Chapter 6: The Name in the Notebook
Claire called back at five forty-seven.
"The organization on that card doesn't exist," she said.
"There is no registered body by that name in this jurisdiction.
No affiliation with city services.
No licensing."
Daniel was in the study with the door closed.
Through the wall he could hear Mara reading to Lily in the sitting room — a steady, calm voice, the same rhythm she had used when they were small and their own house was loud.
"So she hired someone," he said.
"It appears so.
The intent would have been to get an unofficial report into circulation — something suggesting the child's home environment was unstable.
It wouldn't have held up in court, but it might have delayed our filing or created enough noise to complicate things." Claire paused.
"It didn't work, because your sister turned him away.
But it tells us something about how she intends to fight this."
"She's willing to use Lily as a tool."
"Yes."
He let that sit for a moment.
"What do we do now?"
"We proceed exactly as planned.
The emergency order application goes in tonight.
I've also spoken to a colleague who handles cases like this regularly.
She'll be in touch tomorrow about a formal psychological evaluation for Lily — not because it's required, but because it strengthens our position considerably and gives Lily a safe space to speak with someone trained for this."
"Lily doesn't talk much," he said.
"She used to.
She doesn't anymore."
"I know," Claire said.
"That will be part of the evaluation."
After he hung up, he sat for a while without moving.
Then he opened Rosa's notebook again and turned to an entry near the middle.
October 3rd.
He read it twice.
Rosa had written: *Lily asked me today where her drawings went.
I told her I didn't know.
She said, "Did I do something bad?" I told her no.
She said, "Then why did they go away?" I didn't have an answer.
She went back to her room by herself.*
He closed the notebook.
He went to the sitting room.
Mara looked up from the book.
Lily was curled against her side, nearly asleep.
He sat on the floor in front of them and rested his arms on his knees.
"She's almost out," Mara said softly.
"Good."
They were quiet for a moment.
"Dan," Mara said.
Her voice was low, just above a whisper.
"How did you not know?"
It wasn't an accusation.
He knew that.
But it landed like one anyway, because it was the question he had been asking himself since the moment he saw Lily on the marble floor.
"I told myself she was adjusting," he said.
"To the house.
To Renata.
I told myself quiet was normal."
"She stopped calling you as much.
I noticed that."
"I noticed too." He looked at Lily's face, slack and peaceful in sleep.
"I told myself she was tired when I called.
I told myself she was busy."
"You were looking for a reason it was fine."
"Yes."
Mara didn't say anything else.
She didn't need to.
He reached out and rested his hand lightly on Lily's foot.
She didn't stir.
"There's a name in the notebook," he said.
"Someone Renata called regularly.
Rosa wrote it down — she heard the name through the door more than once.
A man named Garrett."
Mara looked at him.
"I don't know who he is yet," he said.
"But Claire is looking into it."
"You think he's involved in what happened today?
With the fake assessor?"
"I think Renata doesn't do anything alone," he said.
"I think she's been planning this longer than I realized."
Lily shifted in her sleep.
Her hand found the edge of Mara's sleeve and held on.
The room was warm.
The lamp in the corner was low.
For a moment it looked exactly like a normal evening.
Then Daniel's phone buzzed on the cushion beside him.
A message from Claire.
*Order filed.
Judge assigned.
Hearing scheduled 9am tomorrow.
Be there.*
He read it twice.
Then he set the phone face-down.
May you like
Tomorrow, then.
But tonight, there was still the question of Garrett — and what Renata had already told him.
