Chapter 5 - The Nursery Door
Madison waited until Ethan returned from the hospital before telling him about the injector pen. She wanted to see his face without giving him time to construct one.He came in carrying a paper bag of soup and a gift box wrapped in silver.“Patricia sent this for Rowan,” he said.“Patricia came here.”“I know.”“She threatened me.”“She expressed concern.”“She said blood was stronger than paperwork.”Ethan set the soup on the counter. “You hear threats everywhere.”“I watched the bedroom recording.”He went still.“I saw you unplug the monitor,” Madison said. “I saw the injector.”“You accessed private footage.”“You drugged me.”“No.”“Then tell me what was in it.”“There was no injector.”“I have a copy.”“The video can be edited.”“By whom?”“By you.”Madison laughed once, without humor. “You’re going to say I edited it?”“I’m saying you’re not well.”“You keep using that phrase like it makes the facts disappear.”Ethan moved toward the stairs.“Where are you going?”“To check the nursery.”“Why?”“Because you said you saw something.”“You’re not touching that room.”He turned. “It’s my daughter’s room.”“You don’t get to call her yours only when it helps you.”The anger in his face was immediate and frightening. Madison stepped backward, one hand against the counter.“Call Reyes,” he said. “Tell her I attacked you. Tell her I’m dangerous. That’s what you want, isn’t it?”“I want you to stop lying.”“You want a story where I tried to kill my child.”“Didn’t you?”He slapped the gift box off the counter. It struck the floor and opened, spilling a silver rattle across the tile.For a moment neither of them moved.Then Ethan whispered, “You need help.”He went upstairs and locked the nursery door.Madison called Reyes.“I have a recording,” she said.“Bring it in.”“My husband is inside the house.”“Leave.”“I can’t. He has the baby’s belongings, my passport, and access to the medical accounts.”“Can you get to a neighbor?”“Not without him seeing.”“Then go to the bathroom, lock the door, and wait while I send officers.”Madison looked at the ceiling camera.“He’ll know.”“Let him know we’re coming.”The officers arrived twelve minutes later. Ethan opened the door before they knocked, wearing an expression of injured patience.“Officer,” he said, “my wife is experiencing a psychiatric episode.”“Mr. Mercer, we need to speak with both of you.”Madison handed Reyes the flash drive.Reyes watched the recording on a department tablet. Her face did not change, but her attention sharpened when the injector appeared.“What was in the case?” Reyes asked.“I don’t know.”“Mr. Mercer?”“A glucose pen,” he said.“Why did you unplug the fetal monitor?”“It was malfunctioning.”“You told us the battery died.”His eyes flicked toward Madison.“I may have been mistaken.”Reyes turned to the other officer. “Secure the bedroom computer and the home hub.”Ethan stepped in front of her. “You need a warrant.”“Not if we have probable cause and consent from a resident.”“She’s not in a stable state.”“I am standing right here,” Madison said.Reyes looked at Madison. “Do you consent?”“Yes.”Ethan’s voice rose. “You have no idea what you’re doing.”“I know exactly what I’m doing,” Madison said.The officer opened the nursery door. The room looked untouched, perfect, and staged. The crib sheet was smooth. The mobile turned slowly above it.Madison entered and noticed a faint line in the paint beside the closet.“There,” she said.The officer ran a flashlight along the wall. A panel had been removed and replaced. Behind it was a shallow cavity containing a small recording device.Ethan’s face lost all color.Reyes lifted the device with gloved fingers. “What is this?”“A sensor,” Ethan said.“It’s a microphone,” Madison replied.“For the baby monitor.”“The baby monitor is wireless.”The officer examined it. “There’s a memory card.”Ethan looked at Madison as if she had betrayed him by finding it.“You put that there,” he said.“I didn’t know it existed.”“You’ve been planning this.”“Planning what?”“To destroy me.”Reyes placed the device in an evidence bag. “Mr. Mercer, you’ll need to come downtown for an interview.”“I’m not leaving my home.”“Then we can discuss that in front of a judge.”The officers took the hub and the bedroom computer. Before leaving, Reyes pulled Madison aside.“You need somewhere safe tonight.”“He can’t stay here?”“Not if you file for an emergency protective order.”Madison looked at Ethan. He stood in the hall beneath the camera, still and silent.“I’ll file,” she said.As Reyes walked out, the house speaker chimed.“Security event recorded,” it announced.Everyone froze.The speaker continued.“Unauthorized voice detected in nursery.”Madison looked at the locked nursery door.The unauthorized voice was hers.
