I asked Gabriel to repeat himself.<\/p>\n
He did.<\/p>\n
Slowly this time.<\/p>\n
\u201cMelinda told me Connor knew about the pregnancy four years ago.\u201d<\/p>\n
We had moved into an unused family consultation room near pediatrics, not because I wanted the conversation but because leaving him in the public hallway felt worse.<\/p>\n
The room held four upholstered chairs, a low table and a box of tissues no one ever wanted to need.<\/p>\n
I remained standing.<\/p>\n
Gabriel sat only after I told him to.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow did Connor know?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don't know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou were involved with Melinda then?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAt the same time as Connor?\u201d<\/p>\n
Gabriel looked at the floor.<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn't know about Connor.\u201d<\/p>\n
That distinction mattered.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo your knowledge, were you and Melinda exclusive?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI thought we were.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow long?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAbout eight months.\u201d<\/p>\n
I sat across from him.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou said she became pregnant.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow far along?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSeven weeks, maybe eight.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd she miscarried?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat's what she told me.\u201d<\/p>\n
The phrasing caught my attention.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou don't believe her?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI did then.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd now?\u201d<\/p>\n
He rubbed his palms together.<\/p>\n
\u201cNow I don't know what to believe.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause when she called me during this pregnancy\u2014Noah's pregnancy\u2014she told me something different.\u201d<\/p>\n
I waited.<\/p>\n
Gabriel looked embarrassed.<\/p>\n
Not because of the affair.<\/p>\n
Because he had carried some private humiliation for years.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe said the first pregnancy might have been Connor's.\u201d<\/p>\n
I said nothing.<\/p>\n
He continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe admitted she'd been seeing him.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhile she was with you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow long?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe wouldn't tell me.\u201d<\/p>\n
I thought of Melinda sitting beside me years ago while I described failed fertility appointments.<\/p>\n
My friend.<\/p>\n
My husband's lover.<\/p>\n
Gabriel's partner.<\/p>\n
The overlapping lives made my stomach turn.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat happened after she told you?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI stopped speaking to her.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFor how long?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYears.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cUntil?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cUntil she called while pregnant with Noah.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSo she did contact you.\u201d<\/p>\n
His expression hardened.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
The confirmation was clean and immediate.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did she say?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat she was pregnant.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat she didn't know who the father was.\u201d<\/p>\n
The room seemed to lose air.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cEarly. Maybe six weeks.\u201d<\/p>\n
Long before Noah's birth.<\/p>\n
Long before Connor stood beside a stroller announcing biological certainty.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did you do?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI asked her to meet me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid she?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe told you there was a possibility the child was yours.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd then?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe changed her mind.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cA week later she called and said she'd worked out the dates and Connor had to be the father.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you believe her?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI wanted to.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause I was engaged.\u201d<\/p>\n
That surprised me.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo someone else?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
He looked ashamed again.<\/p>\n
\u201cI'd moved on. Or I thought I had.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat happened?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI told Melinda if there was any real possibility the child was mine, we needed testing after the birth.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd she agreed?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAt first.\u201d<\/p>\n
There it was again.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt first.\u201d<\/p>\n
Gabriel leaned forward.<\/p>\n
\u201cThen Connor called me.\u201d<\/p>\n
I sat very still.<\/p>\n
\u201cConnor knew who you were.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did he say?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe said the baby was his and I needed to stay away from Melinda.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid he threaten you?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNot directly.\u201d<\/p>\n
I almost smiled at the familiar phrase.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did he say exactly?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat if I tried to interfere, he'd make sure my fianc\u00e9e learned everything in the ugliest possible way.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid she know about Melinda?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSo he used that.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Gabriel looked toward the door.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was a coward.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou were protecting a lie.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSame difference.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo. Not always.\u201d<\/p>\n
He seemed surprised by that.<\/p>\n
I was too.<\/p>\n
