Chapter 11 - The Phone Under the Mattress

Two days passed before Kate's attorney disclosed what she had meant.

Kate had an old phone hidden beneath the mattress in Paige's nursery.

It was not connected to cellular service, but it synced photographs whenever the house Wi-Fi worked.

She had used it to record short videos of Paige because Ryan frequently searched her primary phone.

Rebecca explained that any material would have to be collected and authenticated rather than simply handed around the family.

Detectives obtained the device through the appropriate process.

On it were harmless videos of Paige sleeping, smiling, and gripping Kate's finger.

There were also clips of Ryan arguing in the background.

The most important recording was made Friday night.

It showed only the ceiling and part of a lamp because Kate had set the phone down while carrying Paige.

Ryan's voice was unmistakable.

"Stop making it sound worse than it is."

Kate answered, "She's not moving her leg."

"Then let her rest."

"She needs a doctor."

"And tell them what?"

A long silence followed.

Then Ryan spoke again.

"Call Ally tomorrow. She'll handle it."

That did not explain how the fracture happened.

But it destroyed the claim that everyone had believed Paige was healthy Saturday morning.

That evening, the hospital's multidisciplinary team completed another review, and investigators continued examining the possible causes.

They evaluated the full medical history rather than treating any single clue as definitive.

I was grateful for their care even when their uncertainty made me miserable.

The next morning, I received good news for the first time.

The immediate suspicion against me had been substantially weakened by the corroborating timeline and prior recordings.

The agency still had to finish its formal assessment, but my application as a family caregiver could move forward.

I bought a small night-light for the nursery I hadn't yet prepared.

Then Rebecca called.

"Ally, the recordings raise another question."

"What question?"

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"Why did Kate hide the phone long before Friday?"