Chapter 7 - The InterviewNora's forensic interview took place in a children's advocacy center designed to look nothing like a police station.
There were painted clouds on the walls.
Stuffed animals sat on low shelves.
Daniel watched through one-way glass with Detective Harris and an assistant district attorney named Caroline Shaw.
Nora sat across from a trained child interviewer named Megan.
No one told her Vanessa had done anything.
No one asked, “Did Vanessa push you?”
Megan began with simple questions.
“What color are your shoes?”
“Pink.”
“Do you have a dog?”
“Milo.”
“What does Milo look like?”
“Yellow.”
Daniel almost smiled.
Then Megan asked about the pool.
Nora's fingers stopped moving.
“What happened when you went outside?”
“Vanessa took me.”
“Then what happened?”
Nora looked down.
“She pushed.”
“Tell me about that.”
Nora's voice became quieter.
“I fall in.”
“What happened after you fell in?”
“She looked.”
“Who looked?”
“Vanessa.”
“What did Vanessa say?”
Nora hesitated.
Daniel's heart hammered.
Then she whispered:
“Rest in peace.”
Caroline Shaw stopped writing.
Harris's expression hardened.
Megan remained neutral.
“What happened next?”
“She smile.”
“And then?”
“She took ladder.”
“How do you know?”
“I saw.”
“What did she do with it?”
“Pick it up. Go bye-bye.”
“Where were you?”
“In water.”
“Did you try to get out?”
Nora nodded.
“Too high.”
Daniel closed his eyes.
Behind the glass, no one spoke.
Megan continued carefully.
“How did Milo get into the water?”
“He jump.”
“Did Vanessa come back?”
“No.”
“What happened when Daddy came?”
“He got me.”
“Then what did you tell Daddy?”
Nora looked toward the stuffed animals.
“I said Vanessa pushed me.”
The interview ended twenty minutes later.
Daniel waited in a private room until Nora ran to him.
He picked her up.
“You did great.”
“Go home?”
“Yes.”
“Milo home?”
“Yes.”
She rested her head on his shoulder.
Outside the building, Caroline Shaw stopped Daniel.
“We have enough to seek charges.”
Daniel stared at her.
“Attempted murder?”
“Possibly. Child endangerment certainly. Evidence tampering. Fraud may become separate.”
“Possibly?”
“Intent is the fight.”
“She said ‘Rest in peace.’”
“That helps.”
“She removed the ladder.”
“That helps more.”
Daniel looked at Harris.
“What happens now?”
“We're applying for an arrest warrant.”
Daniel held Nora tighter.
Caroline added, “But you need to prepare yourself.”
“For what?”
“Vanessa's defense will say Nora misunderstood. They'll say Vanessa removed the ladder for maintenance. They'll say the camera outage was coincidental.”
“She lied about being near the pool.”
“They'll call it panic.”
Daniel's anger rose.
“And the money?”
“Different case, unless we can tie motive directly.”
Daniel thought of Marcus.
“I can.”
He handed Harris the recording.
Harris stared at him.
“What is this?”
“Marcus Reed explaining why Vanessa wanted to understand Nora's trust.”
Harris's jaw tightened.
“I told you not to confront him.”
“I know.”
“You could have destroyed an investigation.”
“I know.”
Caroline took the phone.
“Is everyone in the recording in a one-party consent state?”
Harris nodded.
They were in Virginia.
Daniel had participated in the conversation.
The recording was potentially lawful.
Caroline listened to the key section.
So the little girl is the lock.
Her expression changed.
“This matters.”
Daniel looked at her.
“Then arrest her.”
Harris's phone rang.
He answered.
Listened.
Then looked toward Daniel.
“What?”
Harris ended the call.
“Vanessa checked out of her hotel forty minutes ago.”
Daniel's stomach dropped.
“Where is she?”
“We don't know.”
Caroline immediately began dialing.
Harris headed toward his car.
Daniel looked down at Nora.
She was holding his collar.
“Daddy?”
“Yes?”
“Vanessa coming?”
He forced his voice to stay steady.
May you like
“No.”
But for the first time since the pool, Daniel wasn't sure.
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