David walked into the front entryway of his home after a long day at the office downtown.
The quiet inside the large hallway felt much heavier than usual on this warm summer afternoon.
He placed his leather briefcase down on the shiny glass table near the front coat rack.
His young daughter Emily was supposed to be resting upstairs after her recent knee surgery.
David listened closely but could only hear the faint hum of the air conditioner overhead.
He walked toward the curved staircase while looking up at the high decorative ceiling above him.
A soft sound came from the end of the long dark corridor near the back garden patio.
It sounded like a child trying very hard to hold back tears behind a closed door.
David quickened his pace along the polished hardwood floor toward the faint crying sound.
His wife Patricia had promised to look after the kids while the nanny was on leave.
Patricia had always insisted that she loved taking care of the massive family estate alone.
David reached the wooden door at the far end of the long hallway and paused.
He turned the cold metal knob slowly to check on his eleven-year-old daughter inside.
The room was dim and cold, with the heavy window blinds completely closed against the sun.
Emily was sitting on the wooden floor near her crutches with tears streaming down her face.
She was holding her baby brother Leo tightly against her small chest in the dim light.
David: Emily, baby, why are you sitting on the floor in the dark?
Emily: Daddy, you came home early!
David: I had a feeling I needed to check on you guys.
Emily: Please don't open the door wide, Daddy, she will hear us.
David: Who will hear us, sweetheart?
Emily: Mommy told me I was not allowed to leave this dark room today.
David felt his heart drop into his stomach as he knelt down on the cold floor.
He wrapped his arms around both of his children and held them close to his chest.
Leo was trembling softly while clutching the fabric of his older sister's cotton dress.
David looked at his daughter's tear-stained cheeks and felt a surge of rising panic inside.
He needed to understand why his wife would leave their injured daughter locked away here.