He requested a sworn explanation of the certificate and asked which witnesses had been present.
Vane delayed answering for a week.
During that delay, Agnes sent a second statement describing the doctor leaving the nursery with a folded blanket but no infant.
Mary confirmed that Hannah had carried Eleanor down the back stairs while Vane was in the dining room.
The statements did not prove exactly what Vane intended.
They proved that his claim to have witnessed the child’s death could not be reconciled with what several independent witnesses saw.
When Isaiah presented the contradictions, Vane began blaming Richard.
He said the Colonel had demanded a document that would prevent scandal.
He insisted he had believed the baby was being taken to a healthy home.
Isaiah asked why a doctor would certify death when he believed a living child was merely being removed.
Vane stared at the table.
He could not answer without admitting that money had outweighed the truth.
The doctor eventually signed a corrected statement admitting that he had not witnessed Eleanor’s death.
He described the payment he received from Richard’s agent and named the clerk who prepared the certificate.
Isaiah arranged for copies to reach several independent recipients.
He knew that withdrawing a false record would not immediately protect Eleanor from a powerful family.
Still, the correction stripped away one of the tools Richard hoped to use against her.
Richard sent men north after learning that Daniel had reached a city where he could earn wages.
The agents carried descriptions of Daniel, Rose, and Thomas.
They claimed that the three had stolen money and property from Red Creek.
The accusations were designed to make local officials treat them as fugitives from ordinary justice rather than people escaping enslavement.
Adeline learned of the search from a customer who recognized one of the agents at an inn.
She warned Daniel and suggested that he stop visiting the furniture shop until they understood the danger.
Daniel resisted because his wages were the first he had ever been allowed to keep.
Then he remembered Josephine’s sons and the promises he had made about not confusing pride with safety.
He agreed to stay away for a few days.
Thomas wanted to confront the agents in the street.
Rose reminded him that violence would give Richard the story he wanted to tell.
They contacted Isaiah and a trusted local attorney who understood the risks faced by formerly enslaved people.
The attorney warned them about federal law and the dangers of attempted recapture.
