Chapter 6: The Signature That Wasn't Mine
I read the sentence three times.
*Upon completion, the child will be permanently removed from the Carter household.*
My daughter was asleep in my arms.
Her cheek rested against my shoulder, and one small hand was curled around the lapel of my jacket.
Three weeks from now, she would turn nine.
And someone had already prepared documents designed to take her away from me.
I looked at the signature.
It was supposed to be mine.
The handwriting was almost perfect. The slant, the capital M, even the small mark I sometimes made beneath the final letter of my surname.
But I hadn't signed it.
I knew that with absolute certainty.
“Mom,” I whispered.
Evelyn approached.
“What is it?””
I showed her the document.
She read the heading.
Then she covered her mouth.
“Oh, Marcus.””
Danielle came closer.
“What's happened?””
I handed her the phone.
She read the page, then looked at me.
“They're planning to take Maya?””
“Apparently.””
“Three weeks from now?””
I nodded.
Danielle's eyes filled.
“That's her birthday.””
I looked down at my sleeping daughter.
They had chosen her birthday deliberately.
They wanted to turn the one day she should feel loved and celebrated into the day her life was taken apart.
Something inside me settled.
I was finished being surprised.
“I'm calling Thomas Reed again.””
Mom touched my arm.
“Marcus, don't confront him alone.””
“I won't.””
I called Officer Lewis instead.
He answered quickly.
“Mr. Carter?””
“I've received another document. Someone has forged my signature on a guardianship transfer.””
“Where did it come from?””
“An anonymous email.””
“Don't delete it. Forward the original message and attachment to me. Don't open any additional files.””
I did exactly that.
He asked me to remain at the school while another officer came to collect the evidence.
Then he asked a question.
“Mr. Carter, have you had any contact with your wife since she left?””
“No.””
“Has she attempted to contact your daughter?””
“No.””
“Good. Keep it that way until we establish where she is.””
I ended the call.
Gregory was standing near the conference room door.
He had been unusually quiet since revealing Thomas's involvement.
“Marcus,” he said, “there's something I haven't told you.””
I looked at him.
“What now?””
He rubbed his hands together.
“Vanessa has been receiving messages from Rachel all evening. I have access to the family tablet, and some of their messages are synchronized.””
“Can you show me?””
He nodded.
He unlocked his phone and opened a conversation.
The latest message was from Rachel.
*Rachel: The birthday documents need to be ready before the hearing. Marcus cannot discover the medical report.*
Gregory scrolled.
Vanessa had replied:
*Vanessa: What medical report?*
Rachel:
*Rachel: The one from Christmas. If the original disappears, nobody can prove what happened.*
My stomach tightened.
I looked at Gregory.
“What medical report?””
He shook his head.
“I don't know.””
Another message appeared.
*Vanessa: What if the hospital still has a copy?*
Rachel:
*Rachel: Thomas said he handled it.*
I felt the room grow colder.
The Christmas incident.
The fall.
The bruises.
The lies.
Rachel hadn't simply convinced me Maya was fine.
She had apparently done something to conceal the medical evidence.
I called Tom.
This time, he answered after the first ring.
“Marcus, please. Let me explain.””
“Which hospital treated Maya last Christmas?””
Silence.
“Tom?””
“I don't know what you're talking about.””
“Rachel mentioned a medical report. She said you handled it.””
He exhaled.
“Marcus, you need to understand that I was under enormous pressure.””
“Which hospital?””
“St. Mary's.””
I closed my eyes.
St. Mary's was the hospital closest to our home.
“Was Maya taken there?””
Another pause.
“Yes.””
I gripped the edge of the table.
“Who took her?””
“Rachel.””
“Why didn't she tell me?””
Tom's voice became barely audible.
“Because the attending physician documented injuries that didn't match the explanation Rachel provided.””
I felt my legs weaken.
“What explanation?””
“She said Maya had fallen down the stairs.””
“And the doctor didn't believe her?””
“No.””
“Then what happened to the report?””
Tom didn't answer.
“Tell me!””
“I was asked to contact the hospital's records department. Rachel said you were aware of everything and that she had your authorization.””
I stared at the phone.
“You helped conceal evidence involving my daughter?””
“I didn't know she had been hurt intentionally.””
“You knew the doctor questioned her story.””
“Yes.””
“And you did nothing?””
Tom began crying.
“I'm sorry, Marcus.””
I ended the call.
There was nothing left to say.
Officer Lewis arrived with another investigator shortly afterward.
I gave them the documents, the messages, and the information about St. Mary's.
The investigator took notes.
“We'll request the hospital records through the appropriate process.””
