Chapter 6: The Name on the Emergency Form
The elevator doors opened.
The woman who had dropped the shopping bag was gone.
Tasha stepped inside before Officer Reynolds could stop her.
"Third floor," she said.
He pressed the button.
"Stay behind me when we get there.""
Tasha nodded.
Her eyes remained fixed on the changing numbers above the elevator doors.
One.
Two.
Three.
The doors opened.
A narrow hallway stretched in both directions.
At the far end, a door stood slightly open.
Tasha recognized the apartment number from the lease information.
She moved forward.
Officer Reynolds knocked.
"Police. We need to speak with the occupants.""
No answer.
He knocked again.
"Police. Please come to the door.""
From inside came the sound of something falling.
Then a child's voice.
"Daddy?""
Tasha's heart nearly stopped.
"Maya!""
She stepped forward.
Officer Reynolds held out an arm.
"Wait.""
But the door opened before he could knock again.
Kiara stood there.
Her face was pale.
Behind her, Maya appeared in the hallway, holding a stuffed rabbit.
"Mommy!""
Tasha dropped to her knees.
"Oh, baby.""
Maya ran toward her.
Tasha wrapped both arms around her daughter and held her so tightly that Maya squeaked.
"I missed you," Maya whispered.
"I missed you too, sweetheart.""
"Why didn't you come?""
Tasha closed her eyes.
"I'm here now.""
Maya buried her face in her mother's shoulder.
"I asked for you.""
Tasha kissed the top of her head.
"I know. I'm so sorry.""
Kiara stood in the doorway.
"She was perfectly safe.""
Tasha looked up.
"Don't.""
"I gave her food. I gave her water. I made sure she was comfortable.""
"Don't tell me what you gave my daughter.""
Kiara crossed her arms.
"You're acting as if I hurt her.""
Tasha stood slowly, keeping Maya close.
"You took her without telling me where she was going.""
"Her father authorized it.""
"Then why did you hide the destination?""
Kiara's lips tightened.
"I didn't hide anything.""
Tasha glanced at the apartment.
The pink bedroom.
The new furniture.
The framed photograph of Derek.
Then she looked at Kiara.
"You prepared all this before today.""
Kiara didn't respond.
Officer Reynolds stepped forward.
"Ma'am, we need to establish the circumstances surrounding the child's pickup and transport.""
Kiara nodded quickly.
"I have the paperwork.""
She disappeared into the apartment and returned with a folder.
She handed it to him.
"Her father signed everything.""
Officer Reynolds examined the documents.
"Where is Mr. Derek now?""
"He knows Maya is here.""
"That's not what I asked.""
Kiara hesitated.
"He was supposed to come.""
Tasha looked at her.
"Supposed to?""
Kiara avoided her eyes.
Maya clung to her mother.
"Mommy?""
"Yes, baby?""
"Can we go home?""
Tasha brushed her daughter's hair back.
"Yes.""
Maya looked toward the pink bedroom.
"But Kiara said this was going to be my new room.""
Tasha went still.
Officer Reynolds looked up from the paperwork.
Kiara quickly intervened.
"I only meant it could be somewhere she could stay.""
Maya shook her head.
"You said I could sleep here every night.""
Tasha looked at Kiara.
"Every night?""
Kiara folded her arms.
"Children misunderstand things.""
Maya's small voice interrupted.
"You said Daddy wanted us to live together.""
Nobody moved.
Tasha slowly turned toward her daughter.
"Who told you that?""
Maya pointed at Kiara.
"She did.""
Kiara shook her head.
"That's not what I said.""
Maya looked confused.
"You said Daddy was going to bring his things.""
Officer Reynolds put the documents down.
"Mrs. Kiara, I need you to answer some questions.""
Kiara's expression hardened.
"Why? I haven't done anything wrong.""
"Then explaining the arrangements should be straightforward.""
She looked toward the front door.
For a moment, Tasha thought Kiara might try to leave.
Instead, Kiara turned toward the kitchen.
"I need to call Derek.""
Tasha held Maya's hand.
"Go ahead.""
Derek arrived twenty minutes later.
He entered the apartment without knocking.
"What's going on?""
Kiara hurried toward him.
"You need to tell them.""
Derek looked at Tasha.
Then at Maya.
His expression softened.
"Hey, princess.""
Maya didn't move.
Derek crouched.
"Come here.""
Maya tightened her grip on Tasha's hand.
"I want Mommy.""
Derek stood up.
"Okay.""
Tasha watched him carefully.
"Explain the apartment.""
Derek rubbed his forehead.
"I already told you. I wanted a place where Maya could stay comfortably.""
"Why did you need a second residence?""
"Because I thought we needed more flexibility.""
"Did you plan to move her here?""
"No.""
Kiara let out a disbelieving laugh.
"Derek.""
He turned toward her.
"Not now.""
Kiara stared at him.
