Chapter 10 - THE PRICE OF A MOTHER'S LOVE
Fay read the legal notice three times.
Then placed it on the kitchen table.
Her hands were shaking.
Charles Vanderpool wanted to pursue custody proceedings involving Josie.
The same family that had ignored her daughter for five years.
The same people who hadn't helped pay for a single hearing assessment.
The same woman who had forced Fay to kneel on cold marble.
Now they were claiming concern for Josie's wellbeing.
Fay felt sick.
“Why?”
Rafferty stood beside her.
“Because they're trying to frighten you.”
She looked up.
“Can they take her?”
He didn't offer a false promise.
“Custody decisions belong to the court. An independent family-law attorney can explain your rights and help you respond.”
Fay nodded shakily.
She appreciated the honesty.
But fear still pressed against her chest.
That night, Josie climbed into her lap carrying a blue paper boat.
She placed it against Fay's cheek.
Then signed:
Mommy sad?
Fay's eyes filled.
She signed back:
Mommy tired.
Josie frowned.
Then touched her mother's cheek again.
Fay smiled.
Her daughter had developed her own ways of communicating.
Signs.
Facial expressions.
Written words.
The gentle touch she'd used since infancy.
Some people spoke about Josie's hearing loss as though it were the only important fact about her.
Fay knew better.
Josie was funny.
Stubborn.
Creative.
And fascinated by anything that floated.
Her hearing specialists had discussed several options, including assistive devices and possible medical procedures.
But the decisions required careful evaluation.
Nothing guaranteed a particular outcome.
And Fay wanted Josie to grow up knowing she was loved exactly as she was.
The following week, Fay met with a family-law attorney.
She brought medical records.
School reports.
Receipts.
Photographs.
And years of evidence showing she had been Josie's primary caregiver.
Nathan had not maintained contact.
He hadn't provided regular support.
And there were serious questions about the Vanderpool family's motives.
The attorney explained that financial wealth alone wouldn't determine custody.
Fay finally exhaled.
For the first time, she felt less powerless.
Meanwhile, the investigation into the old Cain Foundation uncovered new financial records.
Charles Vanderpool had used charitable accounts to move millions into companies controlled by relatives.
Some of the diverted money had been intended for children's medical treatment.
Including the program that once supported St. Augustine's.
Rafferty stared at the ledger.
Then noticed something.
One payment had been made shortly before Marguerite's fatal accident.
The receiving company belonged to the trucking business involved in her crash.
His expression darkened.
Investigators reviewed the transaction.
Then another record surfaced.
A handwritten authorization.
The signature belonged to Silvano.
Rafferty's oldest and most trusted lieutenant.
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And the date was the day Marguerite died.
For the first time, Rafferty wondered whether the man who'd helped raise him had also helped bury the truth.
