Chapter 3 - THE LOCKED DOOR
Ethan had lived in that house for six years.
He had never locked the basement door.
Not once.
He set Lily carefully on the kitchen counter.
“Stay right here.”
She grabbed his sleeve.
“No, Daddy.”
“I'm not leaving you.”
“Don't open it.”
Vivian stepped between him and the door.
“There is nothing downstairs.”
Ethan looked at her.
“Move.”
“You're scaring Lily.”
“Move.”
“Ethan, listen to yourself.”
“Move.”
Vivian folded her arms.
“No.”
Ethan's phone was still connected to 911.
A dispatcher spoke through the speaker.
“Sir? Are you safe?”
Ethan raised his voice.
“My daughter is safe with me. The woman in my house is blocking access to a locked basement. Police need to get here now.”
Vivian's face twisted.
“You are unbelievable.”
The dispatcher said, “Officers are en route. Do not physically confront her if you can avoid it.”
Ethan nodded even though she couldn't see him.
“Fine.”
He looked at Vivian.
“I'm not touching you. But you're going to move.”
“And if I don't?”
“Then you're going to explain to the police why you're protecting whatever is behind that door.”
For the first time, Vivian lost control of her expression.
Pure rage flashed across her face.
“You weak little coward.”
Ethan stared at her.
There she was.
The real woman.
No tears.
No sweetness.
No careful voice.
Vivian leaned toward him.
“You think you're some hero now?”
“I'm Lily's father.”
“You barely know your own daughter.”
That hit.
Vivian saw it hit.
She smiled.
“You leave at seven. You come home at six. Who feeds her? Who takes her to preschool? Who knows which cup she wants and what shirt she'll scream about?”
“Stop.”
“Who handles the tantrums?”
“Stop.”
“Who cleaned up the mess after Claire died?”
Ethan's jaw tightened.
Vivian lowered her voice.
“I did.”
Lily whispered, “Daddy.”
He looked at her.
Her eyes weren't on Vivian.
They were on the basement door.
Something had moved behind it.
A faint thump.
Ethan's blood went cold.
“What was that?”
Vivian's face changed.
Another thump.
Then a tiny electronic melody began playing somewhere downstairs.
A child's song.
Slow and distorted.
Lily covered her ears.
“No, no, no.”
Ethan rushed to her.
“What is it?”
“She turns that on.”
“When?”
“When I'm bad.”
Vivian scoffed.
“For God's sake, it's a toy.”
Ethan stared at the locked door.
Police sirens sounded faintly outside.
Vivian heard them.
She suddenly shoved past Ethan.
He grabbed Lily before Vivian could get close.
Vivian ran toward the back door.
“She's leaving!” Ethan shouted into the phone.
The dispatcher answered immediately.
“Do not chase her. Officers are arriving.”
Vivian yanked the back door open.
Red and blue light flashed across the kitchen walls.
She froze.
An officer shouted from outside.
“Ma'am! Stay where you are!”
Vivian lifted both hands.
Within seconds, two officers entered.
One stayed with Vivian.
The other approached Ethan.
“Sir, are you Ethan Walker?”
“Yes.”
“And this is your daughter?”
“Yes.”
The officer looked at Lily.
She was still covering her ears.
He lowered his voice.
“We need everyone separated.”
Ethan nodded.
“There's security footage.”
“Okay.”
“And that basement door is locked from this side.”
The officer looked toward it.
“What's downstairs?”
Ethan answered honestly.
“I don't know anymore.”
The officer pulled on gloves.
Vivian suddenly shouted from the patio.
“Don't open that door!”
Everyone stopped.
The officer looked at her.
Vivian realized what she'd said.
Too late.
He unlocked the deadbolt.
Opened the basement door.
And the smell that came upstairs made Ethan's stomach turn.
Not blood.
Not anything he could name at first.
Then he understood.
Bleach.
Heavy, fresh bleach.
Someone had been cleaning.
Recently.
The officer turned on the stairwell light.
Halfway down the stairs sat Lily's favorite stuffed rabbit.
The one Vivian told Ethan had been lost three months ago.
Its left ear had been cut off.
Lily saw it.
Her scream filled the house.
May you like
And Vivian stopped pretending.
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