Chapter 8: What Patricia Knew
The document Diane placed on the desk the next morning was a statutory declaration, notarized and dated fourteen months ago.
Patricia Holt had signed it.
Marcus read it slowly.
When he finished, he set it down and looked at the window for a moment.
"Where did you get this?"
"Patricia Holt filed it with the family court as supporting evidence for her son's custody claim," Diane said.
"It became part of the court record when Calloway submitted his initial filing.
I requested the full file yesterday afternoon."
"She's been planning this for over a year."
"Daniel Holt has been planning this for over a year.
His mother's declaration is part of that plan." Diane sat down.
"Read me the section I marked."
Marcus looked at the yellow tab.
He read aloud.
*"I have personally witnessed Daniel Holt care for the child known as Zoe on no fewer than twelve occasions over the past eighteen months.
The child demonstrates clear recognition and affection toward Daniel.
I further declare that I have been in receipt of financial support from Vanessa Holt — formerly Vanessa Cole — since the establishment of a private agreement made between myself and Vanessa in the spring of the previous year, the terms of which I am prepared to disclose to the court upon request."*
Marcus set the document down.
"She's calling Vanessa by the name Holt."
"Yes."
"Vanessa never took my name when we married.
She kept her maiden name." He looked at Diane.
"Cole."
"I know."
"So Patricia Holt is claiming Vanessa used the name Holt voluntarily."
"That is what the declaration implies."
Marcus sat back.
"The money Vanessa was paying her.
Patricia called it a private agreement.
What was Vanessa paying for?"
"Silence," Diane said.
"My read — and I want to be clear this is inference, not confirmed fact — is that Patricia Holt knew about Zoe from the beginning.
Daniel told his mother.
Patricia approached Vanessa.
Vanessa paid her to stay quiet and to keep Daniel away." She paused.
"Then Daniel found out about the payments.
And instead of being deterred, he used them as leverage.
He told Vanessa that if she didn't cooperate with the custody filing, he would tell the court about the payments — which would make Vanessa look like she had been concealing his paternity deliberately."
"Which she had been."
"Yes.
But there is a difference between concealment and a conspiracy.
Holt turned it into a conspiracy by bringing in his mother and an attorney." Diane opened a second folder.
"Here is what I filed this morning.
A response to the custody petition, a motion to dismiss on procedural grounds, and a separate motion regarding the passport."
"The passport."
"A passport issued for a minor child under a surname that does not match the child's legal name on her birth certificate, without the consent of the person listed as father on that certificate.
It was obtained fraudulently." Diane looked at him directly.
"That is not a civil matter.
That is a crjminal one.
I have referred it to the district attorney's office."
Marcus looked at the folder.
"Vanessa signed the passport application," Diane said.
"Her signature is on it."
The room was quiet.
"She's going to need her own attorney," Marcus said.
"She already has one.
She retained someone yesterday afternoon." Diane closed the folder.
"She called my office this morning.
She wants to speak with you.
Not through attorneys.
Directly."
Marcus looked up.
"What did you tell her?"
"I told her I would pass the message along." Diane waited.
"It's your decision.
I can be present if you want.
Or you can hear what she has to say first."
He thought about Elijah, sitting across from him at the kitchen table at two in the morning, asking if Zoe was going to be taken away.
He thought about Zoe's face in the passport photograph.
The name printed beneath it that wasn't his.
"Set it up," he said.
"Just the two of us.
No attorneys."
Diane nodded slowly.
"Be careful what you agree to."
May you like
"I'm not going to agree to anything." He stood.
"I just want to hear her say it out loud."
