Chapter 6: The Other Victims
Chapter 6: The Other Victims
The discovery of Bethany's cloud account changed the entire investigation overnight.
Detectives worked through the evening, carefully reviewing every file recovered by the digital forensics team. Most contained ordinary family photos—holiday dinners, birthday parties, vacations.
Then Detective Laura Mitchell opened a folder labeled "Funny Moments."
Her expression hardened almost immediately.
Inside were more than forty short videos.
Some showed children crying while adults laughed in the background. Others captured humiliating "family games" that ended with frightened toddlers begging to go home.
The room fell silent.
"This isn't an isolated incident," Detective Mitchell said quietly.
"No," replied the forensic analyst. "It's a pattern."
The next morning, Child Protective Services began contacting the families of every child identified in the videos.
One of the first calls reached Emily Carter, the mother of six-year-old Noah.
She watched a thirty-second clip in stunned silence.
It showed Noah, then only three years old, crying after Bethany snatched his favorite toy and tossed it into a swimming pool. Behind the camera, several adults laughed.
Emily covered her mouth.
"Oh my God..."
Detective Mitchell gently paused the video.
"I'm very sorry you had to see that."
Emily wiped away tears.
"I always wondered why Noah became terrified whenever someone mentioned family parties."
She looked up.
"He stopped speaking for nearly a week after that barbecue."
The detective nodded.
"Children often remember traumatic experiences differently than adults realize."
Emily clenched her fists.
"She did this to other children too?"
"We believe so."
By the end of the day, investigators had identified seven children appearing in the recovered videos.
Some had been splashed with freezing water.
Others had been locked in closets "as a joke."
One little girl was filmed crying while adults refused to let her leave the dinner table until she finished food she repeatedly said made her feel sick.
Each video was followed by laughter.
Each ended before the child was comforted.
At the county jail, Bethany sat across from her attorney.
"They're trying to make me look like a monster."
Her lawyer folded his hands.
"They've recovered additional videos."
Bethany shrugged.
"So?"
"They involve multiple children."
"They were harmless pranks."
The attorney stared at her.
"Bethany... did any of those children consent?"
"They're kids."
"Exactly."
She rolled her eyes.
"They'll get over it."
For the first time since taking the case, her attorney looked genuinely concerned.
"Do you understand how that answer sounds?"
Bethany remained silent.
He closed his notebook.
"The prosecution will argue these videos demonstrate a repeated pattern of abusive behavior."
"They can't prove intent."
"They may not need to."
Meanwhile, Daniel and Rosie finally returned home.
The small house felt unusually quiet.
Rosie stood in the doorway of her bedroom, hugging her stuffed rabbit.
"I don't want to sleep alone."
Daniel knelt beside her.
"You don't have to."
That night, he placed a small mattress on the floor beside her bed.
As the room grew dark, Rosie whispered,
"Daddy?"
"I'm here."
"What if Aunt Bethany comes back?"
Daniel reached over and gently held her hand.
"She can't."
"Promise?"
"I promise."
She squeezed his fingers tightly before closing her eyes.
Within minutes, she was asleep.
Daniel remained awake, listening to her steady breathing.
He silently vowed that no one would ever make his daughter feel unsafe again.
The following afternoon, Detective Mitchell arrived at Daniel's house carrying another evidence folder.
"I thought you should know before it becomes public."
Daniel invited her inside.
"What is it?"
She placed several printed photographs on the coffee table.
Daniel recognized none of the children.
"Who are they?"
"They're the other victims we've identified so far."
He looked at each frightened face.
"So Rosie wasn't the first."
"No."
The detective took a slow breath.
"And based on what we're uncovering..."
She paused before delivering the news.
"We don't think she'll be the last victim we identify."
Daniel looked toward Rosie's bedroom, where soft music played behind the closed door.
His daughter had survived.
But somewhere, there were other children who had never told anyone what happened.
Detective Mitchell closed the file.
"We're expanding the investigation statewide."
Just then, her phone rang.
She listened for only a few seconds before her expression changed.
"What?"
Daniel stood.
"What happened?"
She slowly lowered the phone.
"A former babysitter just came forward."
"What did she say?"
The detective met his eyes.
"She claims Bethany didn't learn this behavior as an adult."
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A heavy silence filled the room.
"She says it started when Bethany was a child... and someone in the family taught her."
