Chapter 2 - Uncle Derek
I couldn't see what was happening.
That was the worst part.
I could only hear it.
The phone was still connected.
I had one hand on the steering wheel and the other pressed against my ear.
“Derek!”
No answer.
“Derek, talk to me!”
A loud noise came through the speaker.
Then another.
Something hit the floor.
Noah cried out.
I nearly drove onto the shoulder.
“911!” I shouted into the phone. “They're inside the house!”
The dispatcher told me officers were already approaching.
I kept driving.
My mind filled in images I didn't want to imagine.
Then Derek finally spoke.
“I'm here.”
I exhaled so hard my chest hurt.
“Are you okay?”
“I'm fine.”
“Where's Noah?”
“Behind me.”
His voice was controlled.
“Where's Travis?”
A pause.
“Across the room.”
“What happened?”
“He had the bat.”
My fingers tightened around the wheel.
“Did he hurt Noah?”
“I don't know yet.”
Then I heard Noah.
“Daddy?”
I nearly broke down.
“I'm here, buddy.”
Derek lowered the phone.
“Noah, your dad's on the phone.”
“Daddy?”
“Yes.”
“He came.”
“Who?”
“Uncle Derek.”
“I know.”
There was a small sniffle.
“Are you okay?”
“My arm hurts.”
The words hit me harder than anything else.
“I know, buddy.”
I couldn't tell him I was terrified.
I couldn't let him hear my voice breaking.
“Daddy's coming.”
Derek said something quietly.
Then I heard him tell Travis, “Put the bat down.”
Travis didn't answer.
“Put it down.”
A few seconds passed.
Then metal scraped against hardwood.
The bat hit the floor.
Derek exhaled.
“Good.”
Police sirens grew louder.
Derek kept Noah behind him.
Then Travis spoke.
“You don't understand what happened.”
Derek answered, “I don't need to understand anything right now.”
“He attacked me.”
A four-year-old had supposedly attacked a grown man?
I almost laughed.
Not because it was funny.
Because the lie was so obvious.
Then Travis said something that changed everything.
“I was trying to discipline him.”
Derek went silent.
I felt cold.
“Derek?”
He didn't respond.
“Derek, what did he say?”
Derek finally answered.
“He said he was disciplining Noah.”
The dispatcher heard it too.
Officers were nearly there.
I pulled into my neighborhood.
I abandoned the car near the curb and ran.
I could hear sirens behind me.
Then I saw the house.
Two police cars stopped at the end of the street.
I sprinted toward the front door.
An officer grabbed my arm.
“Are you the father?”
“Yes.”
“Stay behind me.”
“My son is inside.”
“We're getting him.”
The officer entered.
I followed.
The living room looked almost exactly like the picture from earlier.
The beige sofa.
The dark blue pillow.
The toy cars on the rug.
The baseball bat on the floor.
Everything looked ordinary.
Except for Noah.
He was standing behind Derek.
His little face was red from crying.
The moment he saw me, he ran.
“Daddy!”
I dropped to my knees.
He crashed into my arms.
I held him carefully.
“I'm here.”
He buried his face against my chest.
“I was scared.”
“I know.”
“Mom wasn't here.”
“I know.”
“Travis got mad.”
“I know.”
The officer approached.
“Sir, we need to ask your son some questions.”
I nodded.
But Noah wouldn't let go of me.
Then Derek crouched beside us.
“It's okay, buddy.”
Noah looked at him.
“You came.”
Derek smiled.
“I said I would.”
One officer walked toward Travis.
Travis stood near the kitchen.
He looked different now.
Less threatening.
More nervous.
He kept looking at the front door.
I noticed.
“What is he looking at?”
Derek turned.
Travis immediately looked away.
Then Noah whispered something.
“Daddy.”
“What?”
He pointed toward the hallway.
“That's where Mom went.”
I looked at the hallway.
“What do you mean?”
Noah swallowed.
“Mom was here.”
My heart stopped.
“Today?”
He nodded.
“But she left.”
“When?”
“Before Travis got mad.”
“Where did she go?”
Noah looked down.
“She said she had to take something to the blue house.”
I stared at him.
“What blue house?”
He pointed again.
“Mom said not to tell.”
I looked at Derek.
He was already thinking.
Then Travis suddenly spoke.
“That's not what happened.”
The officer turned toward him.
“What did happen?”
Travis opened his mouth.
Then closed it.
His eyes shifted toward the hallway again.
The officer noticed.
“So,” the officer said slowly, “what's in that hallway?”
Travis didn't answer.
Derek stood.
May you like
The officer moved forward.
And from behind the closed bedroom door came three slow knocks...
