“I bought something for the baby,” Michael said, slicing the packaging tape with his pocket knife.
He reached into the box and pulled out a large, heavy electronic device made of matte gray plastic. It had a thick antenna and a dark, glossy lens near the top of the main unit.
“It is a state-of-the-art monitor,” Michael said, turning the device over to show her the control panel. “It uses a secure, high-frequency signal so there is no outside interference. The receiver stays on my side of the bed.”
Emma looked at the heavy unit, which looked far more clinical than the simple plastic monitors she had seen in baby catalogs. “Does it need to be so complex?”
“It is for peace of mind,” Michael said. He plugged the main transmitter into the wall outlet near the television, and a bright blue LED light illuminated the dark corner of the room. “I want to make sure I can hear every breath you and the baby take during the night.”
He looked up at her, his eyes dark and steady. “Go upstairs to the nursery, Emma. Say something soft so I can test the range.”
Emma stood up slowly, her physical exhaustion pulling at her limbs. She walked up the stairs, the wooden steps creaking under her weight, and entered the empty nursery. She stood near the wooden crib, the faint smell of fresh paint still lingering in the air.
“Michael?” she whispered toward the empty room.
A sharp static hiss answered her from the hallway, followed immediately by Michael’s flat voice as he stepped into the doorway holding the receiver.
“Perfect,” he said, adjusting his watch strap as he looked at her. “I can hear everything.”
Emma nodded numbly, the blue light from the device downstairs casting long, thin shadows up the staircase.
She waited until eleven o’clock, lying perfectly still beneath the heavy blankets until Michael’s breathing became slow and deep. She slipped out of the bed, her bare feet pressing into the cold hardwood floor as she gathered her purse and her keys.
She packed a single canvas duffel bag in the dark, sliding three changes of clothes, her prenatal vitamins, and her medical files inside. Her hands did not shake as she zipped the bag closed.
She walked out of the house into the cool night air, the gravel of the driveway crunching softly under her sneakers. She did not look back at the dark windows of the master bedroom as she backed her Buick out onto the street and drove toward her sister’s townhouse.
When she reached Claire’s townhouse at half past eleven, the porch light was already burning. Claire opened the door before Emma could reach the top step, her hair tucked behind her left ear.
“Get inside,” Claire whispered, pulling Emma into the warm hallway.
They sat at the dark wood dining table, a single lamp illuminating Claire’s open laptop. Claire had several county record databases open on the screen, her fingers hovering over the keyboard.
“I started searching Dr. Cooper’s name after you called me from the clinic,” Claire said, turning the laptop so Emma could see the glowing columns of text. “He was involved in a major court case five years ago. It was a domestic dispute, and his testimony was sealed.”
Emma leaned closer, her eyes scanning the legal index. “Why would his testimony be sealed?”
“Because it involved a patient’s safety,” Claire said, her voice dropping as she looked at Emma. “Dr. Cooper helped a patient escape five years ago. The records do not list her name, but the husband was a prominent city official.”
“Who did Dr. Cooper help five years ago?” Emma asked, staring at the screen.
“We do not know yet,” Claire said. “The details are completely locked down, but the doctor spent three days on the stand testifying about what the husband had done to their house.”
Emma followed Claire into the kitchen, her knees feeling weak as she leaned against the counter. The linoleum was cold beneath her socks.
“He saw the same things in Michael,” Claire said, pouring two glasses of water. “That is why he gave you that note. He recognized the pattern.”
Emma looked down at her hands, the silver wedding band feeling heavy on her finger. “Michael bought a new monitor tonight. He said he wanted to hear every breath.”
She looked at her sister, the pressure in her chest tightening until she could barely speak.
“I cannot go back there tonight, Claire,” Emma said.
