Chapter 4 - The Wrong Kind of Proof
"This doesn't tell us whose baby it is," Daniel's attorney said. "But it gives us a place to start looking."
Nina Chen had been Daniel's lawyer since a contractor tried to walk away with three months of unpaid work. She arrived at the library in sensible flats, read the receipt without touching the wet corner, and photographed it on the table.
"I don't need a court to tell me my daughter was frightened," Daniel said.
"Good. Keep those two questions separate. What happened to Lucía is a safety issue. Paternity is something adults need to establish with evidence. And the guarantee is a financial issue. Don't let Harper turn all three into one argument about jealousy."
In the next room, Lucía was coloring with Rosa. Her crayons scratched against the paper.
Nina studied the emailed guarantee. The signature looked convincing until Daniel pointed out a flourish he hadn't used since his twenties. The listed account belonged to Navarro Restoration, the small company he had spent thirteen years building. The guarantee claimed the company would secure a debt owed by Bellweather Development.
"Does Harper have access to your business files?" Nina asked.
"She helped organize them when I was behind on invoicing. Read-only access, I thought."
"We'll need your bank to confirm what permissions she had. Meanwhile, don't accuse anyone online. Preserve your messages."
A knock came at the door. The hotel manager, Mr. Dorsey, stood outside with two folded place cards. "Harper would like to speak to Lucía privately. She says she wants to apologize."
"No," Daniel said before Nina could answer.
Dorsey hesitated. "Mrs. Rowe says you'll be responsible for a substantial cancellation fee."
"Send it to my attorney."
Daniel went to find his daughter. Her drawing showed a house with red windows, three stick figures, and a woman standing outside beneath black clouds. The woman's mouth was a straight line. Around her feet Lucía had drawn dozens of tiny circles.
"Are those raindrops?" he asked.
May you like
"No," she said. "They're the little white pills Harper dropped when she saw me."
Daniel looked at Nina. Nina reached for her notebook.
