Chapter 12 - THE ORIGINAL PLAN
Rachel’s plan did not require Emma to die.
It required her to become sick in front of witnesses.
The drink was supposed to contain enough medication to make Emma drowsy and confused.
Rachel would accuse me of accidentally giving Emma one of my own pills.
Child-welfare investigators would become involved.
The earlier incidents would appear to establish a pattern.
Rachel would then reveal her genetic connection and request emergency guardianship.
The birthday party provided perfect witnesses.
My parents.
Several children and their families.
Mark.
Me.
The security camera complicated the plan, but Rachel did not know Mark had installed it.
Something had gone wrong with the amount.
The concentration in Emma’s drink was far higher than the earlier samples.
Rachel denied adding that much.
She contacted Detective Hayes through an attorney and offered to surrender.
She claimed someone had altered the drink after she prepared it.
Police arrested her at a motel outside Tucson.
During questioning, Rachel admitted adding medication to Emma’s cocoa weeks earlier.
She admitted adding a small amount to the birthday lemonade.
She called it “harmless.”
The doctors strongly disagreed.
“Then who added the rest?” Detective Hayes asked.
Rachel named David.
David denied it.
He claimed Rachel had instructed him to stand near the cup and block the camera while she entered from the pantry side.
The footage did not show that entrance.
A blind spot existed beside the refrigerator.
Rachel could have reached the cup without appearing on camera.
My mother admitted carrying the cup toward the sink because Rachel told her the straw looked dirty.
She claimed she did not know anything had been added.
My father moved the drink because Rachel asked him to call Emma.
Every member of my family had played a role.
Some knew the plan.
Some obeyed without asking.
Some cared more about secrets than danger.
Mark and I were asked to identify whether anything was missing from our home.
After searching Emma’s bedroom, I found an empty space inside her closet.
Her small pink suitcase was gone.
So were several dresses, pajamas, and a framed photograph of Rachel holding her as a newborn.
Someone had packed for her before the party.
The suitcase was found in David’s car.
Inside was an airline ticket issued in Emma’s name.
The departure time was three hours after the birthday party.
Destination Toronto.
May you like
Rachel had never planned to wait for a custody hearing.
She planned to take my daughter while I sat in jail.
