Chapter 5
Family court moved first.
Not the Mafia.
Not Vincent.
The court.
Elsie received an independent attorney and guardian ad litem.
Child protective services opened a safety review because the child had been physically harmed at the banquet and because her adoption history might involve fraud.
Vincent’s lawyer argued he had not known.
The judge answered:
“That may be true. It does not end the inquiry.”
Vincent hated that.
He also understood it.
His love for Elsie was not a court order.
His fear of losing her was not evidence.
The adoption file was pulled.
Problems appeared immediately.
The surrendering mother had used the name:
Marie Ellis.
No matching person could be located.
The address belonged to a vacant property.
The birth facility listed in the file had closed after a licensing investigation.
The attorney who handled the adoption was retired, ill, and initially unable to provide coherent records.
Marcella’s name appeared nowhere in the official petition.
But billing records showed her family office paid several “administrative support” invoices connected to the placement.
Vincent had signed what he was told to sign.
He had also failed to ask questions because the answers might disturb the miracle of Elsie arriving.
His attorney said:
“You are not accused of kidnapping your daughter.”
Vincent replied:
“Not yet.”
That was not paranoia.
That was realism.
If the adoption involved falsified identity, the state had to examine whether any biological parent had been deprived of rights.
If Serena had been alive when Elsie was placed, where was her consent?
If Serena was dead, who concealed it?
And if Vincent’s criminal world had made the concealment easier, he could not simply hide behind ignorance.
Then Marcella sent one message through a cousin.
Tell Vincent he can still keep her if he stops digging.
Lena Hart obtained it.
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Marcella claimed it was misunderstood.
No one believed her.
