Chapter 7 - Nine Days Before Michael Died)
The amendment was real.
Samuel confirmed the notary seal within an hour.
More importantly, the document contained a reference number showing that Michael's law firm had received a copy.
Leonard should never have been able to claim otherwise.
But someone had removed the amendment from the digital estate file.
Claire sat at the dining table holding Michael's handwritten note.
For eight months she had believed his death had ended every conversation they still needed to have.
Now one of those conversations was sitting in her hands.
Michael had distrusted Leonard.
And he had tried to protect her.
Emma sat beside Claire.
"You were right."
Claire looked up.
"About what?"
"Michael never said those things."
Claire nodded.
The false recording had hurt more than she wanted to admit.
Hearing his voice used against her felt like another kind of grave robbery.
Samuel inspected the audio metadata.
"The file was created six weeks ago."
Claire stared.
"So they built Michael's voice from old recordings?"
"Possibly edited from real recordings, possibly synthesized."
Evelyn looked toward Brooke.
"Did you ever hear them discuss it?"
Brooke nodded slowly.
"Richard said dead people were useful because they couldn't contradict paperwork."
Emma looked disgusted.
Claire's grief disappeared beneath anger again.
"What happens now?"
Samuel folded Michael's amendment carefully.
"We challenge every document connected to the custody order."
"How long?"
"Normally days."
"I don't have days."
"No. So we seek emergency review tonight."
Claire looked at Noah.
"Can Vanessa still take him?"
"Not while you're physically with him and the order is being challenged. But until the electronic record is corrected, there could be confusion."
"Confusion is what they're counting on."
"Exactly."
Evelyn's phone rang.
She answered.
Her expression became serious.
After a short conversation she hung up.
"The airport reservation was changed."
Claire stood.
"To what?"
"The 8:40 flight was canceled twenty minutes ago."
Emma frowned.
"Then they're running."
"Maybe."
Brooke shook her head.
"No."
Everyone looked at her.
"Vanessa hates changing plans. If she canceled the flight, she has another route."
"Where?"
Brooke closed her eyes, thinking.
"Cars."
Samuel waited.
"Explain."
"There was a man Richard used. He transported documents between states. Sometimes people."
"Name?"
"Calvin Shore."
Evelyn typed it into her phone.
Brooke continued.
"He runs a private medical transport company."
Claire looked at Noah.
"A medical transport?"
"They could move a baby without attracting attention."
Samuel asked, "Where is the company located?"
"Outside Richmond."
"That's several hours away."
"They have vehicles here."
Emma stood near the window.
"So instead of an airport, they put Noah in a medical van."
Brooke nodded.
Claire felt nauseated.
A phone buzzed.
It belonged to Brooke.
The screen showed Vanessa's name.
Everyone stared at it.
"Answer," Samuel said.
Brooke looked terrified.
Claire nodded.
Brooke answered on speaker.
"Hello?"
Vanessa's voice was calm.
"Have you finished feeling important?"
Brooke swallowed.
"Where are you?"
"That doesn't matter."
"Is Caleb safe?"
Vanessa laughed softly.
"You should have thought about Caleb before betraying me."
Claire clenched her fists.
Brooke whispered, "Please."
"Bring the memory card."
Brooke looked at Samuel.
He motioned for her to continue.
"Where?"
"Same place we used last Christmas."
Brooke went pale.
"I can't."
"Then I send Richard the address of Caleb's school."
"You already know his school."
"Yes."
Brooke began crying.
Vanessa continued.
"And Richard knows people who can make children disappear into legal systems for years."
Claire could barely control herself.
Brooke whispered, "What do you want?"
"The card. And Claire's copy of Michael's amendment."
Everyone froze.
Claire looked at Samuel.
How did Vanessa know they had found it?
Vanessa continued.
"You have thirty minutes."
The call ended.
Emma whispered, "Someone told her."
Evelyn looked around.
"Only people in this house know about that document."
Samuel stared at his phone.
"Not exactly."
Claire understood.
"The law firm."
Samuel nodded.
"I called to verify the notary record."
Claire felt cold.
"Someone there warned Leonard."
Samuel immediately called the firm again.
The receptionist transferred him.
Nobody answered.
Brooke whispered, "Last Christmas means the train depot."
Emma frowned.
"Which train depot?"
"Old freight station on Mercer Road."
Samuel shook his head.
"Nobody is going there."
Brooke looked at him.
"If I don't, she goes after Caleb."
"We involve authorities."
Brooke laughed bitterly.
"Vanessa has spent years teaching me how slowly systems move."
Claire looked at Noah sleeping nearby.
Vanessa had relied on the same thing.
Systems moved slowly.
Fear moved fast.
That was how people like her won.
Claire picked up Michael's amendment.
Emma stared.
"What are you doing?"
"Making a copy."
Samuel frowned.
"You are not going to the depot."
Claire scanned the document.
"No."
She saved the copy.
Then she opened the original envelope and removed everything.
She replaced it with blank sheets.
"But Vanessa thinks we are."
Samuel studied her.
"What are you planning?"
Claire looked at Brooke.
"How badly does Vanessa want that memory card?"
"More than anything."
"Good."
May you like
Claire held up the card.
"Then for the first time today, we have something she needs."
