Chapter 6 - THE CARIBBEAN TICKETS
The St. Lucia tickets were purchased before Sofia died.
That was the first fact that made the trip look planned.
Three weeks earlier.
Daniel booked two seats.
His.
Vanessa’s.
Departure:
Saturday morning.
The morning after they took Sofia.
Return:
Tuesday.
Why?
Daniel said anniversary? No.
He claimed:
“We planned to end the affair privately and decide what to tell Emma.”
In St. Lucia.
Romantic resort.
One room.
Champagne package.
Not convincing.
Vanessa gave another story.
They planned to meet an investor.
No meeting existed.
Then airline records showed a third reservation had been started but never ticketed.
Passenger:
Sofia Carter.
My knees went weak.
They planned to take Sofia to St. Lucia?
Daniel’s attorney said:
“Vacation consideration only.”
No passport?
Sofia had one.
Where was it?
My home safe.
Except police found it missing.
I had not removed it.
Search warrant at Daniel’s office found a scanned copy.
Original?
Inside Vanessa’s suitcase.
She claimed Sofia gave it to her.
A six-year-old did not remove a passport from my locked safe.
How did Vanessa get in?
She knew my emergency code.
I gave it to her years ago.
Sister.
Trust.
Again.
Why plan to take Sofia abroad?
Messages:
Vanessa:
If she spends a few days with us she’ll calm down.
Daniel:
Emma will call cops.
Vanessa:
Once we’re out of US jurisdiction she can’t make us come back immediately.
That was legally naive.
Still intention to evade.
Then:
Daniel:
I just need Monday.
Vanessa:
For the trust meeting?
Daniel:
Yes.
There.
Monday.
Trust.
Sofia.
The trip was not merely affair escape.
Daniel needed Monday.
What was Monday?
North Coast records:
A special trustee meeting scheduled to consider Daniel’s request for “temporary parental administrative authority” over Sofia’s descendant shares.
Basis:
My alleged hostility and planned divorce.
He wanted authority before Sofia turned seven.
Sofia herself had no vote at six.
But the trust’s child advocate would become mandatory soon.
Why take her abroad?
Helen explained:
“If both parents were in active custody conflict, the trustee could postpone decisions.”
Daniel needed to present a stable custody arrangement.
Maybe he believed having Sofia physically with him strengthened leverage.
Not lawfully enough.
But emotionally and tactically.
Then another email from his trust attorney:
We cannot proceed if Emma files emergency custody or alleges coercion.
Daniel replied:
“She won’t if she doesn’t know where Sofia is until Monday.”
My stomach turned.
They planned to hide her through the trust meeting.
Not kill her.
Hide.
Pressure.
Control.
Then bring her back?
Maybe.
The trip had four days booked.
Sofia’s passport.
Resort suite with pullout sofa.
Children’s meal request added, then canceled Friday night at 11:31.
After Sofia’s condition became catastrophic.
The sequence was becoming unbearable.
They had intended to take her with them.
May you like
Then she could not breathe.
Then they abandoned her at a clinic and took the flight anyway.
