Chapter 4 - The Hidden Flight Tracker
Detective Grant led me into a private conference room near the ER administration wing. He placed the evidence bag on the table. Inside were two items: a high-end GPS tracker box and an airline itinerary printed that morning at 6:15 AM.
“Lorraine booked two one-way tickets to Guadalajara, Mexico,” Detective Grant revealed. “Departing from the regional airport at 5:45 PM today. One adult ticket under Lorraine Vance, and one child ticket under the name ‘Chloe Vance.’”
The room spun. I had to grip the edge of the conference table to keep from collapsing.
“Chloe?” I gasped. “Who is Chloe?”
“We ran the passport number listed on the booking,” Grant replied grimly. “It was issued two weeks ago using Mia’s certified birth certificate and a forged notarized letter from Mia’s father, granting permission for international travel.”
I whipped around to Jackson, who had pushed his way into the room. His jaw dropped, all the color draining from his face.
“Jackson... did you sign a letter?” I asked, my voice barely audible above the hum of the air conditioner.
“I... I signed some travel authorization forms last month,” Jackson stammered, his eyes darting wildly. “Mom said she wanted to take Mia to Disney World in Florida for her fourth birthday! She said she needed my permission in case of an airline emergency! I didn’t read the fine print, Emily! I swear to God I didn’t know she put Mexico!”
“You gave your mother a signed legal consent to take our daughter out of the country without telling me?” I screamed.
Suddenly, my phone buzzed violently in my pocket. It was an automated fraud alert from our primary bank.
ALERT: Joint Savings Account ending in 4491 drained. Amount: $84,500.00. Withdrawal initiated by Authorized User: Jackson Vance (via Power of Attorney: Lorraine Vance).
Lorraine hadn't just tried to kidnap Mia; she had completely cleaned out our life savings, our house deposit fund, and Mia’s college account.
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Detective Grant snatched his radio. “All units, suspect Lorraine Vance is attempting to flee toward the southern border via secondary transport. Vehicle silver Buick has been abandoned at the long-term airport parking lot. Suspect is traveling on foot or via rideshare with large amounts of cash.”
Jackson collapsed into a plastic chair, holding his head in his hands, finally realizing the nightmare his mother had orchestrated. But for Jackson, it was about shame. For me, it was about survival.
