Chapter 13 - Deborah Comes Back
The hospital increased security immediately.
A photograph of Deborah went to the maternity desk.
She was barred from the floor.
I hated needing protection from my own children's grandmother.
Three days passed.
No sign of her.
Noah continued improving.
Ava gained weight.
Doctors discussed sending us home within the week.
Then, just after midnight on the fourth night, an alarm sounded near the service elevator.
Two security guards ran past my room.
I sat upright.
A nurse entered and locked my door.
“What happened?”
“Stay inside.”
“Is it Deborah?”
The nurse did not answer.
That was answer enough.
Twenty minutes later, Detective Ortiz arrived.
They had found Deborah in a restricted stairwell.
She wore hospital scrubs over her clothing.
A visitor badge belonging to another woman was clipped to her pocket.
Inside her handbag were two newborn identification sheets she had printed from screenshots Lauren had once sent to a family group chat.
There were also car keys.
Cash.
And photocopies of the babies' insurance information.
My hands turned cold.
“What was she planning?”
“We don't know.”
Detective Ortiz said.
“She claims she only wanted to see her grandchildren.”
“People don't disguise themselves to visit grandchildren.”
“I agree.”
Deborah was arrested.
This time, no one could call it a misunderstanding.
Richard came to the hospital the next morning.
He looked ten years older.
“I didn't know.”
He said.
I almost laughed.
“You say that a lot.”
“I didn't know she would come here.”
“But you knew everything else.”
He lowered his eyes.
“I knew she took the money.”
“You knew she manipulated Travis.”
“I knew she hated losing control.”
“Yet you kept backing her.”
Richard sat down slowly.
“For thirty-four years.”
He said.
“I told myself keeping peace was the same as protecting my family.”
“It wasn't.”
“No.”
“It was cowardice.”
That was the first honest thing Richard had said to me.
He slid an envelope onto the table.
“What is this?”
“Copies of documents from my house.”
I opened it.
Inside were credit-card statements.
Loan statements.
Transfers.
Dozens of them.
Deborah had debts exceeding ninety thousand dollars.
Some accounts were hidden from Richard.
Others used Travis as a secondary borrower.
I looked up.
“She’s been using him.”
Richard nodded.
“For years.”
“Does Travis know?”
“Not all of it.”
Then I found one document that made my stomach drop.
A life-insurance policy.
On Travis.
Deborah was listed as beneficiary.
The policy had been increased six months earlier.
“Why are you showing me this?”
I asked.
Richard looked toward the NICU.
“Because there’s something else you need to know.”
He swallowed.
“Deborah didn't just want control of Travis.”
May you like
“She wanted control of your babies.”
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