The Nanny Cam Caught My Stepmom Kicking the Brake — My Dog Saved My Baby Brother — Part 2 of 3

The Lawyer at the Door

Three days had passed since the police escorted Tiffany out of our home in handcuffs. She had been charged with attempted child endangerment, and the judge had granted a temporary restraining order. But she wasn't going down without a fight.

I was in the kitchen, sipping coffee, watching Lucas play with Duke in the backyard, when the doorbell rang. Richard was at work, and the baby was napping. I opened the door to find a sharp-faced man in a gray suit holding a leather briefcase.

'Mrs. Whitmore?' he said, extending a hand. 'I'm Gerald Vance, Tiffany's attorney.'

I didn't shake his hand. 'What do you want?'

He smiled, a thin, practiced smile. 'May I come in? I have some documents I'd like you to review.'

I stepped aside, my heart racing. He sat at the kitchen table, opened his briefcase, and slid a thick envelope across the table. 'My client is prepared to drop all charges if you agree to a settlement. She claims the incident was a misunderstanding, and she's willing to accept a deal that includes a mutual gag order.'

I stared at him. 'A misunderstanding? She kicked the brake off and pushed my baby's stroller toward the pool. That's not a misunderstanding. That's attempted murder.'

Vance's smile didn't waver. 'My client maintains that the dog — Duke, I believe — was acting aggressively. She feared for her own safety. She claims she was trying to protect herself.'

I laughed, a bitter, hollow sound. 'She was trying to protect herself from a dog who was saving my baby?'

Vance shrugged. 'That's her story. And without the harness footage, it might hold up in court. But the footage you have is... unfortunate for her. However, my client is willing to offer you a substantial sum of money to keep this out of the press. She has a reputation to protect.'

I felt the anger rising in my chest, hot and sharp. 'She has a reputation? What about my baby's life? What about Lucas, who saw his stepmother try to kill his brother?'

Vance leaned back, his eyes calculating. 'I understand your emotions, Mrs. Whitmore. But I would advise you to consider a settlement. Court is unpredictable. Juries can be swayed. And my client has a very good lawyer.'

I stood up. 'Get out of my house.'

Vance didn't move. 'One more thing. My client has information about your husband's first wife. She says it's relevant to her defense.'

I froze. Richard's first wife, Emily, had died in a car accident five years ago. It was a tragedy that had nearly destroyed him. Tiffany had only been in the picture for two years.

'What information?' I asked, my voice barely a whisper.

Vance smiled. 'That's for my client to reveal. But I suggest you take her offer. It's in everyone's best interest.'

The Hidden Files

After Vance left, I couldn't sit still. I called Richard, told him what happened, and he came home within the hour, his face pale and drawn. We sat at the kitchen table, the envelope between us, unopened.

'What could she possibly know about Emily?' I asked.

Richard ran a hand through his hair. 'I don't know. Emily's death was ruled an accident. The police said she lost control on a curve, hit a tree. It was raining that night.'

I looked at him. 'But you never believed that, did you?'

He was silent for a long moment. 'I tried to. I had to. But there were things... she was a good driver. She knew that road like the back of her hand. And she was terrified of driving in the rain.'

I reached for the envelope, my hands trembling. I opened it and pulled out a stack of papers. There were bank statements, emails, and a printed photo of a man I didn't recognize.

Richard leaned over my shoulder. 'That's her ex-boyfriend. Daniel. He was obsessed with her. He threatened her after they broke up.'

I flipped through the papers. There was an email from Emily to a friend, dated two weeks before her death. It read: 'If anything happens to me, look into Daniel. He's been following me. He knows my routes.'

I looked at Richard. 'She knew. She was scared.'

He shook his head, his eyes wet. 'Why didn't she tell me? Why didn't she go to the police?'

I kept reading. The last document was a copy of a police report from a year before Emily's death. Domestic disturbance. Daniel had been arrested for breaking into her apartment. The charges were dropped, but the report listed Tiffany's name as a witness.

Tiffany knew Daniel. She had been in the same building that night.

I looked at Richard. 'Tiffany knew Emily's stalker. She was there.'

His face went white. 'You think she was involved? In Emily's death?'

I didn't want to believe it. But the pieces were clicking into place. Tiffany had always been too interested in Richard. She had pursued him relentlessly, even when he was still grieving. And now she was threatening to use information about Emily as leverage.

I picked up my phone. 'I'm calling the detective who handled Emily's case.'

Richard nodded slowly. 'Do it.'

As I dialed, I could hear Duke barking in the backyard, and Lucas's laughter. I knew we were about to open a door that couldn't be closed. But I also knew we had to.

Because the truth was the only thing that could save us.