Emily had wanted her parents to care for Rosie.
Rosie wanted to remain connected to them.
The Harpers were taking practical steps to establish a stable home.
And now a witness had emerged who could describe Emily's wishes before her death.
For the first time, Margaret believed the case might be stronger than the department's initial assessment suggested.
But the next discovery would test that confidence.
Because when Claire arrived in Billings two days later, she brought a piece of information that nobody had expected.
Emily had not only wanted Rosie to stay with her parents.
She had been afraid of someone.
And she had written down the person's name.
Claire Bennett arrived at Margaret's office carrying a folder of her own.
She was forty-one, with dark hair tied loosely behind her head and the exhausted appearance of someone who had spent too many nights thinking about conversations she could no longer have.
When Walter and Evelyn entered the room, she stood immediately.
“Oh, my goodness.”
Evelyn embraced her.
For several moments, neither woman could speak.
Claire had been there when Emily's hair began falling out. She had helped carry groceries upstairs, watched Rosie during hospital appointments, and sat with Emily on nights when the pain made sleep impossible.
She had also been there when Emily began worrying about what would happen if she died.
“I should have called you sooner,” Claire said.
Walter shook his head.
“You had your own life.”
“I should have called.”
“You're here now.”
Claire wiped her eyes.
Then she placed the folder on the table.
“I kept copies of some messages Emily sent me. I thought they might matter.”
Margaret opened the folder.
There were printed emails, handwritten notes, and several messages from Emily's old telephone that Claire had saved before the device stopped working.
Most concerned ordinary things: school schedules, medical appointments, and requests for help with groceries.
Then Margaret reached a message dated six weeks before Emily's death.
I'm scared they're going to decide my parents can't take Rosie because they're old and broke. I know they don't have much, but they're the only people I trust with her.
Another message followed two days later.
If I can't get the paperwork finished, please remind Mom and Dad that I want them to fight for her. I don't want Rosie growing up thinking I didn't plan for her.
Margaret copied both messages.
Then she reached the note containing the name.
I need to talk to someone about Thomas. He keeps asking questions about my insurance and whether I've made arrangements for Rosie. I don't like the way he talks about her future. Maybe I'm being paranoid, but I don't want him involved if something happens to me.
Walter frowned.
“Thomas?”
Evelyn's face changed.
“Thomas Hale.”
Margaret looked up.
“Who is he?”
“Emily dated him for a while,” Walter said. “Before Rosie was born. It didn't last.”
Claire shook her head.
“He wasn't Rosie's father, but he stayed in touch with Emily for a few years. He sometimes helped with repairs or drove her to appointments.”
“Why was Emily afraid of him?” Margaret asked.
“I don't know,” Claire admitted. “She never explained everything. She said he had been asking about money and whether she had any life insurance.”
Walter looked troubled.
“Emily didn't have much money.”
“Exactly,” Claire said. “That's why I didn't understand it.”
Margaret wrote down the name.
“Did Thomas have any legal relationship with Rosie?”
“No.”
“Did he ever live with Emily?”
“Briefly, years ago. Before Rosie was born.”
“Do you know where he is now?”
Claire shook her head.
Margaret made copies of the messages and added them to the case file.
She did not assume that Thomas had done anything wrong. Emily's concerns could have arisen from a misunderstanding, a difficult relationship, or something more serious.
But the messages established that Emily had been thinking carefully about Rosie's future and had expressed concern about a man who had no obvious legal claim to the child.
Margaret asked Claire whether she would be willing to provide a formal statement.
Claire agreed.
After the meeting, Walter and Evelyn sat quietly in the parking lot.
“Do you remember Thomas?” Evelyn asked.
Walter nodded.
“He was always polite enough.”
“He helped Emily when she needed someone to drive her to appointments.”
“Yes.”
“Do you think he could have caused trouble for Rosie?”
Walter stared at the pavement.
“I don't know.”
Evelyn looked toward the street.
“Emily was frightened.”
“I know.”
They sat together for several minutes.
Then Walter said, “We can't let fear decide what we do next.”
Evelyn turned toward him.
“No.”
“We have to find out the truth.”
She took his hand.
“Together.”
That evening, Vincent listened while Margaret explained what Claire had revealed.
“Do you think this Thomas fellow is involved in the case?” he asked.
“Not necessarily. At this point, we have no evidence that he is. But I want to understand why Emily was concerned about him.”
“Can you find him?”
“I can make inquiries through lawful channels. We also need to be careful not to turn a vague suspicion into an accusation.”
Vincent nodded.
“Understood.”
Margaret studied him.
“You're surprisingly restrained.”
“I've learned that sometimes the fastest way to make a mess is to start cleaning before you know what spilled.”
She smiled.
“Who taught you that?”
“A woman who once threw a frying pan at me because I tried to fix her sink without turning off the water.”
Margaret laughed.
For a moment, the room felt lighter.
Then Vincent's phone rang.
Hector was calling from the clubhouse.
“Vincent, there's a man here asking about the Harpers.”