Chapter 3 - TWO TICKETS, THREE THOUSAND DOLLARS, AND ONE BABY
The envelope contained $3,400 in cash.
The police also documented printed travel information.
Two adult tickets.
One infant reservation.
Departure:
The following morning.
Destination:
Savannah, Georgia.
Passenger names:
Judith Lawson.
Melissa Lawson.
Infant:
Ruby Lawson.
Nathan stared at the copy when detectives showed it to him later.
“My daughter was leaving tomorrow?”
Detective Vanessa Cole answered carefully.
“A reservation existed.”
Not conclusion.
Evidence.
Nathan looked toward Anna.
She had gone completely pale.
“I never agreed to that.”
Neither had Nathan.
Then investigators found an email printout.
From Judith to a family-law attorney in Georgia.
It asked generally about how grandparents could obtain temporary custody of an infant if the mother was “mentally unstable” and the father was “unable to recognize the danger.”
The attorney had replied with ordinary legal information and warned that court orders would be required.
Judith apparently did not like that answer.
Because the temporary caregiver authorization in Melissa’s bag was dated three days later.
The signature lines were already filled.
Anna whispered:
“They were going to take her.”
Nobody answered immediately.
Detective Cole finally said:
“We are investigating what they intended to do.”
Good.
Careful.
But the evidence no longer looked random.
Travel.
Cash.
Baby documents.
Anna’s phone.
A forged-looking authorization.
And a disabled infant monitor.
Nathan put both hands over his face.
“I left them alone with her.”
Anna’s expression hardened.
“So did I.”
“No.”
He looked at her.
“I invited Mom to stay.”
Anna did not answer.
May you like
That silence held months of things I did not understand yet.
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