Chapter 1 - What Fell Out of Bunny
The rabbit tore with a soft ripping sound just as Sophie whispered, "It's mine."
For one terrible second, nobody moved.
Sophie stared at the loosened seam beneath one floppy ear. Three-year-old Lily still had both hands around the rabbit's leg.
Then Sophie yanked Bunny against her chest.
"Mom gave it to me."
Her voice cracked.
Margaret stood beside the cream sofa with her arms folded.
"Sophie, give Lily the toy."
"No."
"She's little."
"So?"
Margaret's mouth tightened.
"You are behaving like a spoiled baby."
Lily grabbed again.
Sophie turned away to protect the rabbit.
Lily's socks slid on the rug.
She landed on her bottom.
Sophie immediately bent toward her.
"Are you okay?"
Margaret crossed the room.
"You pushed her."
"I didn't."
"You pushed a three-year-old over a stuffed animal."
"I didn't push her."
Margaret slapped Sophie.
The sound was small.
Flat.
Almost ordinary.
Sophie touched her cheek.
Then the front door opened.
Rachel stepped inside carrying her laptop bag and a paper sack of blueberry muffins.
She saw Sophie.
Saw Lily on the floor.
Saw Margaret standing over them.
Her keys slipped from her hand.
"Sophie?"
Sophie ran into her.
Rachel dropped to her knees and wrapped both arms around her daughter.
"Who did this?"
Margaret spoke first.
"The girls were fighting."
"I didn't," Sophie whispered.
Rachel pulled back enough to see the red mark forming across her cheek.
"Did Margaret hit you?"
Sophie looked at Margaret.
That glance answered first.
"Yes."
Rachel stood.
Margaret exhaled.
"Rachel, don't turn one correction into a crisis."
"You slapped my daughter."
"She knocked Lily down."
"I didn't!"
Sophie clutched Bunny tighter.
The damaged seam widened.
Something black dropped from inside the rabbit.
It struck the glass coffee table.
Click.
Everyone looked down.
A small plastic capsule rolled once and stopped.
Not stuffing.
Not a toy part.
A tiny digital voice recorder.
One red light was still blinking.
Margaret moved first.
She reached for it.
Rachel put her foot over the device.
"Don't."
Margaret froze.
Rachel stared at her.
"What is that?"
"I have no idea."
Sophie made a tiny sound.
Rachel looked down.
Her daughter was pale.
"Sophie?"
Sophie hugged the damaged rabbit to her chest.
"Grandma put it in Bunny."
Margaret's face changed.
Rachel felt the room tilt.
"When?"
Sophie swallowed.
"The day she said Bunny's ear needed fixing."
That had been seven months earlier.
Before Rachel married Daniel.
Before they moved into this house.
Before everyone began telling Sophie that Margaret was part of her new family.
Rachel slowly bent and picked up the recorder.
Margaret's voice sharpened.
"Give me that."
Rachel looked at the blinking red light.
"No."
"Rachel."
"No."
Margaret took one step closer.
Sophie immediately moved behind Rachel.
That was enough.
Rachel pulled out her phone.
"I'm calling Daniel."
Margaret laughed once.
"Good."
The confidence in that laugh frightened Rachel more than denial would have.
"Call him."
Rachel stared.
Margaret continued.
"Ask your husband why he needed someone to tell him what happened in this house when he wasn't here."
The front door opened again.
Daniel walked in.
He stopped when he saw Rachel holding the recorder.
And for one second - one very clear second - Rachel watched recognition cross her husband's face.
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