Then Officer Lewis looked at me.
“Mr. Carter, I need to ask something important. Has your daughter ever expressed fear of returning home?””
I looked toward Maya.
She was still asleep.
“Recently, yes.””
“Has she ever told you why?””
I remembered her words.
Mommy said you wouldn't believe me.
I nodded.
“She told me her mother hurt her last Christmas.””
Officer Lewis lowered his voice.
“Then we need to arrange a formal child interview with a trained specialist. Please don't question her repeatedly. Let her speak in her own time.””
I understood.
I had already asked her to relive too much in one night.
My mother approached.
“Can I take Maya home with me?””
Officer Lewis considered it.
“If there's no immediate restriction preventing it, that may be appropriate. But we'll need to coordinate with the child protection team.””
Mom nodded.
“Whatever is necessary.””
Just then, my phone rang.
Unknown number.
I answered cautiously.
“Hello?””
A woman's voice spoke.
“Mr. Carter? My name is Dr.
Susan Miller. I was the physician on duty at St. Mary's the night your daughter was brought in last Christmas.””
My heart slammed against my ribs.
“Doctor, what happened to Maya?””
“I can't discuss confidential medical details without proper authorization. However, I have been informed that the police are investigating a possible incident involving her.””
“Yes.””
There was a pause.
“Mr. Carter, I remember your daughter.””
I couldn't speak.
“She was frightened,” Dr. Miller continued.
“She repeatedly asked whether her father would come.””
I closed my eyes.
I had been in Chicago that night.
Rachel had told me Maya was sleeping peacefully.
“I wasn't told she was there.””
“I understand.””
“Did Rachel bring her?””
“Yes.””
“Was there something wrong with the explanation she gave?””
The doctor hesitated.
Then she said, “I documented concerns that the reported mechanism of injury did not fully explain the findings. I also requested a safeguarding review.””
I felt sick.
“Was that review completed?””
“Yes. But I cannot discuss the outcome until the proper authorities access the file.””
“Doctor, please. Was my daughter in danger?””
Her voice softened.
“Mr. Carter, I remember asking your daughter whether she felt safe going home.””
My hand tightened around the phone.
“What did she say?””
“She asked whether she could stay with the nurse.””
I looked at Maya.
A small child.
Terrified.
Asking a stranger not to send her home.
And I hadn't known.
Dr. Miller continued.
“There was another detail. Your daughter gave me something that night. I kept it with the original incident documentation.””
“What?””
“A small drawing.””
I swallowed.
“What was in it?””
“A little girl standing at the bottom of a staircase. Beside her was a woman holding a red object.””
My blood ran cold.
A red object.
Paint.
I remembered the red paint covering Maya's costume.
“Doctor, what happened to the drawing?””
“It was scanned into the safeguarding record. The original was retained in our secure archive.””
I thanked her.
Then I gave Officer Lewis her contact details.
He listened carefully.
“We'll contact the hospital tonight.””
The room became quiet again.
Until Gregory's phone vibrated.
He glanced at the screen.
Then his expression changed.
“Marcus.””
“What?””
“Vanessa just sent me a message.””
He turned the phone around.
*Vanessa: Rachel says the girl is with Marcus. We need to know whether he has the original Christmas drawing. If he does, everything is over.*
I looked at the message.
Then at Gregory.
“Why would she be worried about a drawing?””
Gregory shook his head.
“I don't know.””
But I had a feeling.
The drawing wasn't just a child's picture.
It was something Rachel had spent almost a year trying to bury.
And now that I knew it existed, I wasn't going to stop until I understood why.
At 1:18 a.m., my mother drove Maya home.
Danielle followed them.
I stayed behind to finish giving my statement.
Before leaving, Officer Lewis pulled me aside.
“Mr. Carter, we've located your wife's vehicle.””
“Where?””
“Outside a storage facility about twenty miles from here.””
“Was she there?””
“No. But we found evidence that the vehicle had been abandoned recently.””
He showed me a photograph.
The driver's seat was empty.
The passenger door was open.
And on the floor lay a white envelope.
It had my name written across the front.
I stared at it.
“What is that?””
“We haven't opened it. It will be processed as evidence.””
I nodded.
Then he added:
“One more thing. The storage facility is registered to a company owned by Thomas Reed.””
My stomach dropped.
Tom's company.
The man who had helped Rachel change the trust documents.
The man who had admitted forging my signature.
I looked at the photograph again.
There was a second item on the passenger seat.
A small purple costume.
Lily's costume.
May you like
And attached to it was a handwritten note.
*THE NEXT GIRL WILL BE EASIER TO CONTROL.*
