afeteria. He approached my table with a grim, dete

he said, his vo

ame. The lie was so practic

nged for the cremation. It was

on meant no body, no evidence.

d, my voice devoid of any emotion.

ck of a hysterical, grief-stricken reaction. He had a

on the table between us. It

her ashes,

ankets. A tiny, sleeping baby was nestled inside. S

s voice taking on a hard, commanding ed

trying to physically and emotionally corner

k. I won' t do it

can' t do it. I have a career to think about. You' re the only one. If you refuse, this baby goes into the system. Is

onscience wouldn't have been able to handle it. But tha

a pang, not of guilt, but of pity for the paw

my mind. It was a huge risk. It was

ruptly. I pic

" Mark asked, a hint

ards the main lobby of the hospital. Mark and Nurse Brenda

t the place!" Mark hisse

here dozens of people were coming and going. I took a deep b

pace. "This man, Mark Johnson, claims that his girlfriend, O

he lobby. People s

gaining strength. "And he' s trying to force me, her friend, to take her ba

at Mark with accusing eyes. He was pa

uted to the crowd. "She' s in s

hands. "If I' m so crazy with grief, then

e lid of the urn and

gasp went thr

sh that poured out onto th

oarse, brown,

t the pathetic pile of sand on the floor, then back a

osed. Utterly a

on fakes a death?" some

bandon his baby!

as trapped, cornered by a crowd of angry strangers

ht in the eye, my ex

et the police sort this out right now, and I can tell them all about your little plan to commit fraud and

hreat hang

ppear. To never speak of this again. You and Olivia can take your

art enough to know he was beaten. Public humiliation was one thi

gritted out betwe

udacious. It was enough to

ut he saw the resolve in my

Fine. You' ll have it tomor

said, a thin, col

had secured the capital I needed for the war. This money wa