Chapter 2 - The Hospital Door
Leo was lucky.
The pediatric emergency physician repeated that word twice.
“His lungs are clear. Oxygen saturation is normal. We’re keeping him for observation because of his age and the immersion, but right now he looks very good.”
Emily sat beside the hospital crib with one hand wrapped around Leo’s tiny fingers.
Her wet clothes had been replaced with hospital scrubs.
Her cheek remained red.
Michael stood several feet behind her.
He had not touched her again.
Had barely spoken.
When the doctor left, he whispered, “Emily.”
She kept looking at Leo.
“I’m sorry.”
No response.
“I saw him crying. My mother said—”
Emily turned.
“You hit me.”
Michael stopped.
“You didn’t ask me what happened.”
“I know.”
“You didn’t wait thirty seconds.”
“I know.”
“You believed her.”
“I know.”
Emily’s voice broke.
“And she had just tried to kill our baby.”
Michael looked toward the floor.
“There is no excuse.”
“No.”
He nodded.
“No.”
Detective Cole entered with a female officer.
“Mrs. Warren, we need a formal statement.”
Emily gave it.
Every second.
Diane taking Leo after offering to carry him outside.
Emily walking to the table for his bottle.
Diane moving toward the pool.
The drop.
The rescue.
The lie.
The slap.
Michael gave his statement afterward.
He did not minimize what he had done.
“I struck my wife once with an open hand.”
Emily looked at him.
The detective asked, “Why?”
“Because I panicked and believed my mother.”
“Did Mrs. Warren threaten you?”
“No.”
“Did she strike you?”
“No.”
“Did she resist when you attempted to take the child?”
“She held Leo tighter.”
“Why?”
Michael swallowed.
“Because she didn’t trust anyone.”
Emily looked away.
The truth hurt because he finally understood it after the damage.
Diane was taken into custody while prosecutors reviewed possible attempted-murder and child-endangerment charges.
Her attorney arrived before midnight.
Martin Pike.
One of Chicago’s most expensive criminal-defense lawyers.
Michael stared when he heard the name.
“My mother already had Pike?”
Detective Cole looked at him.
“What do you mean?”
“Pike doesn’t answer emergency calls without a retainer.”
“How do you know?”
“Warren Development used his firm in a regulatory investigation three years ago.”
Emily turned.
“So she hired a criminal lawyer before she dropped Leo?”
Nobody answered.
Cole wrote something down.
Michael called Victor Lang.
No answer.
He called again.
Voicemail.
At 1:14 a.m., Victor finally returned the call.
“Michael?”
“Where are you?”
“Home.”
“My mother tried to kill Leo.”
Silence.
Then Victor said, “What?”
“Helen recorded it.”
Another silence.
Longer.
Michael noticed.
“You don’t sound surprised.”
“That’s an insane thing to say.”
“Why did my mother mention your name before it happened?”
“What are you talking about?”
“Helen heard her say if something didn’t work, Victor would fix it another way.”
Victor laughed nervously.
“There are thousands of Victors.”
“There is one Victor in my mother’s life.”
“You’re upset.”
“Don’t do that.”
“Do what?”
“Talk to me like I’m irrational.”
Victor’s voice hardened.
“I’ve known you since you were born. I am trying to protect you.”
“From what?”
“From turning one horrifying act into a conspiracy.”
Michael looked through the glass at Emily holding Leo.
“Were you talking to my mother today?”
“I speak to Diane almost every day.”
“At what time?”
Victor paused.
“I don’t remember.”
“Check.”
“Michael—”
“Check.”
The call ended.
Emily watched him.
“You think he knows.”
“I don’t know.”
“You trusted your mother five minutes after she tried to kill Leo.”
Michael flinched.
Emily immediately regretted the cruelty.
But not enough to withdraw it.
Detective Cole returned.
“We obtained Diane’s preliminary call log.”
Michael stood.
“Victor?”
Cole shook his head.
“No call to Victor Lang’s registered number.”
Michael exhaled.
Then Cole continued.
“But Diane received four calls over the last week from the same prepaid number.”
“Can you locate it?”
“We’re working on tower data.”
Emily asked, “What about her lawyer?”
“We’re checking when he was retained.”
Leo began crying.
Emily lifted him.
Michael instinctively stepped forward.
She looked at him.
He stopped.
That tiny hesitation told them both how far apart they had suddenly become.
Emily soothed Leo.
“Mommy’s here.”
Michael closed his eyes.
Hours earlier, she had said the same words in the pool.
Detective Cole’s phone buzzed.
He read the message.
His expression changed.
“What?”
Michael asked.
Cole looked at them.
“Mr. Pike’s firm received a $100,000 retainer on Diane Warren’s behalf nine days ago.”
Emily went still.
Michael whispered, “Nine days?”
“Yes.”
“From her personal account?”
“No.”
Cole turned the screen toward him.
“The payment came from the Warren Legacy Foundation.”
Michael’s face drained.
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The charitable foundation had been created by his late father.
And legally, Diane was not supposed to use a single dollar of it for personal criminal defense.
