Chapter 3: The Woman Who Had Already Planned His Arrest
The sound of the police officer's voice seemed to freeze the entire house.
Robert looked toward the front door.
His mouth went dry.
Upstairs, Vanessa suddenly began crying again.
“Marcus, please don't let them take me away from here!””
Marcus turned toward her.
“Vanessa, nobody is taking you anywhere.””
“They're here because of what your father did!””
Robert closed his eyes.
Even now, she was doing it.
Even with the recording sitting in Marcus's hand.
He walked toward the hallway.
“I'm going to answer the door.””
“Dad, wait,” Marcus said.
Robert stopped.
“What now?””
“Let me talk to them first.””
The old man stared at his son.
“Why?””
Marcus hesitated.
“I don't want this getting worse.””
Robert let out a bitter laugh.
“Son, it became worse the moment your wife decided to destroy my name.””
He opened the front door.
Two officers stood on the porch.
The older one introduced himself as Officer Daniel Harris. His partner, a younger woman named Officer Miller, held a small notebook.
“Mr. Williams?”” Harris asked.
“Yes.””
“We received a report of an alleged assault involving a family member. We need to ask you a few questions.””
“Of course,” Robert replied.
“Come inside.””
Officer Harris stepped into the living room.
“Where is the alleged victim?””
“Upstairs.””
“Is she injured?””
“I don't know. She says I hurt her. I never touched her.””
Officer Miller looked at him carefully.
“Sir, we understand this is a difficult situation. We need everyone to remain calm.””
Robert nodded.
“I have nothing to hide.””
Vanessa appeared at the top of the stairs.
Her blouse was still torn. Her lipstick remained smeared across her cheeks.
She held the railing with one hand and slowly descended.
When she saw the officers, her face crumpled.
“Please,” she whispered.
“Please don't let him come near me.””
Officer Miller immediately approached her.
“Ma'am, are you injured?””
Vanessa nodded.
“My shoulder hurts. He grabbed me.””
Robert turned around.
“That isn't true!””
“Sir,” Officer Harris warned, “please let her speak.””
Vanessa lowered her head.
“He came into my bedroom and started demanding that I sign something. When I refused, he became aggressive.””
Officer Miller glanced toward Robert.
“What did he want you to sign?””
Vanessa hesitated.
“Property documents.””
Robert stared at her.
“She wanted me to sign over my house!””
Vanessa covered her mouth.
“See? He's still threatening me!””
Officer Harris raised a hand.
“Mr. Williams, I need you to step back.””
Robert did as instructed.
Then Marcus came downstairs holding his phone.
“Officer, there's something you need to hear.””
Vanessa's head snapped toward him.
“Marcus, don't!””
He ignored her.
“My wife was recording something earlier. It contains a conversation between her and my father.””
Officer Harris looked at the phone.
“May I hear it?””
Marcus nodded and pressed play.
The recording filled the living room.
Vanessa's voice.
Robert's refusal.
The discussion about the house.
And finally, the chilling sentence.
“Now, let's see how convincing you are when everyone thinks you've done something terrible.””
When the recording ended, Officer Miller looked at Vanessa.
“Ma'am, can you explain that statement?””
Vanessa's eyes filled with tears.
“I was upset.””
“Why did you say that?””
“Because he was intimidating me!””
“Were you asking him to sign property documents?””
“No. I was asking him to help Marcus.””
Robert shook his head.
“That's not what you said.””
Officer Harris looked at Marcus.
“Do you have the original recording?””
“Yes.””
“Has it been edited?””
“No. I haven't touched it.””
Vanessa stepped forward.
“That's not true! He could have changed it!””
Marcus looked at her.
“I haven't changed anything.””
“Then why were you recording me?””
“I wasn't! Your phone was recording!””
Vanessa's mouth opened.
For a moment, she had no answer.
Then she turned toward Evelyn.
“Please, Evelyn. You know how your husband treats me.””
Evelyn looked confused.
“What are you talking about?””
“He has been trying to get rid of me since the day I married Marcus.””
Robert stared at his wife.
“Evelyn, don't listen to this.””
Vanessa wiped her cheek.
“He tells me I'm not good enough for his son. He says I'm after the family money. He has made my life miserable.””
Officer Miller wrote something down.
“Do you have any previous reports of harassment?””
Vanessa shook her head.
“No. I was afraid.””
Robert looked at the officers.
“May I ask something?””
Officer Harris nodded.
“Go ahead.””
