Chapter 3 - The Signature That Should Not Exist
The emergency department fell silent.
Conrad stared at Jace as if his son had spoken in a language he did not understand.
“You are emotional.”
“I am finished being obedient.”
The social worker cleared her throat.
“Mr. Mercer, the paperwork appears valid.”
“It appears forged.”
“We cannot make that determination here.”
“Then nobody moves until a judge does.”
Conrad’s attorney stepped forward.
“There is already a judicial order.”
He handed the social worker another page.
The order authorized Maisie’s immediate transfer into Conrad’s care.
It had been signed that morning.
Hours before Jace found Evelyn in the rain.
Jace read the time stamp.
9:14 a.m.
He looked at his father.
“You knew they were in Chicago before I did.”
Conrad did not answer.
Evelyn’s face went pale.
“You found the shelter.”
Conrad’s eyes moved toward her.
“You should have accepted my offer.”
“What offer?”
Jace asked the question, but Evelyn did not look at him.
Conrad answered instead.
“Five million dollars.”
Jace turned slowly.
“You offered her money?”
“To leave the country permanently.”
Evelyn’s voice shook with rage.
“He offered me money after he blocked Maisie’s surgery.”
“That is absurd.”
“He told me the treatment would be approved if I signed custody over to him.”
Jace stepped toward his father.
“Did you interfere with her medical care?”
Conrad smiled faintly.
“Be careful what you accuse me of.”
A monitor began alarming inside Maisie’s room.
Dr. Shah ordered everyone away from the glass.
Evelyn pushed past the social worker.
This time, Jace blocked anyone from stopping her.
Maisie reached for her mother as oxygen tubing was placed beneath her nose.
“I’m here.”
Evelyn held her hand.
“I’m right here.”
Jace stood at the doorway.
Maisie looked at him through frightened eyes.
“Are you my dad?”
No one moved.
Evelyn bowed her head.
Jace could not force air into his lungs.
He had imagined having children with Evelyn.
He had imagined a little girl with her smile.
He had buried those dreams when Evelyn vanished.
Now that child was lying ten feet away.
And she was waiting for an answer.
“I don’t know yet.”
Maisie’s fingers tightened around the moon pendant.
“Mommy said you didn’t know about me.”
Evelyn’s head jerked up.
“Maisie.”
“She said you would come if you knew.”
Jace looked at Evelyn.
Her face collapsed.
Maisie continued before either of them could stop her.
“Grandpa said you knew.”
The room went still.
Jace crouched beside the bed.
“When did you meet Grandpa?”
Maisie looked toward the glass.
Conrad remained outside.
“He came to our old house.”
Evelyn stared at her daughter.
“What?”
“He said not to tell you.”
“When?”
“The night you went to work.”
Evelyn’s hand began trembling.
“Maisie, what did he do?”
“He gave me the necklace.”
Jace looked at the crescent moon.
Evelyn’s pendant had disappeared with her six years earlier.
She had always claimed she lost it during the escape.
Maisie opened her palm.
“He said Daddy would recognize it.”
Jace’s gaze shifted to Conrad.
His father had not arrived to recover a missing child.
He had placed the pendant in Maisie’s hand.
He had arranged the custody order that morning.
He had known Jace would leave the hospital by that exact entrance.
Jace stood.
“You wanted me to find them.”
Conrad did not blink.
Jace suddenly understood.
His father had not made a mistake.
May you like
This entire meeting had been staged.
Before Jace could speak again, every light in the emergency room went dark.
