Chapter 7 - The Birthday Gift.
Leah pulled the office blinds closed before the men reached the front steps.
One was a private investigator Claire recognized from Eleanor's holiday parties.
The other was a process server carrying another motion.
Neither had authority to take Sophie.
That did not stop Claire's hands from shaking.
The new filing asked the court to order immediate psychological evaluation of Claire and temporary supervised placement of Sophie with Eleanor pending the hearing.
It cited Claire's "flight from the marital home" as evidence of instability.
Leah read the sentence aloud with disgust.
"You left after your mother-in-law threatened you."
"And now leaving is proof I'm dangerous."
"That's how these narratives work when someone has enough money to repeat them."
Sophie sat on the office carpet beside Claire's duffel bag.
She was hugging the stuffed rabbit Eleanor had given her for her second birthday.
Claire almost took it away on instinct.
Then Sophie squeezed the rabbit's chest.
A faint metallic click sounded inside it.
Sophie looked down.
"Bunny's heart."
Claire frowned.
"What heart?"
Sophie pushed her thumb against a seam beneath the rabbit's bow.
"Miss Rosa put it in."
Claire and Leah looked at each other.
Rosa Alvarez had worked in Eleanor's house for almost twelve years.
Three weeks earlier, Eleanor had abruptly announced that Rosa had quit and moved to Arizona.
Claire had believed her.
Leah crouched beside Sophie.
"Can Mommy look at Bunny for a minute?"
Sophie handed it over.
The seam had been resewn by hand.
Leah found small scissors.
Inside the stuffing was a black digital recorder no larger than Claire's thumb.
Claire stared at it.
"Why would Rosa hide this?"
Leah pressed the power button.
The battery indicator showed one bar.
There were twelve audio files.
The earliest was dated six weeks earlier.
The first recording began with kitchen sounds.
Eleanor's voice came through clearly.
"Say it again."
Sophie answered in the small, tired voice Claire knew too well.
"Mommy gets mad."
"And then?"
"Mommy scares me."
"Good girl."
Claire gripped the desk.
The next file contained Eleanor speaking with Adam.
"A judge does not need to believe Claire is a monster."
"Stop talking like this."
"The judge only needs to believe the child is safer elsewhere for thirty days."
"You're not taking my daughter."
"Then sign the proxy."
A chair scraped.
Adam cursed under his breath.
"The trust proxy isn't mine to give you."
"It will be if Claire is removed and you consent to temporary guardianship."
Claire looked at Leah.
The legal strategy was no longer implied.
It was spoken aloud.
The third file was worse.
Rosa's voice appeared for the first time.
"Mrs. Whitmore, the little girl has been in that room for twenty minutes."
Eleanor answered coldly.
"She is learning to calm herself."
"She is crying."
"Then she has not learned yet."
Claire covered her mouth.
Sophie crawled closer and leaned against her leg.
Claire picked her up.
"I'm sorry," she whispered into her daughter's hair.
The fourth recording captured a door opening.
Rosa's voice was low and angry.
"Come here, sweetheart."
Eleanor snapped back.
"Put her down."
"No."
"You work for me."
"Not for this."
There was a long silence.
Then Eleanor said something that explained Rosa's disappearance.
"You will sign a confidentiality agreement tonight, or I will make sure no family in this city hires you again."
The recording ended.
Claire searched the remaining files.
The final one contained only Rosa whispering.
Her voice was close to the microphone.
"Claire, if you ever hear this, Eleanor found out I was recording."
A pause followed.
"She is not doing this because she hates you."
Another pause.
"She is doing it because of Sophie's shares."
Claire felt Leah stiffen beside her.
Rosa continued.
"And Adam knew more than he told you."
The file ended with a location spoken quickly.
"Saint Gabriel's bus station locker seventeen."
Claire looked at Leah.
Leah was already reaching for her keys.
"We're going to the station."
Claire glanced toward the closed blinds.
May you like
The black SUV was still parked outside.
And this time, the man with the camera was photographing every person who left the building.
