“Mr. Sterlington?”
“Yes.”
“My name is Elias Voss.”
The room seemed to shrink.
I looked at the page in Julian’s folder.
Elias Voss.
“I assume you found my name,” he said.
“Who are you?”
“A man your mother hired three months ago.”
“For what?”
A pause.
Then: “To help her prove your wife was unfit.”
My grip tightened around the phone.
“You mean fabricate proof.”
“At first, yes.”
“At first?”
“I withdrew from the arrangement when Mrs. Sterlington’s requests became concerning.”
“What requests?”
Another pause.
Longer this time.
“She wanted placement options for the child.”
My blood went cold.
“What does that mean?”
“It means she was preparing for Julian to be removed from your wife’s custody.”
“And placed where?”
“With her, temporarily. Then permanently, depending on your cooperation.”
I leaned against the desk.
In my mother’s mind, Sophie was not the only target.
