burned.
Sophie had been turned into a strategy.
A five-year-old.
A grieving little girl.
My little girl.
Rachel’s bail hearing was reopened.
The judge watched the videos and read the messages.
Rachel cried in court.
“She misunderstood discipline.”
The judge looked at her.
“Children do not misunderstand locked closets.”
Bail was revoked.
Rachel screamed my name as deputies took her away.
May you like
Sophie was not there.
I would never let Rachel perform for her again.
