Chapter 25 - THOMAS AND RYAN
My father testified before Ryan.
He hated it.
Good.
The prosecutor asked:
“Did you discuss recording Natalie with Ryan before the party?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“I believed Daniel was not seeing how often family conflict involved her.”
“Did Daniel ask you to collect evidence?”
“No.”
“Did Natalie?”
“No.”
“Did you intend a confrontation after the party?”
“A conversation.”
“About what?”
“Postponing their move.”
“Whose move?”
“My son’s family.”
“Were you entitled to postpone it?”
Dad looked down.
“No.”
There.
Then:
“Did you tell Ryan to antagonize Natalie?”
“No.”
“Did you tell him to touch her?”
“No.”
“Shove her?”
“No.”
“Did you see the shove?”
“I saw movement. I did not clearly see the hands.”
“Then why say she tripped?”
My father swallowed.
“Because I wanted that to be true.”
The prosecutor waited.
Good.
Then Ryan testified.
Against counsel’s recommendation.
Maybe he believed he could finally explain himself.
He began with me.
“Daniel practically raised me after Mom died.”
True.
I was nine years older.
Our mother died when Ryan was fourteen.
I drove him to baseball.
Helped with college forms.
Gave him his first decent suit.
Then I married Natalie.
Ryan said:
“He stopped being around.”
Also true.
Adults do that when they build adult lives.
Then pregnancy.
“He canceled everything.”
Not everything.
Enough that Ryan felt it.
Then the move.
“I thought she was taking my brother.”
There.
The prosecutor asked:
“Did Natalie own Daniel?”
“No.”
“Did you?”
“No.”
“Then what was being taken?”
Ryan had no answer.
Then the recordings.
“Why collect them?”
“To show him.”
“What?”
“How she talked to us.”
“Did you record your own comments before hers?”
“Sometimes.”
“Did you usually show Daniel the full recordings?”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because the important part was what she said.”
Selection admitted.
Then the party.
“You placed your phone before approaching Natalie?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“So Daniel could see.”
“What did you want him to see?”
“That she would say I couldn’t be around the baby.”
“Did she say that?”
“No.”
“What did she say?”
“That we had to call before visiting.”
“Is that the same?”
Ryan looked irritated.
“No.”
Then:
“Why follow her to the stairs?”
“I was mad.”
“Why put your hands on her?”
“I wanted her to stop.”
“Stop what?”
“Walking away.”
There.
Control.
“Did you shove?”
Ryan’s jaw tightened.
“I pushed harder than I meant.”
The prosecutor waited.
“Did you push?”
“Yes.”
There.
“Did you know stairs were in front of her?”
“Yes.”
“Did you know she was pregnant?”
“Yes.”
“Did you intend for her to fall?”
“No.”
That distinction mattered.
Then:
“Why say the baby doesn’t make her special?”
Ryan looked at me.
Then at Natalie.
“Because everyone treated her differently after she got pregnant.”
“Was she pregnant?”
“Yes.”
“Does pregnancy sometimes change what a person can safely or comfortably do?”
“Yes.”
“Did you think every accommodation was manipulation?”
Ryan was quiet.
“Kind of.”
There.
No mastermind.
May you like
No hidden plot left.
Just resentment organized until it became permission.
