Chapter 6 - THE GIRL WITH THE RED CRAYON
Sophie Miller loved drawing.
She drew butterflies.
Cats.
Rainbows.
And sometimes things adults didn't want to see.
One afternoon, Dante found her sitting on the back steps of the staff cottage.
Anna was inside preparing dinner.
Sophie looked up.
“Hi, mister.”
Dante smiled faintly.
“Hello, Sophie.”
She held up a drawing.
It showed a house, a tree, and a large yellow sun.
Dante studied it.
“That's beautiful.”
Sophie grinned.
“Thank you.”
He sat on the opposite step.
“Can I ask you something?”
She nodded.
“Do you remember the bug?”
Sophie frowned.
“The one in your neck?”
“Yes.”
She nodded.
Dante took a breath.
“Why did you draw legs?”
Sophie considered.
“Because it had little lines.”
“Were they moving?”
She shook her head.
“No.”
“Then why did you say it was looking at you?”
She pointed to her eye.
“Because there was a dot.”
Dante nodded slowly.
“Thank you.”
Sophie smiled.
“Did you get it out?”
“Not yet.”
She frowned.
“Does it hurt?”
“Sometimes.”
Sophie looked sad.
Then she reached into her pocket.
She pulled out a small red crayon.
“Here.”
Dante blinked.
“What's this for?”
“So you can draw something happy.”
He stared at the crayon.
Then smiled.
“Thank you, Sophie.”
That evening, Dante placed the crayon on his desk.
Beside the medical images.
Beside the legal documents.
Beside the notes he'd begun keeping to track his symptoms.
For three years, he'd been told he couldn't trust his memory.
Now he was creating a record of his own.
Not because he was certain of every suspicion.
But because he was determined to stop letting other people define reality for him.
Later that night, Anna found an envelope beneath her cottage door.
Inside was a photograph.
It showed Sophie playing in the mansion garden.
On the back, someone had written:
Children should stay out of adult business.
Anna's hands began shaking.
May you like
She locked the door.
Then called Detective Elena Ruiz.