Maybe divorce had made me less interested in moral simplicity.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did you do?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI backed away.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCompletely?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFor almost a year.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd then?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI saw a picture.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNoah?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat changed?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe looked like my father.\u201d<\/p>\n
I almost objected.<\/p>\n
Physical resemblance was weak evidence.<\/p>\n
Gabriel anticipated it.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know. People see what they want in babies. I'm not claiming a photograph proves anything.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen why file?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause I asked Melinda again.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTwo months ago.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did she say?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat Noah was Connor's.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnything else?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe told me never to contact her again.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd that made you file?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
He took out his phone.<\/p>\n
\u201cI received this.\u201d<\/p>\n
He opened a message and handed me the screen.<\/p>\n
The sender was an unknown number.<\/p>\n
The text contained only one sentence.<\/p>\n
If you ever cared about the truth, ask for a DNA test.<\/p>\n
I read it twice.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen did you get this?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThree weeks ago.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWho sent it?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don't know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you reply?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat happened?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNothing.\u201d<\/p>\n
I handed the phone back.<\/p>\n
\u201cCould someone be manipulating you?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOf course.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cConnor?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMaybe.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMelinda?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMaybe.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSomeone else?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat is why I filed.\u201d<\/p>\n
His answer was reasonable.<\/p>\n
Too reasonable for the mess surrounding it.<\/p>\n
\u201cWho knows about the filing?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMy lawyer. Melinda. Connor. Now you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe court record isn't sealed?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cParts are.\u201d<\/p>\n
I thought about Connor moving money.<\/p>\n
Shredding documents.<\/p>\n
Coming to my house.<\/p>\n
The paternity action might explain his panic.<\/p>\n
It did not explain everything.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou said Connor knew about Melinda's earlier pregnancy.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe told me he drove her to one of the appointments.\u201d<\/p>\n
That stopped me.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFour years ago.\u201d<\/p>\n
The same period as Connor's hidden specialist consultation.<\/p>\n
\u201cDo you know which appointment?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHospital?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cClinic.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhich one?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don't remember the name.\u201d<\/p>\n
I closed my eyes briefly.<\/p>\n
If Connor accompanied Melinda to a pregnancy appointment while married to me, the affair had begun far earlier than either admitted.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow did you learn this?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMelinda told me during the conversation when she confessed the first pregnancy might have been Connor's.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd you never confronted him then?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn't know him.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou knew his name.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you know he was married?\u201d<\/p>\n
Gabriel looked at me.<\/p>\n
That was answer enough.<\/p>\n
\u201cI found out afterward.\u201d<\/p>\n
I stood and walked toward the small window.<\/p>\n
Rain had started again.<\/p>\n
Indianapolis seemed determined to remain gray that month.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy come to me instead of letting the court handle it?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause yesterday Melinda sounded scared.\u201d<\/p>\n
That matched my experience.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe said Connor found out about the fertility records.\u201d<\/p>\n
I turned.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow would she know that?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe said she confronted him.\u201d<\/p>\n
Despite everything I had told her.<\/p>\n
\u201cOf course she did.\u201d<\/p>\n
Gabriel frowned.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe said he denied the records meant what she thought.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat else?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe said he accused her of trying to destroy his family.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat sounds like Connor.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe also said something about you.\u201d<\/p>\n
My pulse changed.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat you were behind all of this.\u201d<\/p>\n
I laughed once.<\/p>\n
\u201cOf course.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe thinks you encouraged me to file.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI learned your name this morning.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDoes Connor?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI told Melinda we'd never met.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat won't matter.\u201d<\/p>\n
Gabriel studied me.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou know him well.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI knew a version of him.\u201d<\/p>\n
My pager sounded.<\/p>\n
I glanced at the screen.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have to work.\u201d<\/p>\n
He stood.<\/p>\n
\u201cI'm sorry for coming here.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou shouldn't do it again.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI won't.\u201d<\/p>\n
I moved toward the door.<\/p>\n
\u201cGabriel.\u201d<\/p>\n
