Chapter 8 - The Order I Never Wanted
At the emergency family-court hearing, I asked for something I had spent five months hoping to avoid.
No unsupervised contact between Daniel and Caleb.
Daniel sat across the courtroom looking at me as though I had betrayed him.
His attorney argued that no evidence yet proved Daniel knew what Amber intended to do.
That was true.
My attorney didn't exaggerate.
She presented the fresh prescription, Daniel's unexplained question about whether police found the bottle, his prior allegations about drugs and alcohol in my home, and Lily's statement about stopping at his office.
The judge temporarily suspended unsupervised parenting and ordered supervised visitation pending the criminal and CPS investigations.
It wasn't permanent.
It wasn't a finding of guilt.
But when Daniel heard it, his shoulders dropped.
“Sarah,” he said outside the courtroom, “you're taking my son.”
“No. I'm keeping him alive while someone figures out what you did.”
He stepped closer.
“You know I would never want him hurt.”
That wording stayed with me.
Not I had nothing to do with it.
I would never want him hurt.
Amber was facing her own consequences.
CPS restricted her contact with Lily, and Aaron filed for temporary modification of their parenting plan.
Amber's attorney told investigators she would no longer answer questions.
Then she did something unexpected.
Through her lawyer, she offered to provide information about Daniel in exchange for prosecutors considering her cooperation.
Detective Miller warned me not to expect an instant deal.
“We're verifying everything she says.”
“What is she saying?”
He hesitated.
“That your husband planned to put something in your possession.”
The framing theory was no longer mine.
Amber had said it first.
But she also claimed Daniel never told her the drink could put Caleb in the hospital.
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That meant the next question was worse.
What had Daniel told her the plan was supposed to accomplish?
