CHAPTER 6 — THE INVESTIGATION
The social worker arrived at noon.
Her name was Karen Ellis. She spoke calmly, took careful notes and made no assumptions.
Still, Daniel’s hands shook throughout the interview.
The report claimed Olivia suffered from severe untreated postpartum depression.
It claimed Daniel worked long hours and left the baby unattended.
It claimed the house was unsafe and filled with spoiled food.
It also claimed Olivia had collapsed while intoxicated.
“That is a lie,” Daniel said.
Karen looked toward the IV attached to Olivia’s arm.
“The hospital ran blood tests when she arrived. We will review the records with her permission.”
“You have it,” Olivia said immediately.
Karen asked to inspect their home once Olivia was discharged.
Daniel agreed.
He showed her photographs the police had taken of Patricia’s attempted packing. He provided the incident number and the names of the officers.
Karen listened without reacting.
“Do you know who made the report?” Daniel asked.
“Reports are confidential.”
“My mother did this.”
“I understand why you believe that.”
“She is trying to punish us.”
Karen closed her notebook.
“Then the best thing you can do is cooperate and remain focused on your child.”
After she left, Daniel paced beside the window.
“I should call Patricia.”
“No,” Olivia said.
“She needs to know this crossed a line.”
“She knows.”
Daniel stopped.
Olivia’s voice was weak but steady.
“She wants you to call. She wants to scream, cry and pull you back into the same argument. Don’t give her what she wants.”
Daniel looked at his wife and realized how many years she had spent studying Patricia’s patterns while he refused to see them.
His attorney, Rebecca Shaw, arrived an hour later.
Rebecca advised them to seek a temporary protective order. She also recommended preserving every message, post and voicemail.
“Do not speak with Patricia directly,” Rebecca warned. “Everything goes through me.”
Daniel gave her Michael’s documents.
Rebecca skimmed the trust statements.
“This could support a civil claim,” she said. “Possibly more, depending on how the funds were withdrawn.”
“I don’t care about the money.”
“You may not. But Patricia cares about consequences.”
That evening, Olivia was cleared to remain under observation for one more night.
Daniel returned home with Michael to prepare for the CPS inspection.
The locks had been changed.
The security system was active.
Patricia’s belongings were gone.
For the first time, the house felt quiet.
Then Michael opened the nursery closet.
A small plastic bag sat behind a stack of diapers.
Inside were two prescription bottles bearing Olivia’s name.
Her pain medication.
And her antibiotics.
Both had disappeared four days earlier.
Daniel had assumed Olivia misplaced them.
Michael held the bottles beneath the light.
“They’re almost full.”
Daniel stared at them.
Olivia’s infection risk had increased because she had missed several antibiotic doses.
Patricia had accused her of being careless.
Rebecca arrived twenty minutes later and photographed the bottles without touching them.
“Could Patricia have put them here?” Daniel asked.
Rebecca’s expression was controlled.
“We need evidence before making that accusation.”
Daniel checked the nursery camera.
The device had been unplugged.
But the security application retained several short recordings from before the power disconnected.
Daniel opened the final clip.
Patricia entered the nursery alone.
May you like
She looked directly toward the hallway.
Then she removed two medicine bottles from Olivia’s diaper bag.