He stopped.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf the court orders testing, follow the process. Don't contact me for medical interpretation.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI understand.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd don't contact Melinda privately if your lawyer advises against it.\u201d<\/p>\n
He nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne more thing.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIf someone sends you another anonymous message, preserve it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI already gave my lawyer screenshots.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGood.\u201d<\/p>\n
I opened the door.<\/p>\n
Gabriel stepped into the corridor.<\/p>\n
Then he turned.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don't want to take someone's child away.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf Noah is mine, I want to know him. That's all.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nothing about the situation was that simple.<\/p>\n
Still, I believed him.<\/p>\n
Maybe because he looked nothing like Connor when speaking about Noah.<\/p>\n
No possession.<\/p>\n
No triumph.<\/p>\n
Only fear.<\/p>\n
At three-twenty, Kenneth called.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou met Gabriel Mercer.\u201d<\/p>\n
It was not a question.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow do you know?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHis lawyer called mine.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cEfficient.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnnoying.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe came to the hospital.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI heard.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI told him not to come again.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGood.\u201d<\/p>\n
I closed my office door.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe told me about Melinda's earlier pregnancy.\u201d<\/p>\n
Silence.<\/p>\n
Then Kenneth said, \u201cWhat earlier pregnancy?\u201d<\/p>\n
That surprised me.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou didn't know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
I told him what Gabriel had said.<\/p>\n
He interrupted twice to clarify dates.<\/p>\n
When I finished, the line remained quiet.<\/p>\n
\u201cKenneth?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI'm here.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat are you thinking?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat the four-year-old pregnancy may explain why Connor sought fertility testing independently.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe thought Melinda was pregnant with his child.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPossibly.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen the pregnancy ended.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd afterward he learned natural conception was highly unlikely.\u201d<\/p>\n
The sequence settled into place.<\/p>\n
Connor's secret affair.<\/p>\n
Melinda's pregnancy.<\/p>\n
Connor's fear that he might be the father.<\/p>\n
The specialist.<\/p>\n
The diagnosis.<\/p>\n
Then silence.<\/p>\n
Then years later, Noah.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf Connor knew he was unlikely to father a child, why publicly claim Noah?\u201d<\/p>\n
Kenneth answered immediately.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople don't always behave according to facts.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThey behave according to what facts cost them.\u201d<\/p>\n
That sentence stayed with me.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat would it cost Connor if Noah isn't his?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cEmotionally?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFinancially.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kenneth paused.<\/p>\n
\u201cA lot may depend on what documents he signed.\u201d<\/p>\n
My attention sharpened.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat documents?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe found references to a trust.\u201d<\/p>\n
I sat straighter.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor Noah?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe think so.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow much?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cUnknown.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWho funded it?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPotentially Connor's father.\u201d<\/p>\n
That added an entirely new dimension.<\/p>\n
Connor's father, Walter Fleming, had built most of the family wealth Connor enjoyed pretending he created himself.<\/p>\n
Walter was old-fashioned, controlling and obsessed with inheritance.<\/p>\n
During our marriage, he spoke openly about grandchildren carrying the Fleming name.<\/p>\n
Connor resented him.<\/p>\n
Connor also depended on him.<\/p>\n
\u201cKenneth.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIf Walter created a trust for Connor's biological child\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen establishing that Noah is not biologically Connor's could have financial consequences.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow serious?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPossibly substantial.\u201d<\/p>\n
I leaned back.<\/p>\n
Suddenly the paternity fight was not merely personal.<\/p>\n
It was money.<\/p>\n
Legacy.<\/p>\n
Status.<\/p>\n
Everything Connor cared about most.<\/p>\n
\u201cDoes Walter know about the paternity case?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe don't know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cConnor would make sure he didn't.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLikely.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCould that explain the money transfers?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMaybe.\u201d<\/p>\n
Before I could ask more, my office door opened without a knock.<\/p>\n
Nora stepped inside.<\/p>\n
Her face was tight.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou need to come downstairs.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat happened?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are police in the lobby.\u201d<\/p>\n
My stomach dropped.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThey're asking for you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kenneth heard.<\/p>\n
\u201cPut me on speaker.\u201d<\/p>\n
I did.<\/p>\n
Nora looked confused.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy would police be asking for me?\u201d<\/p>\n
She swallowed.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey said it involves your ex-husband.\u201d<\/p>\n
I stood.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did Connor do?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don't know.\u201d<\/p>\n
We reached the lobby three minutes later.<\/p>\n
Two officers waited beside security.<\/p>\n
