Chapter 5

The word murderer hung in the cold, rain-swept air of the foyer. The police officers exchanged uncertain glances, their hands shifting uneasily on their duty belts.

Mrs. Gable let out a harsh, dismissive bark of laughter. She turned to the lead officer. “Ignore the maid. She’s a disgruntled former ward of the state. She has a history of lying and emotional instability. Arrest Mr. Moretti and find the child.”

“Wait!” I shouted, stepping directly between Mrs. Gable and Luca. I reached into my deep apron pocket and pulled out the bundle of watermarked letters. My hands were shaking so badly the paper rustled loudly. “I have proof! Proof that Mrs. Bellini stole the baby and murdered Mr. Moretti’s late wife, Elena!”

Vanessa’s mocking smile vanished instantly. Her eyes locked onto the letters in my hand, and for the first time all night, true, primal panic flashed across her face.

“She’s crazy!” Vanessa shrieked, lunging forward. She grabbed for the letters, her long manicured nails scratching violently at my wrist. “Give me that! It’s garbage! She forged it!”

Luca moved with terrifying speed. He grabbed Vanessa by the wrist, twisting her arm behind her back with enough force to make her gasp in pain, and shoved her roughly against the marble pillar.

“Don’t you ever touch her again,” Luca snarled at Vanessa. He kept her pinned with one arm and turned to me, his dark eyes wide with shock. “Emma. What are you holding?”

I stepped closer to him, my voice trembling as I held out the letters. “Lucy found them hidden in a false bottom of a jewelry box. They are letters from your late wife, Elena. She found out Mrs. Bellini stole Lucy from the hospital. When Elena threatened to go to the police, Mrs. Bellini started poisoning her tea to induce a heart attack.”

Luca stared at the familiar handwriting. The color completely drained from his face. The grief and rage that radiated from him was so intense it made the air feel suffocating. His hand tightened on Vanessa’s arm, and she let out a whimpering cry.

“Elena,” Luca whispered, the name breaking in his throat. He looked at Vanessa, his eyes completely hollow. “You killed my wife. You took my daughter’s mother, and then you tried to take her place.”

“It’s a lie!” Vanessa sobbed, squirming against the pillar. “She’s trying to frame me!”

The lead police officer stepped forward, looking highly uncomfortable. “Mr. Moretti, let the woman go. And miss,” he said, pointing at me, “hand over the documents as evidence.”

Before I could hand the letters to the officer, Mrs. Gable intercepted. She snatched the letters out of my hand with lightning speed.

“This is a family court matter, officer,” Mrs. Gable said smoothly, holding the letters against her chest. “These ‘documents’ are clearly fabricated by the maid to protect her employer. It has no bearing on the fact that the child in this house is stolen property. The custody order stands.”

I stared at Mrs. Gable in horror. She hadn’t even looked at the letters. She didn’t care about the truth.

And then, a sickening realization washed over me.

How did Vanessa know Mrs. Gable would arrive so quickly? How did Mrs. Gable get a judge to sign an emergency order at ten-thirty at night?

I remembered cleaning the library last week. I had found Vanessa’s discarded bank statements. I had seen recurring wire transfers to an offshore account, labeled under a dummy corporation. I hadn’t thought anything of it at the time, assuming it was rich people hiding their wealth.

But I had seen the name of the dummy corporation. Gable Consulting.

“You’re working together,” I gasped, stepping back. I pointed a shaking finger at the CPS agent. “You didn’t just come here to take Lucy. You’re on Vanessa’s payroll! You’re part of the black-market adoption ring!”

Mrs. Gable’s eyes went cold. She stepped right up to me, her voice dropping to a vicious hiss only I could hear. “Shut your mouth, you little rat. Or I’ll make sure your brother loses his nursing license before he even graduates.”

My breath hitched. She knew about Leo. Vanessa had given her all my background information.

“Officer!” Mrs. Gable yelled, turning back to the police. “The maid is interfering with a state investigation! Arrest her for obstruction!”

The lead officer stepped toward me, reaching for his handcuffs. “Miss, put your hands behind your back.”

“Don’t touch her,” Luca commanded, his voice shaking the glass in the windows. He shoved Vanessa away in disgust and stepped in front of me, shielding me with his massive frame. “Emma is under my protection. If you want to arrest someone, arrest the woman who forged the adoption papers.”

“We will deal with the fraud later,” Mrs. Gable sneered. “But the law is the law. The biological mother, Sarah, reported the child kidnapped. That voids the adoption entirely. Lucy Moretti no longer legally exists. The child belongs to the state until maternity is proven. Where is she?”

Right on cue, a small, terrified voice echoed from the top of the grand staircase.

“Daddy?”

Everyone froze. I looked up in horror.

Standing at the top of the sweeping marble staircase was little Lucy. She was clutching her stuffed elephant, tears streaming down her face. Sarah was standing right behind her, looking utterly terrified. The dumbwaiter must have gotten stuck, forcing them to find another way out.

Vanessa’s face twisted into an evil, triumphant smile. She pointed a sharp finger up the stairs.

“There she is, officers!” Vanessa yelled. “There’s the stolen child! Take her!”

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