“Mom, he doesn't have to drive all the way over here.”
“You know your father.”
I did.
He couldn't fix what happened.
But he would show up.
That was how he'd loved us all our lives.
When the call ended, I held Noah a little tighter.
Then Vanessa entered.
She stopped in the doorway.
For a moment, she looked at my son.
Then at me.
Her expression changed.
“Simone.”
I stood.
She crossed the room and hugged me.
“You okay?”
I nodded.
“Physically, yes.”
She pulled back.
Her eyes moved toward the marks on my wrist.
Then toward Noah.
“Oh, sweetheart.”
She crouched.
“Hi, Noah.”
My son looked up.
“Hi, Aunt Vanessa.”
She smiled gently.
“I heard you had a difficult afternoon.”
He nodded.
Then whispered, “The policeman pushed Mommy.”
Vanessa's face tightened.
But she kept her voice calm.
“I'm sorry you had to see that.”
Noah looked toward her.
“Is he going to come back?”
She glanced at me.
Then answered carefully.
“Your mom is safe here, and the adults are working to make sure nobody bothers you.”
He nodded.
For a moment, he seemed relieved.
Then he reached toward the crayons.
Vanessa stood.
She looked at me.
“Marianne is coordinating with the appropriate authorities. The involved officer's department has been notified, and the resort's security records are being preserved.”
I nodded.
“Good.”
She continued.
“Graham is insisting the whole thing came from a misunderstanding about pool access.”
I stared.
“Of course he is.”
Vanessa's expression hardened.
“Simone, he had the closing notice.”
“I know.”
“He received it at ten-forty.”
I looked up.
“Can we confirm?”
She nodded.
“Electronic delivery receipt, followed by a message from his office acknowledging receipt.”
For several seconds, I said nothing.
Then asked, “Does he claim he didn't recognize me?”
Vanessa sighed.
“Apparently.”
I looked toward the window.
The pool was visible in the distance.
White umbrellas.
Blue water.
People swimming.
It looked as though nothing had happened.
I took a breath.
“Then we'll need to examine the records.”
Vanessa nodded.
“Already arranged.”
Then she hesitated.
“There's something else.”
I turned.
“What?”
“The security contractor says part of the camera system experienced an unexpected storage error this afternoon.”
I stared.
For a moment, I thought I'd misunderstood.
“A storage error?”
“Yes.”
“When?”
She looked directly at me.
“Approximately twenty minutes after the incident.”
For several seconds, the room became silent.
Then I asked, “Were the original files affected?”
“We don't know yet. IT is securing the equipment and preservation logs.”
I looked toward the pool again.
Graham Bellamy had asked security to remove me.