“Can you examine the recording properly? Not just listen to it. Check when it was made, whether it was altered, and whether there are other recordings.””
“That's something we can look into.””
Robert nodded.
“Thank you.””
Vanessa suddenly stepped toward him.
“You think you're clever, don't you?””
“Vanessa, stop,” Marcus warned.
But she continued.
“You think one little recording makes you innocent?””
Robert stared at her.
“You made the recording yourself.””
Her eyes narrowed.
“Maybe I did. Maybe I wanted proof of how you speak to me.””
“Then why did you tell me to stand there?””
“Because you were frightening me!””
Officer Harris stepped between them.
“That's enough. Nobody approaches anyone else.””
He turned toward Vanessa.
“Ma'am, we need to speak with you separately.””
Vanessa nodded, then looked at Marcus.
“Baby, don't leave me alone with them.””
Marcus didn't move.
Officer Miller escorted her toward the dining room.
As soon as they were out of earshot, Marcus turned toward his father.
“Dad, why didn't you tell me she wanted the house?””
Robert looked exhausted.
“I tried.””
“When?””
“Three weeks ago. I told you she had been asking about my property documents.””
Marcus frowned.
“I thought you were exaggerating.””
“You thought I was being difficult.””
Marcus lowered his eyes.
Robert walked toward the sofa and sat down.
His knees were trembling.
“Your mother and I bought this house when you were six,” he said quietly.
“We paid for it month by month. Your mother used to put every spare dollar into a jar in the kitchen. Do you remember?””
Marcus nodded slowly.
“She said it would be yours someday,” Robert continued.
“But she never said it had to happen while I was alive.””
Marcus swallowed.
“Dad, I'm sorry.””
Robert looked at him.
“Sorry for what?””
“For not believing you.””
The old man didn't answer.
He wanted to forgive his son.
He wanted to reach across the room and tell him that everything was going to be fine.
But the words wouldn't come.
Then Officer Harris returned.
“Mr. Williams, we'd like you to come with us to the station to provide a formal statement. You're not under arrest at this point.””
Robert nodded.
“Of course.””
Marcus stood.
“I'll come with you.””
“No,” Robert said gently.
“Stay here.””
“Dad—”
“Your wife needs you. Apparently, she's carrying your child.””
Marcus looked uncomfortable.
Robert noticed.
“You haven't confirmed that, have you?””
Marcus shook his head.
“She told me today.””
“Have you seen a medical report?””
“No.””
Robert nodded slowly.
“Then don't make that child part of an argument until you know the truth.””
Officer Harris waited by the door.
Robert put on his jacket.
As he passed Evelyn, she reached for his arm.
“Robert…”
He stopped.
She looked at his cheek, where the red mark from her slap was still visible.
“I shouldn't have hit you.””
Robert looked at her for a long moment.
“No,” he replied.
“You shouldn't have.””
Then he walked outside.
At the police station, Robert answered every question.
He described how Vanessa had approached him about the property documents, how she had pulled him into the bedroom, and how she had deliberately torn her blouse.
He provided the names of two neighbors who had seen him working in the garden shortly before the incident.
He also asked the officers to preserve the original recording.
By the time he left, the sun had disappeared behind the buildings.
Marcus was waiting outside.
“Dad, I'll drive you home.””
Robert shook his head.
“I'll take a taxi.””
“Please don't do this.””
Robert stopped beside the curb.
“Marcus, do you know what the worst part of today was?””
Marcus looked at him.
“Not Vanessa screaming. Not the police coming. Not even your mother slapping me.””
Robert's voice cracked.
“It was watching you look at me and wonder whether I was capable of doing something like that.””
Marcus lowered his head.
“I know.””
“No, son. You don't.””
Robert stepped toward the waiting taxi.
Then his phone vibrated.
A message had arrived from an unknown number.
It contained a photograph.
Robert opened it.
His stomach dropped.
The photograph showed a document bearing his signature.
Underneath it was a short message:
*YOU SHOULD HAVE SIGNED THE REAL ONE. NOW YOUR SON WILL NEVER GET THE HOUSE.*
Robert stared at the screen.
He zoomed in on the document.
The signature looked exactly like his.
But he had never signed it.
A second message appeared.
*ASK EVELYN WHAT SHE DID THREE MONTHS AGO.*
Robert slowly raised his eyes toward the police station entrance.
And for the first time that night, he wondered whether Vanessa had been working alone.
May you like
Because three months ago, his wife had asked him to sign something.
And he had trusted her enough not to read every page.
