CHAPTER TEN: CAROL’S ENVELOPE

At eleven forty, Bell called Daniel and asked whether he was still at Meadow Haven.
Daniel confirmed that he was standing near the public parking area.
“Please don’t confront Mrs. Mercer if you see her,” Bell said.
“Is she coming?”
“She indicated she might.”
“Why?”
“We are trying to establish that ourselves.”
Before Daniel could ask another question, Carol’s hatchback turned into the lot.
She parked crookedly across two spaces and emerged holding a thick paper envelope.
She looked past Daniel toward the side loading dock.
Amy stepped into her path.
“Carol, what did you send me?”
“Not now.”
“You demanded I sign something that wasn’t true.”
“I was trying to get you a refund.”
“You threatened me for refusing.”
Carol’s lips tightened.
“I didn’t write every word of that letter.

”
“You put your address on it.”
Carol looked at Daniel.
“You brought her here.”
“She came because she cares about Chester.”
“All of you think you know what happened.”
Daniel noticed that Carol’s envelope bore the same green paw emblem as the letters.
“Then tell the investigators what you know.”
“They’ve already asked me questions.”
“Answer them.”
Carol pushed past him.
Everett saw her approaching and abruptly ended his call.
He tried to guide her toward the parking exit, but Carol shook him off.
“Where’s Nolan?” she demanded.
“Busy.”
“He needs to see this.”
“Give it to me.”
“I was told to hand it to him.”
Everett reached for the envelope.
Carol pulled it behind her back.
Daniel watched the exchange from a distance and understood something important.
Carol had not necessarily come to help the investigation.


She had come because an envelope mattered to her more than the angry neighbors standing nearby.
Bell’s sedan arrived behind a county vehicle.
Everett immediately turned toward the loading building.
Carol tried to follow him, but Bell called her name.
She stopped with a look of pure frustration.
“What now?”
“You said you wanted to show us the original correspondence,” Bell replied.
“This isn’t what I meant.”
“Then what is it?”
Carol held the envelope against her chest.
“It’s the last one.”
“The last what?”
“The last form Nolan asked me to send.”
Bell waited.
Carol glanced at Amy and then Daniel.
“If I give you this, you’ll make it sound like I planned everything.”
“We’ll document what it shows,” Bell said.
“That’s all I can promise.”
Carol’s hands trembled.
She had insisted on controlling every conversation for years.
Now someone was telling her that telling the truth did not entitle her to control what came afterward.
She handed the envelope to Bell.
Inside was a prepared surrender authorization bearing Tessa’s mother’s typed name but no signature.
The form claimed that Mabel had been relinquished voluntarily.
Attached was a request for Carol to obtain a signature after the adoption fair.
The date printed on the form was earlier than the date Tessa’s mother had been discharged from the hospital.
Bell showed no surprise, but Daniel could see his attention sharpen.
Carol spoke almost inaudibly.
“He told me everybody had already agreed.”
Amy shook her head.
“We told you we hadn’t.”
“I know.”
Carol looked at her shoes.
“I knew by the end.”