"Not now? You told me this was our fresh start.""
Tasha looked between them.
"Our?""
Kiara's face flushed.
Derek stepped closer.
"Kiara, stop talking.""
But she had already started.
"You told me Tasha would eventually accept the arrangement. You said she was too busy with work to manage everything herself.""
Tasha stared at him.
Derek's jaw tightened.
"That's enough.""
Kiara continued.
"You told me Maya needed someone who could give her more attention.""
Tasha's voice was quiet.
"Is that what you told her?""
Derek looked away.
"I never said you weren't a good mother.""
"But you told Kiara I wasn't available.""
"I said you worked long hours.""
"And you decided that meant you could replace me?""
"No one is replacing you.""
Tasha looked toward the pink bedroom.
"Then why is there a room prepared for my daughter in an apartment I knew nothing about?""
Derek had no answer.
Officer Reynolds picked up the second page of the authorization.
"I have another question. Who prepared this residence transfer information?""
Derek frowned.
"What information?""
The officer held up the form.
"This document was found with the clothing outside. It lists this apartment as the child's secondary residence.""
Derek looked at it.
His expression changed.
"I've never seen that.""
Kiara immediately stepped forward.
"You knew about the apartment.""
"I knew about the lease. I didn't approve this form.""
"You told me to prepare everything.""
"I told you to furnish the room!""
Kiara's voice rose.
"You said we needed to be ready.""
Derek looked at Tasha.
"I didn't sign that.""
Tasha stared at the document.
At the bottom was Kiara's signature.
Above it, in a small box, was a handwritten note.
*Primary caregiver at alternate residence: Kiara.*
Tasha felt sick.
"Primary caregiver?""
Kiara crossed her arms.
"Someone had to be listed.""
"Why?""
"Because somebody needed to be responsible when Maya stayed here.""
Tasha looked at Derek.
"Did you know she was putting herself down as Maya's primary caregiver?""
Derek shook his head.
"No.""
Kiara laughed bitterly.
"Of course. Now you don't know anything.""
Officer Reynolds asked everyone to remain in the apartment while he verified the documents and contacted the relevant authorities.
Tasha sat with Maya on the couch.
The little girl was drawing again.
This time, she had placed the paper on her mother's lap.
"Look, Mommy.""
Tasha smiled faintly.
"What is it, sweetheart?""
"Our house.""
Three figures stood beneath a yellow sun.
Maya pointed at the first.
"That's me.""
Then the second.
"That's you.""
She pointed at the third.
"That's Daddy.""
Tasha touched the paper.
"It's beautiful.""
Maya looked at her.
"Can we go home now?""
"Yes, baby.""
"Can I sleep in my own bed?""
Tasha kissed her forehead.
"Absolutely.""
Across the room, Derek was speaking quietly with Officer Reynolds.
Kiara stood beside the kitchen counter, staring at her phone.
Then her phone rang.
She glanced at the screen.
Her expression changed.
She answered and walked toward the balcony.
"Hello?""
A man's voice came through.
Tasha couldn't hear every word.
But she heard Kiara's response.
"What do you mean, you still have it?""
A pause.
Then:
"No. You promised me you destroyed the original.""
Tasha looked up.
Kiara turned her back toward the room.
"Listen to me. If Derek finds out about the first document, everything is over.""
Tasha stopped moving.
The first document?
What first document?
Kiara lowered her voice further.
"Nobody was supposed to see that one. The school only has the replacement.""
Tasha slowly stood.
She looked at Derek.
He was still talking to the officer.
He hadn't heard anything.
But Tasha had.
Kiara ended the call and turned around.
For a second, their eyes met.
Tasha didn't ask a question.
She simply looked at the phone in Kiara's hand.
Kiara slipped it into her pocket.
Then she smiled.
A small, practiced smile.
"Everything okay?"" she asked.
Tasha looked at the unsigned space on the document.
Then at the woman who had written herself down as her daughter's primary caregiver.
"No," Tasha answered.
"I don't think it is.""
And when Officer Reynolds returned to the room, he was carrying a second envelope.
"There's something else," he said.
He placed it on the table.
"The school just located an earlier version of the pickup authorization.""
Derek stared at the envelope.
Kiara stopped smiling.
Officer Reynolds opened it.
The first page carried Derek's signature.
But the second page contained a different instruction.
One that had been removed from the replacement document.
Tasha leaned forward.
Officer Reynolds read the final line aloud.
*"The child must be released only after both parents have been notified and their identities independently verified.""*
Tasha looked at Derek.
Then at Kiara.
And finally at Mrs. Carter's school identification card lying beside the paperwork.
Someone hadn't simply misunderstood the authorization.
Someone had removed the very condition that would have prevented Maya from being taken without her mother's knowledge.
May you like
But the most frightening question was still unanswered.
*Who had removed it—and who had helped Kiara replace the original?*
