My Ex-husband Accused Me Of Selling Our Son After He Vanished At The Park. Then My 7-year-old Daughter Handed The Police A Secret Notebook. Am I Wrong For Wanting Them Both To Rot In Prison?

“It’s not a bad sign they’re just coordinating schedules tell mom that Tuesday actually gives them more prep time which is good,” I said.

I kept my eyes on both kids as I talked. Vera had made it halfway across the bars and Jonah’s swing was slowing down but he was still smiling.

“Can you call her you know she listens to you better about medical stuff?” Nolan asked.

“I’ll call her tonight after the kids are in bed I promise listen I’m at the park with them right now so I should go.”

“Yeah okay thanks Ren.” Nolan said.

I hung up and turned back to the swings. The empty swing moved slightly in the breeze but Jonah wasn’t in it.

My heart stopped for a single moment before a logical thought kicked in. He must have climbed out to go to the slides.

“Jonah!” I called scanning the immediate area.

“Jonah where are you baby?”

Vera dropped from the monkey bars and ran over.

“He was just here Mom he was right there.”

We checked the slides first then the sandbox then the little playhouse structure. Other parents started noticing my increasing panic.

A woman with twin boys helped me check the bathrooms and a father with a daughter Vera’s age looked around the parking lot.

“What’s he wearing?” Someone asked.

“Green dinosaur shirt blue shorts light up sneakers,” I managed to say my voice getting higher with each word.

Within ten minutes every parent in that park was searching. Someone called 911.

I called Derek my hands shaking so badly I could barely hit the right numbers.

“Jonah’s missing,” I said the moment he answered.

“We’re at Riverside Park I can’t find him anywhere.”

“What do you mean you can’t find him how do you lose a three-year-old?” His voice was sharp and accusatory from the start.

“Just get here please.” I said.

The police arrived in twelve minutes. It felt like twelve hours.

Officer Hallstead was a tall man with kind eyes that turned suspicious the moment Derek arrived and started talking. Derek had brought Constance with him because of course he had.

She emerged from his BMW like a vulture sensing carrion her sharp face already set in an expression of grim satisfaction.

“I knew something like this would happen,” She announced to anyone within earshot.

“I’ve been documenting her negligence for months the children are never properly supervised.”

“I was 3 feet away!” I protested but Derek was already pulling Officer Hallstead aside.

“She’s been unstable since the divorce,” Derek said loud enough for everyone to hear.

“Lost her job can’t pay her bills I filed for emergency custody yesterday because I was concerned about exactly this kind of thing happening.”

“You filed for custody yesterday?” I spun around to face him.

“You never told me that why would I tell you so you could run off with them?” Derek replied.

He turned back to Officer Hallstead.

“Check her phone records check her bank statements she’s been desperate for money probably sold him for drug money.”

“Drug money Derek you know I don’t even drink anymore let alone do drugs!” I cried.

Constance stepped forward placing a hand on her son’s shoulder in a show of support.

“Officer I’ve watched her deteriorate for months she’s vindictive desperate and now my grandson is missing.”

“I always said she’d be the death of those kids looks like I was right.”

The Interrogation

The interrogation room at the police station smelled like stale coffee and industrial disinfectant. They’d called it a voluntary interview room but nothing about being there felt voluntary.

Officer Hallstead sat across from me with a yellow legal pad writing down everything I said while occasionally glancing at Derek who had positioned himself in the corner like some kind of supervisory presence.

Constance sat beside him her notebook out pen poised like a weapon.

“Walk me through the phone call again,” Officer Hallstead said his tone neutral but his eyes skeptical.

“My brother Nolan called about my father’s heart surgery the call lasted maybe 90 seconds I was standing by the bench watching both children the entire time.”

“But you weren’t watching them,” Derek interrupted.

“If you were watching Jonah wouldn’t be missing.”

“Mr. Turner please let her answer,” Officer Hallstead said though he made another note on his pad.

Through the glass window of the interview room I could see Vera in what they called the children’s room sitting at a small table with a social worker named Mrs. Chen.

They’d given her crayons and paper trying to keep her occupied while the adults sorted through this nightmare. She was drawing something with intense concentration her tongue poking out slightly the way it always did when she focused.

“Mrs. Turner,” Officer Hallstead continued.

“Your ex-husband has provided us with some concerning information he says you threatened to disappear with the children.”

“That’s not true I would never say that.”

Derek pulled out his phone with theatrical precision.

“I have it recorded listen for yourself.”

He pressed play and my voice filled the room distorted and choppy.

“I can’t let you take the children never see them again.”

My blood ran cold. I recognize those words but not in that order.

“That’s edited those are pieces from different conversations I said I couldn’t let him take the children to Florida because I’d never see them again he’s planning to move there with his girlfriend.”

“She’s lying,” Constance said sharply.

“She’s always been manipulative ask anyone in the neighborhood ask the teachers at school she’s unhinged.”

“The teachers love me!” I protested.

“Mrs. Morrison just told me last week that Vera is thriving despite the divorce.”

“Because you probably bribed her,” Constance shot back.

Officer Hallstead held up his hand for silence then slid a document across the table.

“This is the emergency custody petition Mr. Turner filed yesterday it lists several incidents of alleged neglect leaving the children unsupervised being late for pickups failure to provide adequate meals.”

“Failure to provide adequate meals?” I couldn’t believe what I was reading.

“Because I gave them McDonald’s once after Jonah’s doctor’s appointment ran late?”

“Fast food is not proper nutrition,” Constance interjected.

“I raised Derek on home-cooked meals every single night.”