Chapter 6 - Phase Two

Helen Crowe chose a church parking lot for the meeting.

Caleb arrived with Nathan Reed and a private investigator unaffiliated with Whitcomb security.

"I didn't know he would hurt the baby."

"Start over."

"Malcolm said Sophie needed structure."

"You changed medication times."

"Only vitamins and reflux drops."

"You changed clothing."

"I didn't know about the onesie."

"Who put it there?"

"I don't know."

"You sent the fever alert?"

"Yes."

"Moved my meeting?"

"I asked your assistant to move it."

"Delayed my driver?"

"Yes."

"Turned off the nursery camera?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"He said Nora was dangerous."

"And you believed him?"

"At first."

"What changed?"

"She started saving screenshots."

"Malcolm told me Nora planned to accuse the family of negligence and sue."

"So you helped frame her."

"I thought we were documenting her."

"You manufactured the documentation."

"Then he asked me to prepare phase two."

"What is phase two?"

"A welfare incident."

Nathan Reed spoke for the first time.

"Define that."

Helen opened her purse and removed printed pages.

A draft call script to child protective services.

Concerned anonymous employee.

Household medications unsecured.

"Lethargic?"

Nora whispered, "That's why the sleep schedule kept changing."

"They wanted Sophie overtired."

"And the medicine cabinet?"

"He told me to leave it unlocked one morning before an inspection."

"Inspection by whom?"

"A private child-welfare consultant."

"Working for?"

"Malcolm's attorney."

"This is not welfare. This is litigation preparation."

"Malcolm said once there was enough documentation, he could petition for emergency family guardianship."

"When?"

"After the merger vote."

The deal Julia had opposed.

"When is the vote?"

"Six weeks."

Sophie's trust shares could block it.

If Malcolm became temporary family representative, he could vote them.

Caleb asked, "Who else is helping him?"

"Someone in your executive office."

"Name."

"I never met them. I only saw initials."

"What initials?"

"D.K."

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