Chapter 3 - Three HolesMia was taken to the hospital as a precaution.
Daniel rode with her.
Grace followed in her car.
Evelyn insisted on coming too.
Cooper remained at the mansion.
At the emergency department, doctors examined Mia and found no serious respiratory injury.
“She’s lucky,” the physician told Daniel.
Lucky.
The word made Daniel sick.
Mia sat in the hospital bed eating crackers while Daniel held her small hand.
“Daddy?”
“Yes?”
“Cooper came swimming.”
Daniel swallowed.
“I know.”
“He helped me.”
“I know, baby.”
Mia leaned against him.
“Grandma said I could swim.”
Daniel’s eyes shifted toward the doorway.
Evelyn stood outside speaking quietly with a nurse.
“What exactly did Grandma say?”
Mia thought about it.
“She put my yellow thing on.”
“The vest?”
Mia nodded.
“And then?”
“She said, ‘Go have fun.’”
Daniel closed his eyes.
He remembered Cooper standing on his mattress.
The blanket sliding away.
The barking.
His own hand waving the dog away.
A nurse entered.
“Mr. Brooks?”
“Yes?”
“There are two police officers who would like to speak with you.”
The words changed the room.
Daniel stepped into the corridor.
Officer Ramirez and Detective Hannah Cole introduced themselves.
Because a young child had nearly drowned under unclear circumstances, the hospital had made a mandatory report.
Daniel explained everything he knew.
“Yes, I was asleep.”
“Who put Mia in the pool?”
“My mother-in-law.”
Evelyn’s expression stiffened.
“I did not put her in the pool,” she corrected. “Mia walked in herself.”
Detective Cole wrote something down.
“Who put the vest on her?”
“I did.”
“And you examined it first?”
“Of course.”
“Did you notice damage?”
“No.”
Grace cleared her throat.
“I saw three holes after we got Mia out.”
Evelyn turned toward her.
“The dog could have damaged it.”
Grace stared at her.
“Cooper was nowhere near that vest until after Mia was already in the water.”
“How would you know?” Evelyn asked.
“Because he was in the pool saving her.”
Daniel looked at Grace.
“What?”
Grace explained how she had found them.
Evelyn folded her arms.
“Golden Retrievers have claws. Teeth. He could have—”
“No,” Grace interrupted. “He didn’t.”
Detective Cole raised a hand.
“We’ll collect the vest.”
Evelyn looked uncomfortable.
Daniel noticed.
“Why?”
Everyone looked at him.
“Why would you care if they examine it?”
“I don’t.”
“You look like you do.”
Evelyn’s expression softened.
“Daniel, you’re upset.”
“My daughter almost drowned.”
“Our granddaughter.”
Daniel looked at her.
“No. My daughter.”
Silence.
The distinction landed hard.
That evening, Mia was discharged.
Daniel carried her from the hospital.
Before they reached the parking lot, Detective Cole approached him.
“Mr. Brooks.”
Daniel stopped.
“We took a preliminary look at the vest.”
“And?”
“I’m not a materials expert. We’ll send it to one.”
Daniel waited.
Cole lowered her voice.
“But I can tell you one thing.”
“What?”
“Those three openings don’t look like normal wear.”
Daniel stared at her.
“They’re too clean.”
A terrible possibility entered his mind.
He wanted to reject it.
Then he remembered Cooper growling at Evelyn.
Not after the rescue.
May you like
Before anyone had accused her of anything.
And Daniel suddenly wondered what Cooper had seen while he was asleep.
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