Chapter 9 - The Hearing at Nine.
The emergency hearing was scheduled for nine the next morning.
David slept for less than an hour.
At five thirty, he sat alone in the library and finally opened Emily's letter.
The first line made him stop.
David, if you are reading this because something happened to me, do not let grief make you trust the people who comfort you first.
He read it again.
Grant had been the first person at the hospital.
Hale had arrived twenty minutes later.
Emily continued.
There are documents I cannot keep in the house because someone has already searched my office.
I made copies, but copies can be challenged.
The original proof is somewhere no attorney would think to look and somewhere Lucy will never willingly give away.
David's hands tightened on the paper.
The rabbit.
Emily had hidden something inside Lucy's toy.
The letter did not say what.
It only said that Evelyn knew how to identify the item once it was found.
David called Evelyn immediately.
She answered on the second ring.
"Is Lucy okay?"
"She's asleep beside me."
David exhaled.
"Emily said you would know how to identify what was in the rabbit."
Evelyn was silent.
"Evelyn?"
"There was supposed to be a brass capsule."
"How big?"
"About the size of your thumb."
"What was inside?"
"Emily never told me."
"Then how were you supposed to identify it?"
"There is a tiny blue line around one end."
David closed his eyes.
Whoever cut open the rabbit knew exactly what to remove.
"Natalie knew."
"Maybe."
"She was watching the toy before it disappeared."
"Then ask yourself why she did not simply take it earlier."
David paused.
That question bothered him.
Natalie had lived in Walker House for six months.
She had been near Lucy countless times.
If she knew the rabbit contained evidence, she could have taken it from the nursery on any ordinary day.
Why wait until the afternoon of the dinner?
Why drag Lucy down a hallway with the toy in her hands?
"Something changed yesterday," David said.
"Yes."
"What?"
Evelyn's voice lowered.
"Maybe Natalie only learned what the rabbit was yesterday."
David thought about Hale's note.
Find the Mercer connection.
Maybe Natalie had been useful to Hale long before she understood the full plan.
At court, Rachel met David on the steps with a folder under her arm.
"We have three problems," she said.
"Only three?"
"The forged guardianship, Grant's statement, and Natalie's injury."
"And our evidence?"
"The hidden footage helps, but we need authentication."
"Emily's system has timestamps."
"A judge will want an expert."
"How long?"
"Days, not hours."
David looked toward the courthouse doors.
"Then today is about getting Lucy home."
"Exactly."
Natalie arrived twenty minutes later wearing a cream suit and no jewelry.
She looked less like a glamorous fiancée and more like a careful witness.
A faint bruise showed around her wrist.
Grant walked beside her.
David felt more anger toward him than toward Natalie.
Grant had known Emily for twelve years.
He had called Lucy his goddaughter.
Now he would testify that David was dangerous.
Natalie passed David without speaking.
Grant stopped.
"This has gone too far."
David stared at him.
"You testified against me."
"I told the truth."
"You broke into my wife's office."
Grant's face tightened.
"You don't know what you saw."
"I know exactly what I saw."
"Then you know Emily was hiding things too."
David stepped closer.
"Be careful."
Grant gave a tired smile.
"See, David?"
"That's what everyone is worried about."
Rachel put a hand on David's arm before he could answer.
Inside the courtroom, Judge Helen Marshall reviewed the emergency order.
Dana Ellis testified first.
She explained that Lucy appeared securely attached to David and showed no obvious fear of him.
That helped.
Then Natalie testified.
She described the hallway incident in a soft, measured voice.
She admitted that she had raised her hand but claimed she had only intended to point toward the guest room.
David nearly stood up.
Rachel stopped him with a look.
Natalie said David had rushed in, grabbed her, and thrown her down.
Then Grant testified that David had become unpredictable after Emily's death.
Rachel cross-examined him.
"Have you ever seen David strike Lucy?"
"No."
"Have you ever seen him threaten Lucy?"
"No."
"Have you ever seen Lucy appear afraid of her father?"
Grant hesitated.
"No."
The judge looked unimpressed with the original emergency theory.
Then opposing counsel produced the guardianship form.
Rachel challenged the signature.
The other attorney produced the verified signing record.
Judge Marshall studied it.
"Mr. Walker, is this your registered signing device?"
"Yes."
"Did you authorize its use?"
"No."
"Who has access to it?"
David thought carefully.
"It stays in a locked drawer in my home office."
"Who knows the code?"
"Only me."
The judge looked at him for several seconds.
Then she turned to the clerk.
"I want a recess."
Everyone stood.
Before leaving the bench, Judge Marshall looked directly at David.
"Mr. Walker, one more question."
"Yes, Your Honor."
"Who is Evelyn Mercer?"
David's heart skipped.
"Lucy's maternal grandmother."
The judge looked down at a document David had not seen.
"Then you should know she filed a sealed guardianship petition for Lucy eighteen months ago."
David turned toward Evelyn in the back row.
May you like
Evelyn's face told him it was true.
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