Chapter 8 - The Price of Silence
Lauren read the note three times.
Her father had known something was wrong.
She remembered him calling from his hospital bed, asking her to bring his blue folder. Cole had taken the phone and promised to handle it.
She had been grateful.
That memory made her physically sick.
“This doesn't tell us what happened next,” Maya said. “Don't fill in what we can't prove.”
Lauren nodded and called her new defense attorney, Adrian Bell.
He listened without interrupting, then arranged to review the old investigation with Daniel's counsel.
For two days, Lauren lived between feeding schedules and document requests. She learned that fear could make a person tired enough to sleep sitting up and still unable to sleep in a bed.
On the third morning, Cole filed for temporary custody.
His papers described Lauren as unstable, financially dependent, and influenced by a convicted felon. He accused her of exposing the babies to dangerous weather during a marital argument.
He left out their fevers.
He left out the ignored calls.
He left out the account restriction.
Lauren read the accusation about the weather while Owen slept warm against her shoulder.
“He can just write that?”
“He can allege it,” Maya said. “We answer with records.”
Then the charity's board chair called.
Evelyn Shaw had known Lauren since high school. Now her voice sounded like a locked office.
“We need you to step away from trustee duties pending review.”
“Because I reported a false consent?”
“Because your name appears in both transactions.”
It was reasonable. That made it hurt more.
Lauren agreed to cooperate with an independent review. She hung up before she could start begging someone to believe her.
That evening, Daniel came to drop off the original case inventory his lawyer had obtained.
He stayed in the doorway.
“Maybe I should stop coming here until the hearing. He's using me against you.”
“He's using what he did to you against me.”
“A judge still has to sort it out.”
Lauren wanted him to stay. She also knew he was right.
After he left, she opened the inventory.
Near the bottom was a listing for an audio file from her old phone.
Lauren's recorded statement.
She had forgotten Cole recorded their preparation session.
May you like
But she hadn't forgotten the words she'd said before they started practicing.
I don't know if any of this is true.