One of them stepped forward.<\/p>\n
\u201cDr. Kirsten Sinclair?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI'm Officer Morales. We'd like to ask you a few questions.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAbout?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cConnor Fleming.\u201d<\/p>\n
I crossed my arms.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat happened?\u201d<\/p>\n
Morales glanced at his partner.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere was an incident at Mr. Fleming's residence.\u201d<\/p>\n
My heart kicked hard.<\/p>\n
\u201cIs Melinda all right?\u201d<\/p>\n
The officer hesitated.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe and the child are safe.\u201d<\/p>\n
Relief came first.<\/p>\n
Then fear.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat incident?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cA confrontation.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWith whom?\u201d<\/p>\n
Morales looked directly at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cGabriel Mercer.\u201d<\/p>\n
I stared at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat can't be right. Gabriel was here earlier.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen did this happen?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAbout forty minutes ago.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat makes no sense.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt may.\u201d<\/p>\n
The officer removed a small notebook.<\/p>\n
\u201cMr. Fleming claims Gabriel came to the house, threatened him and attempted to enter.\u201d<\/p>\n
I thought of Gabriel sitting across from me.<\/p>\n
Quiet.<\/p>\n
Controlled.<\/p>\n
Not proof of innocence, but inconsistent.<\/p>\n
\u201cWas Gabriel arrested?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy not?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause he says he was never there.\u201d<\/p>\n
I frowned.<\/p>\n
\u201cThen why are you talking to me?\u201d<\/p>\n
Morales's expression hardened.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause security footage from a neighboring house appears to show someone resembling him near the property.\u201d<\/p>\n
My skin prickled.<\/p>\n
\u201cAppears?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe face isn't clear.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked toward Nora.<\/p>\n
Then back at the officer.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat does Connor say I have to do with this?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe claims you and Mr. Mercer have been coordinating against him.\u201d<\/p>\n
A tired laugh escaped me.<\/p>\n
\u201cI met Gabriel for the first time today.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSo we've been told.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBy whom?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMr. Mercer.\u201d<\/p>\n
The officer flipped a page.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd he says you can confirm where he was shortly before the alleged incident.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe was here.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFor how long?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMaybe twenty minutes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you see him leave?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere was he going?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don't know.\u201d<\/p>\n
Morales nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cWould hospital security footage confirm the time?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
His partner stepped away to speak with security.<\/p>\n
Kenneth's voice came through my phone.<\/p>\n
\u201cOfficer, this is Kenneth Boyd, Dr. Sinclair's attorney.\u201d<\/p>\n
Morales looked at the phone.<\/p>\n
\u201cUnderstood.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kenneth continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy client will cooperate with factual questions, but given active litigation involving Mr. Fleming, I want future questioning coordinated through me.\u201d<\/p>\n
The officer nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat's fine.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cIs Melinda still at the house?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere is she?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI can't give you a private location.\u201d<\/p>\n
That answer told me enough.<\/p>\n
She had left.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith Noah?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
I exhaled.<\/p>\n
Morales studied me.<\/p>\n
\u201cDid Ms. Travis tell you yesterday that she was afraid of Mr. Fleming?\u201d<\/p>\n
I hesitated.<\/p>\n
Kenneth's voice came immediately.<\/p>\n
\u201cKirsten, answer only what you directly observed.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at the officer.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe said his anger frightened her.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnything more?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe said he'd never hit her.\u201d<\/p>\n
Morales wrote that down.<\/p>\n
The phrasing looked different once ink touched paper.<\/p>\n
Never hit me was not the same as I feel safe.<\/p>\n
After the officers left, Nora stood beside me.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat is going on?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI wish I knew.\u201d<\/p>\n
My phone vibrated.<\/p>\n
A message from an unknown number.<\/p>\n
I opened it.<\/p>\n
A photograph loaded.<\/p>\n
Melinda sat in the passenger seat of a car, holding Noah against her chest.<\/p>\n
The picture had clearly been taken without her knowledge through another vehicle's windshield.<\/p>\n
Beneath it was a message.<\/p>\n
Tell your friend she should have kept quiet.<\/p>\n
For several seconds I could not breathe.<\/p>\n
Then a second message appeared.<\/p>\n
And tell your lawyer the money is gone.<\/p>\n
I asked Gabriel to repeat himself. He did. Slowly this time. \u201cMelinda told me Connor knew about the pregnancy four years ago.\u201d We had moved into an unused family consultation … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":30484,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-30490","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-insightdrama"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30490","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=30490"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30490\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":30586,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30490\/revisions\/30586"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/30484"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=30490"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=30490"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=30490"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}