Chapter 1

Michael’s car crunched gravel in the driveway. An unscheduled return. He called it an “emergency trip.” Business, he said. Vague. He walked in, not with a briefcase, but with a bundle. A baby. “Found him,” Michael said. His voice was too loud for our quiet living room. “Outside a gas station minimart. All alone.” I looked at the baby, then at Michael. His eyes darted away. A tiny, wrinkled face peeked from the blue blanket. “We have to keep him, Sarah. We have to.” He rushed the words out. I thought of the text messages I’d seen on his phone last month. Flirtatious. And the casino receipt from Vegas tucked in his wallet. He thought I didn’t notice. I always noticed. “Okay,” I said. Just one word. Relief washed over Michael’s face. Too much relief. “He needs a home. A good home.” Michael placed the baby in my arms. Warm, surprisingly heavy. “I’ll take care of him,” I said. Michael beamed. “I knew you would, Sarah. You’re a good woman.” He pulled out his wallet, extracted a thick wad of cash, and pressed it into my hand. Five hundred dollars. “For baby things,” he said. “Get the best.” I nodded, tucking the money into my pocket. Refusing would make him suspicious. He didn’t linger. Said he had calls to make, work to catch up on. He was out the door in minutes. The baby stirred, a small whimper. I looked down at him. His eyes were a deep, startling blue. The house was silent again, except for the baby’s soft breaths. I went to the nursery we never used. Painted yellow, years ago. Hopeful. I laid him in the crib. My phone was on the kitchen counter. I picked it up. I had a number saved under “Plumber.” He wasn’t a plumber. He was a retired police detective. Good at finding things out. Quietly. The plan wasn’t formed yet. Not fully. But the first piece had just been handed to me. Wrapped in a blue blanket.