Chapter 6 - The Unraveling Alibi-6
Over the next twenty-four hours, I transformed our living room into a trap.
Detective Briggs’s forensics team installed hidden audio-visual recording devices inside the light fixtures, the ceiling beams, and the front entryway. Two unmarked police cruisers were stationed down the block, ready to move in on my signal.
Inside the house, everything was set up to look exactly as they had left it.
I placed the empty crib near the window, threw a stained baby blanket over the sofa, and left my original turned-off phone on the coffee table where Theresa had put it.
I dressed in the same milk-stained nursing gown I had worn the day they left, applying dark makeup under my eyes to simulate absolute exhaustion and mental collapse.
At 3:45 PM, a commercial taxi pulled up the gravel driveway.
Through the window blinds, I watched David and Theresa step out. They looked exhausted, disheveled, and furious after spending twenty-four hours dealing with declined cards, missed flights, and public transit.
"I don't care what the bank says!" Theresa was screaming at the taxi driver as she argued over a thirty-dollar fare. "My lawyer will have your license for this!"
David looked pale and nervous, clutching his designer briefcase as they walked up the porch steps.
"Mom, quiet down," David whispered nervously. "What if Valerie called her family? What if she found a way to get help?"
"She has no phone, no car, and no money!" Theresa snapped back, keying open the front lock. "She's probably sitting upstairs crying her eyes out over that useless baby. Just stick to the story! We came back early because we were 'worried' about her mental state!"
The front door creaked open.
They stepped into the quiet entryway, dropping their dusty suitcases onto the hardwood floor.
I was standing in the center of the living room, holding a bundle of blankets tightly against my chest, swaying back and forth in total silence.
Theresa exchanged a quick, triumphant look with David.
"Valerie?" David called out, putting on a fake, concerned tone as he stepped forward. "Honey? We came back as fast as we could... we were so worried about you."
I didn't turn around. I just kept swaying, staring blankly out the window.
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"Where is the baby, Valerie?" Theresa asked, her voice dripping with artificial sympathy as she approached me. "Why are you holding those blankets like that?"
I slowly turned around to face them.
