“Ms. Marsh, Clementine just told me she was supposed to cry the scared way, but she didn’t want to anymore because she likes it here and she didn’t want me to write a fib in my notebook.”
I covered my mouth.
“She also told me her watch ‘listens.’ Is there anything you’d like me to know?”
I slid my phone across the table.
Then I put in my earbuds, handed her one, and played recording number nine.
Ms. Okonkwo listened to four of them.
Her face never changed.
But she wrote for a very long time.
Three weeks later, we were in front of Judge Rasmussen.
Jordan’s lawyer argued for full custody.
Then Ms. Okonkwo’s report was entered into evidence.
The judge read it in silence.
Then she looked over her glasses at Jordan.
“Mr. Marsh, did you and your partner rehearse false abuse allegations with your seven-year-old daughter?”
