Chapter 5 - Authorized Pickup
I called the police before James could say a word.
The officer who came to our house took the forged guardianship papers, the threatening text, and screenshots from the camera archive.
"Do you believe your sister intends to harm the baby?" he asked.
I looked down at Emma.
"Yesterday I would have said no."
James answered for me. "Today we aren't guessing."
The next morning, we went to Emma's daycare.
The director, Mrs. Patel, looked horrified when James asked whether Lauren had ever tried to pick her up.
"Lauren Walker? She's listed as an emergency contact."
My stomach dropped.
"No, she isn't."
Mrs. Patel turned her monitor toward us.
There it was.
LAUREN BENNETT - AUNT - AUTHORIZED PICKUP.
The change had been submitted online three months earlier from an email address that looked almost like mine.
Rachel.Walker81 instead of Rachel.Walker18.
"Who approved this?" James asked.
"The account used the correct password and answered the security question."
I felt sick.
The security question was the name of my childhood dog.
Lauren knew it.
Mrs. Patel pulled the sign-in history.
Lauren had visited twice.
The first time, she claimed I was sick and wanted to "practice" picking Emma up.
The second time, staff refused because I had not called.
"Did she get angry?" I asked.
Mrs. Patel hesitated.
"She said something strange."
James leaned forward.
"What?"
"She said, 'Soon you won't need Rachel's permission.'"
The room went silent.
Then Mrs. Patel clicked another file.
"There was also a document uploaded to Emma's account. I assumed you knew."
It was a letter on military letterhead.
It appeared to be signed by Major James Walker.
The first sentence read:
IN THE EVENT OF MY REDEPLOYMENT, I REQUEST THAT LAUREN BENNETT ASSUME PRIMARY TEMPORARY CUSTODY OF MY DAUGHTER.
May you like
James went completely still.
"That's not my signature."
