Chapter 3 - “Don’t Open the Door”Sterling didn’t have time to ask what she meant.
The man outside knocked again.
“Ms. Bell, we have authorization.”
Sterling spoke through the camera.
“You have authorization from whom?”
Silence outside.
Then:
“Mr. Hale?”
“Yes.”
“We have temporary family placement documents.”
Sterling’s blood went cold.
“Placement?”
“Sir, I’m not permitted to discuss the case through a doorbell camera.”
“You’re discussing my children.”
Octavia stood frozen.
Sterling turned his attention to her.
“Do not open that door.”
The man outside tried again.
“Ms. Bell?”
Octavia whispered:
“I’m sorry.”
She reached toward the deadbolt.
“Octavia!”
Callum appeared in the hallway.
Bennett was on his hip.
“No!”
Octavia stopped.
Callum stared at her.
“You said tomorrow.”
“I know.”
“You said Dad wouldn’t know.”
Her face twisted.
“Callum…”
He backed away.
“You lied.”
The words hit harder than Sterling expected.
Not because Octavia had lied.
Because Callum sounded betrayed.
Octavia had lived in their home for almost three years.
She had read him bedtime stories when Caroline was in the hospital after Bennett’s birth.
She had attended school conferences.
Bought birthday cakes.
Helped choose Christmas decorations.
Callum had trusted her.
Sterling had trusted her.
That was worse.
Sirens sounded faintly in the distance.
Octavia heard them.
The man outside did too.
He walked away from the door.
Sterling said:
“Callum, go back into the office.”
Callum obeyed.
Octavia stood staring at the entrance.
The police arrived three minutes later.
Two officers entered.
Sterling remained on the security camera until one officer called him directly.
“Mr. Hale?”
“Yes.”
“We have the children.”
“Are they okay?”
“Your older son appears physically fine. We’d like the baby examined.”
“Do it.”
“The caretaker says there’s a custody dispute.”
“There isn’t.”
The officer hesitated.
“She showed us a copy of an emergency guardianship petition.”
Sterling went silent.
“A what?”
“It isn’t a final court order.”
“Then she has no authority.”
“Correct.”
Sterling breathed.
“Who filed it?”
The officer looked down.
“Vivian Mercer.”
Of course.
Sterling walked through the Salt Lake City airport as the officer continued.
“The petition alleges prolonged parental absence, unsafe household supervision, emotional instability following your wife’s death, and neglect of the minor children.”
Sterling almost stopped walking.
“She left my children with the woman who just hit my baby.”
“We’re documenting everything.”
“Where are the transport people?”
“They left before we arrived.”
“Can you identify them?”
“We’re checking the doorbell footage.”
Sterling entered the private terminal.
“Officer…”
“Yes?”
“Do not release my children to anyone.”
“We won’t without a valid order.”
Sterling boarded the aircraft.
Before takeoff, Callum came on the phone.
“Dad?”
“I’m coming home.”
“How long?”
“As fast as I can.”
Callum was quiet.
Sterling knew what he really wanted to ask.
“Nothing is happening to you or Bennett tonight.”
“Promise?”
Sterling closed his eyes.
“Yes.”
It was a dangerous promise.
He made it anyway.
Callum lowered his voice.
“Dad?”
“Yeah?”
“I think Ms. Octavia did something in Mom’s room.”
Sterling sat straighter.
“What?”
“After the police came.”
“What did you see?”
“She went upstairs before they stopped her.”
“To Caroline’s room?”
“Yeah.”
Sterling still called it Caroline’s room.
He had never moved her clothes.
Never touched the books beside her bed.
“What did she do?”
“I don’t know.”
Callum hesitated.
“But she had something in her hand when she came back.”
“What?”
“A blue envelope.”
Sterling’s heart shifted.
Caroline had loved blue stationery.
“What did it say?”
“I only saw the front.”
“And?”
Callum’s voice became smaller.
“It had my name on it.”
Sterling stopped breathing.
“Callum?”
“Yeah?”
“Did you know about that envelope?”
Long silence.
Then:
“Mom told me about it before she died.”
Sterling stared through the aircraft window.
“What did she tell you?”
Callum whispered:
“She said if Grandma Vivian ever tried to take us away…”
May you like
Sterling’s fingers tightened around the phone.
“…I had to give it to you.”
Related Stories
