Chapter 10 - THE HEARING WHERE GREG SMILED
Greg’s preliminary hearing drew reporters from three states.
The pink boots had become a symbol in headlines.
Most articles showed a stock photograph of bright rain boots beside a puddle.
The images looked whimsical.
They did not show the altered openings, chemical residue, infection, or Lily screaming while we cut them open.
Symbols make stories easier to consume.
They also flatten victims into objects.
Emily asked the court to restrict public release of Lily’s name and images. Some information had already spread through leaked records.
The judge issued protective limits where legally permitted.
They could not erase the internet.
Greg entered the courtroom in a dark suit.
He smiled at his attorney.
The gesture appeared on every evening broadcast.
People interpreted it as arrogance.
It may have been nerves.
Evidence should not depend on facial expressions.
The prosecutor presented medical testimony, video footage, laboratory findings, and portions of Lily’s interview appropriate for the hearing.
I testified only about the emergency treatment and surgery.
Greg’s attorney asked about the old St. Jude’s visit.
“Dr. Vance, you personally approved Lily’s discharge eleven months before this hospitalization, correct?”
“I signed the consultation attestation.”
“Without examining her.”
“Correct.”
“You did not identify abuse.”
“No.”
“Yet now you ask this court to believe the injuries were obvious.”
“I am not asking the court to believe anything beyond the findings I documented during the current admission.”
“Is it possible Lily’s bruises resulted from falls related to a developmental condition?”
“Some bruises can result from accidental falls. The complete injury pattern, chemical burns, altered boots, multiple healing fractures, and recorded restraint require broader explanation.”
“But you missed the pattern before.”
“I did not have the current evidence before.”
“You had a child who allegedly made a statement about being pushed.”
“I did not receive that information during the consultation call.”
“Your name is on the chart.”
“Yes.”
He wanted me defensive.
Defensiveness would allow him to portray every answer as excuse.
I kept my hands flat.
“Yes, my name is on the chart.”
The admission changed the rhythm.
He moved on.
Afterward, a reporter asked whether I should resign.
I said the hospital review would determine professional consequences and that my responsibility did not depend on public comfort.
The review eventually concluded I had followed common consultation practice but failed to review the complete chart before attestation. It recommended system changes, additional child-abuse training, and formal counseling about workload and remote consultations.
I was not fired.
Part of me wanted punishment larger than the finding.
Lauren reminded me that wanting destruction is easier than accepting limited responsibility.
The judge found probable cause for the child-abuse charges and ordered Greg to remain detained.
The homicide and kidnapping investigation concerning Hannah and Melissa continued separately.
Greg’s attorney proposed a plea discussion.
Greg might admit to reckless injury, unlawful restraint, and evidence tampering in exchange for dismissal of charges requiring proof of intentional torture.
He would provide information about Raymond Cole and Nathan Crowe.
The prosecutor did not accept immediately.
Plea decisions consider evidence strength, risk at trial, the child’s burden, and public safety.
Emily opposed any agreement that allowed Greg to describe the abuse as reckless.
“He built the boots,” she said.
“Intent may be proven,” the prosecutor replied. “It may also be contested by experts. We are not deciding today.”
Lily would not necessarily testify in open court. Recorded interviews, hearsay exceptions, confrontation rights, and judicial findings required careful legal analysis.
The goal was not to force a six-year-old to perform pain for conviction.
Greg’s offer included one claim:
Hannah was alive when he last saw her.
He said Raymond Cole arranged her disappearance after she discovered the record changes.
He denied knowing Melissa would die.
He denied ordering Nathan Crowe to hurt anyone.
He claimed the boots were Celia Ward’s behavioral method.
Every sentence moved responsibility outward.
Prosecutors demanded verifiable details.
Greg provided coordinates in rural Wisconsin.
Police searched the location.
They found an abandoned storm shelter beneath a hunting cabin.
Inside were medical wrappers, women’s clothing, and a rusted bed frame.
DNA on a hairbrush belonged to Hannah.
The most recent item in the shelter was a newspaper dated six weeks after her supposed death.
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Hannah had survived the crash date.
What happened after those six weeks remained unknown.
