“Each crib or bed would have a release mechanism that would drop the child down into a tunnel in case of an emergency.”
That was… “I’m sorry, did you say a tunnel?”
“Exactly. Heavy-duty plexiglass with proper ventilation. The baby would drop into the tunnel and roll down into the panic room where the child would be dropped into a waiting crib.”
“And what if there are four babies? Do they all just drop on top of one another?” I snapped.
“Please,” Knight sighed. “Do you really think I haven’t tested this a thousand times? Rocco’s kid was my test dummy. In the case of multiple children, the crib would be wheeled away and a new crib would be replaced.”
“Wheeled away by what?” Parker asked.
“Jesus, do I have to explain everything?” Knight snapped.
“When it comes to new inventions in my house? Yes!”
I could feel the irritation coming off Knight in waves, but that was just too fucking bad.
“There are pressure sensors in the crib. Only one child will be released from the tunnel at a time. As soon as the pressure sensor is triggered, the crib will be rolled away automatically and replaced with another. At that point, a cage will enclose the child, making sure there is no possibility of escape. Once you enter the panic room, you can enter a code to release the child. In the meantime, there will be snacks, if the child is old enough, and milk in a bottle at the correct temperature.”
“Right, and meanwhile, the kid would just lay there, full of bruises from being rolled down a tunnel!”
“Well, I considered a waterslide, but some thought that might pose a drowning hazard.”
It was all too much to take in. I couldn’t even fathom a time any of us would ever need something like this.
“Look, Knight,” I said, trying to view him from the crusty redness of my eyes, “as much as we appreciate all the work you’ve gone to?—”
“No.”
I could have sworn he interrupted me. “I’m sorry, did you say something?”
“I said no. You’re not getting out of this.”
“But I don’t want a baby hijacking system!” I shouted. “Christ, I can’t even see because you teargassed me!”
“You’re such a baby. Tilt your head back.”
I did as he asked, then felt something cool rush over my eyes and dribble down the sides of my head, pouring into my ears. But I didn’t care. The stinging was subsiding, and after he wiped my face, my vision returned.
“Wow,” I whispered. “It’s like being born again.”
“No kidding,” Parker said, widening his eyes as the magic formula took effect.
Clear eyes or not, this was not happening. “As I said, it sounds great, but?—”
“This is something that will save your life!” he snapped. “Don’t you care at all about the serial killer down the road? Or the pedophile that lives just one town over?”
My mouth gaped open at that.
“You didn’t do your fucking research,” he scoffed. “I bet you didn’t know that your precious case that you’ve been pouring over for the last week could have been wrapped up easily if you’d just brought the file to me.”
“Hey, how did you?—”
“And that pedophile? Repeat offender. Keeps getting off on a technicality. Is that really who you want around your kids?”
God, he made us sound so ungrateful when he argued with us about that.
“I didn’t get to finish all the upgrades to your house yet. If you’d like, I could just walk away.”
