— Madam, at my age, one learns to distinguish between faith and theatre. And you’re not even a good actress.
Victor took a step towards me.
— This house is mine.
Bérenger obtained a copy of the document.
— No. It belongs to Élise Moreau. And any attempt at transfer is now contested on the grounds of violence, coercion and abuse of a vulnerable person.
Geneviève snickered.
— She signed.
— And you threatened to take her baby away. That too is undeniable. Not in ink. In your voice.
His face hardened.
I picked up my phone.
I started a recording.
It wasn’t Elise.
It was Mrs. Lefèvre, the neighbor on the second floor.
We could hear a baby crying.
Then Geneviève’s voice:
— Sign, you poor fool. A woman who begs doesn’t deserve to raise a child.
Then Victor:
— Your father can’t always save you. Sign, and maybe tomorrow you’ll see Camille again.
Victor’s glass slipped from his grasp.
Geneviève’s rosary froze between her fingers.
« Who gave you this? » Victor growled.
« The building, » I replied. « When a woman cries too many nights, even the walls learn to talk. »
The police officers entered.
Victor tried to resist.
He ended up in handcuffs.
Geneviève started screaming.
He’s a lawyer! You don’t know who you’re dealing with!
Bérenger replied calmly:
— I know exactly who I’m dealing with.
We found more inside the house.
A folder containing copies of Elise’s papers.
A blank document that has already been signed.
The psychological certificate is questionable.
Bank statements.
Screenshots of conversations.
And a sheet of paper written in Geneviève’s own hand:
House
Car
Account
Child custody
Prevent Moreau from intervening
I spent a long time looking at the fifth point.
They had arrived too late.
The following morning, the notary’s office suspended all proceedings.
The Land Registry Service has blocked the transfer.
The family court judge issued provisional measures to protect Elise and Camille.
Geneviève attempted to obtain custody of the child by invoking “family stability”.
The social worker presented the medical certificates, the burns on Elise’s feet, Camille’s state of dehydration, the messages and the recordings.
The judge simply asked:
— Madam, do you call it stability to force a young breastfeeding mother to beg in the sun with her baby?
Geneviève did not respond.
No rosary could answer that.
Elise and Camille came to live with me.
The first night, my daughter did not sleep in the bed.
She sat on the floor next to Camille’s travel cot, her head against the wall.
— My daughter, rest.
— If I close my eyes, I have the feeling that Geneviève is going to come in.
I didn’t say:
“That won’t happen.”
I had the locks changed.
Install cameras.
Confirm the protective measures with Inès.
Then I sat down next to her.
— So we’re not closing our eyes just yet.
At three o’clock in the morning, Camille woke up crying.
Elise took it in her arms carefully, as if she still feared that a hand might suddenly appear and snatch it away.
« It’s yours, » I said.
Elise looked at me.
— And if a judge…
— A judge will look at the evidence. Not the threats.
— Victor always said that money wins.
“Money often wins,” I replied. “But today you have proof. Your daughter is safe. And the truth has come out. That, too, carries weight.”
For the first time, she smiled.
A small smile.
As if her face were relearning.
Weeks have passed.
The case has grown.
Other women appeared.
A former partner of Victor, also a victim of pressure and manipulation.
A former employee of Geneviève, who confirmed the fabricated accusations against Élise.
Ms. Lefèvre has provided other recordings.
Bérenger brought out the whole old file.
Geneviève’s psychologist cousin appeared in several suspicious certificates.
The notary’s office was the subject of a disciplinary investigation.
