She sat beside the bed and spoke gently.
“I’m going to ask Sophie some questions alone.”
Sophie tightened her arms around her stuffed rabbit.
“I want my mom.”
“I’ll be right outside,” I promised.
I hated myself for saying it. Everyone Sophie trusted had already been pushed behind a different door.
Eric was waiting when I stepped into the hallway.
“You let that man live with our daughter.”
“Daniel has never harmed her.”
“You don’t know that.”
“I do.”
Eric laughed without humor.
“Did you know he goes into her bedroom at night?”
My stomach dropped.
“How did you know that?”
“Sophie told me last weekend.”
He saw my expression and moved closer.
“You didn’t know, did you?”
I did know.
Three weeks earlier, I had awakened at four in the morning and found Daniel sitting on the floor outside Sophie’s open door. She had another headache and was afraid to sleep. He had brought her water, placed a cold washcloth over her forehead, and stayed where she could see him.
