Before the bell.”
He pointed toward the front window.
“I was coloring.
I saw Mom by the police car.”
That explained the expression on his face when he had appeared in the hallway.
He hadn’t walked into confusion.
He had already seen his mother standing beside the officers.
He had heard enough through the door to realize she was saying I had taken him.
That was why he had gone for the phone.
He wasn’t trying to choose between his mother and me.
He was trying to stop adults from punishing someone for something he knew had not happened.
Minutes later, the officers came back to the door.
The older one addressed me first.
“Ms.
Moore, based on what we’ve seen and the inconsistencies in the complaint, you are not being arrested at this time.”
My knees nearly gave out.
Not because I had doubted the truth.
Because until that second I had not realized how close I had come to being placed in handcuffs while my sister watched.
The officer continued, “We’re going to document the recording and the messages.
We’ll also need a full statement from you.”
“I’ll give you anything you need.”
Rachel heard me.
She laughed once, bitterly.
“There she goes.
Perfect Jessica.”
I turned toward her.
“What did I do to you?”
The question came out softer than I expected.
Rachel stared at me.
For a moment, I thought she might start crying again.
Real crying this time.
Instead she said, “You always make me look like the bad mother.”
I felt as if she had switched languages.
“What?”
“You think you’re better with him than I am.”
“I have never said that.”
“You don’t have to.”
She glanced at Logan, then back at me.
“He talks about your house constantly.
Aunt Jessica makes pancakes.
Aunt Jessica reads the shark book.
Aunt Jessica lets me finish coloring.
Aunt Jessica listens.”
Logan shrank behind me.
“Rachel, he’s seven.”
“And you love it.”
Her eyes were wet now, but the tears no longer looked theatrical.
They looked angry.
“You love being the safe one.
The patient one.
The sister everybody can depend on.”
I stared at her, stunned by how small the reason sounded compared with what she had tried to do.
“You called the police because Logan likes spending time with me?”
“No.”
“Then why?”
Rachel’s lips pressed together.
