Chapter 5 - The Silent Witness
The day of the child advocate interview was tense. Dr. Elena Gomez, a seasoned professional with a calm demeanor, met with Alexander and the children at a neutral family clinic. Caroline’s attorneys had tried to demand Caroline be present, but Marcus had successfully blocked it for the preliminary assessment.
Alexander sat in the waiting room, his hands trembling as he stared at the closed door. Inside, Emma and Oliver were being questioned.
An hour felt like a decade. When the door finally opened, Oliver ran out first, burying his face in Alexander’s coat. Dr. Gomez followed, her expression deeply serious, holding a digital voice recorder.
"Mr. Hale," Dr. Gomez said, inviting him into her private office while a staff member watched the kids. "I've done this for twenty years. Children often hide the truth out of fear of retaliation. But your daughter did something incredibly brave."
Dr. Gomez played a segment of the audio. Emma’s voice was shaky but clear: 'Mom told us that Dad didn't really love us, that he only loved his company. She said if we complained, she would make Oliver disappear in the woods behind the house. I kept a diary under my mattress. I wrote down every day she hid the food.'
Alexander gasped. A diary. He didn't even know Emma kept one.
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"Caroline’s movers cleared out the house yesterday, Dr. Gomez," Alexander said, panic rising in his chest. "If they found that diary, it's gone."
"Then we need to get to that house before the contents of those moving vans are processed," Dr. Gomez said, her professional armor cracking to reveal genuine concern. "I will submit an emergency report to the judge immediately based on this audio, but physical evidence will secure your children's safety permanently."
