Chapter 14 - The Friend
Carol Jensen had been at every Carter Christmas Emily could remember.
She brought casseroles after funerals.
She remembered everyone’s allergies.
She called Margaret “Mags” and Daniel “Danny,” as if adulthood had never happened.
Police found Carol at home.
She denied trying to enter the maternity ward.
Then detectives showed her the camera footage.
She asked for a lawyer.
That was enough for Rachel to dig deeper.
Carol’s bank records showed three payments from MJC Ventures.
Total: $74,000.
One payment came the day after Emily’s first forged prescription was filled.
Emily stared at the timeline from her hospital bed.
“What did she do?”
Rachel said, “We don’t know yet.”
Daniel did.
Or thought he did.
“Mom needed someone who understood hospital systems.”
Emily looked at Noah sleeping in the bassinet.
A terrible thought formed.
“Was Carol supposed to help her after I gave birth?”
Nobody answered.
The detective later confirmed the theory.
Carol had exchanged dozens of messages with Margaret using a private app.
Some were deleted.
Enough remained.
One message from Margaret read:
SHE WILL BE EXHAUSTED. DANIEL WILL LISTEN TO US IF WE MOVE FAST.
Carol replied:
I CAN GET THE EVALUATION REQUESTED IF SHE ACTS ERRATIC.
Another message:
BABY STAYS WITH FAMILY UNTIL COURT HEARING.
Emily felt nauseated.
“They were going to take Noah from me in the hospital.”
Daniel covered his face.
Rachel said, “They were preparing to create an emergency.”
Emily looked at her husband.
“And you would have believed them.”
He did not defend himself.
That was worse.
Because both of them knew it might have been true.
Carol finally agreed to cooperate in exchange for consideration from prosecutors.
Her statement lasted almost three hours.
When Rachel returned, she looked exhausted.
“What?” Emily asked.
Rachel closed the door.
“Carol says the guardianship plan wasn’t Margaret’s first attempt to remove someone from Daniel’s life.”
Daniel went still.
“What does that mean?”
May you like
Rachel looked at him.
“It means we need to talk about your father’s death.”
