Panic Strikes
While on the phone with the dispatcher, she urged me to stay calm and avoid confrontation.
My thoughts racedโwas Daniela in danger, betraying my son,
or hiding something else? Minutes crawled by until the doorbell rang.
I let the officers in and quickly explained. Their faces grew serious.
The Confrontation
They knocked firmly on the bathroom door.
โPolice! Is anyone in there?โ Silence followed except for dripping water.
After a tense pause,
the lock clicked. Daniela stepped out, wrapped in a towel, wide-eyed.
The bathroom looked ordinaryโno intruders, just the usual setup.
The Explanation
An officer asked her to explain. Daniela seemed confused until I admitted, trembling,
โI heard a manโs voice, and there was a strange scent.โ
She sighed and confessed: her brother Marco was struggling, and she had let him use the bathroom,
speaking to him through the door for comfort.
Relief and Reflection
The officers confirmed no threat and left with advice on communication.
Embarrassed, I apologized. Daniela reassured me, reminding me that we were family.

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