Chapter 5

The emergency custody motion arrived by courier at 1:00 a.m. It was twenty-two pages of polished lies. Paul claimed Irina had signed a medical proxy before her death. He claimed Nadia Sokolov was a known criminal associate who had abducted his grieving children. He attached a notarized consent form.

I read it under the office desk lamp.

The signature was Irina’s. The date was November 1, two days before the fire. The notary seal was crimson and raised. Commission #449210. Greta Mullen.

My hands went cold.

I called Greta. She answered on the first ring.

“Did you know?” I asked.

“Nadia, listen to me-”

“Did you notarize a medical proxy for Paul Kessler?”

Silence.

“Greta.”

“He has Toby,” she whispered. “He has the dashcam. He said if I didn’t do it, my son would be charged as an adult. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

“You forged my sister’s signature.”

“I didn’t forge it. I notarized what he gave me. I didn’t know she was dead when I stamped it.”

“You knew by the funeral.”

She didn’t answer.

I hung up and drove to her office. The rain had turned to sleet. At 2:00 a.m., I pounded on the glass door until she let me in.

Greta stood in the dark, still in her raincoat. Her eyes were red.

“You’re going to tell me everything,” I said. “Then you’re going to help me trap him.”

“He’ll kill me.”

“He already killed Irina,” I said. “You’re just the next loose end.”

Greta sank into a chair. “What do you want me to do?”

“First,” I said, “you’re going to tell me where he keeps the original forged file.”

Her phone buzzed on the desk. She glanced at it and went pale.

“Nadia,” she whispered. “I already told him you’re here.”