Chapter 4 - The Forged Signature
Daniel knew his signature.
The loops.
The angle.
The long tail under the last name.
The one on the petition looked exact.
Rachel held it up to the light.
“Copied from another document.”
Vanessa shook her head.
“I have no idea where that came from.”
“It was in your bag.”
“You put it there.”
Daniel said:
“Enough.”
The police arrived twenty minutes later.
They documented the scene.
Collected the blue bag.
They did not interview Lily that night.
Rachel wanted protection first.
Vanessa left with her attorney.
A temporary no-contact agreement was arranged until a judge could review the situation.
Daniel carried Lily upstairs.
“Is Vanessa mad?”
“She’s not coming back tonight.”
“Tomorrow?”
He almost promised never.
Rachel’s warning stopped him.
“I’m going to make sure you’re safe.”
Then asked:
“Is Maria staying?”
Daniel looked at Maria in the doorway.
“If she wants to.”
Maria said:
“I’m staying.”
At midnight, Daniel returned to the office.
The camera archive had one more folder.
Missed preschool events.
Nights he came home after bedtime.
Notes beside each entry.
ABSENT FATHER.
PRIORITIZES WORK.
DELEGATES CHILDCARE.
Rachel read over his shoulder.
“She was building two cases.”
“One against Lily.”
“One against you.”
Some entries were true.
He had traveled too much.
He had leaned on Vanessa.
He had assumed money and good schools meant Lily was okay.
Rachel said quietly:
“True facts can still be arranged into a lie.”
Then Maria entered holding a small white envelope.
“I found this behind the printer.”
Inside was a receipt from a private child-placement service.
Deposit paid:
$12,500.
Child:
Proposed intake date:
Monday.
Daniel looked at the clock.
Saturday, 12:41 a.m.
May you like
He stared at Rachel.
“She was going to send my daughter away in two days.”
