Chapter 6 - The Unannounced Visit
Signing the affidavit was only the first step. Connie Mitchell had spent thirty years building relationships with county officials, church leaders, and local law enforcement. She was not a woman who conceded defeat simply because the truth was inconvenient.
On Saturday morning at 10:00 AM, the doorbell of the corporate apartment rang.
Elena signaled for me to stay in the back bedroom with Frankie. Claire answered the door.
Standing in the hallway was not the police, but an investigator from the Georgia Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS), accompanied by two uniformed sheriff's deputies.
"Ms. Claire Sterling?" the caseworker, a stern woman named Agent Miller, asked, checking a clipboard. "We received an emergency referral regarding an endangered infant, Frances Mitchell. The report alleges the mother absconded from medical supervision with an untreated postpartum psychosis and is keeping the child in an unsafe, transient location."
Claire stood her ground, unmoving. "I am Laura Mitchell's legal counsel. The infant is currently healthy, fed, and under direct maternal care. The report you received was filed maliciously by an estranged grandmother who is currently the subject of an emergency protective order petition."
"Be that as it may, counselor," Agent Miller said, her voice uncompromising. "I am required by Georgia administrative code to lay eyes on the child, assess maternal stability, and evaluate the living conditions before I can clear this referral."
"Come in," Claire stepped aside smoothly. "We have nothing to hide."
My heart hammered in my throat as they entered the small living room. I stepped out of the bedroom, holding Frankie against my shoulder. I had dressed in clean, simple clothes, my hair tied back, my eyes clear despite the crushing lack of sleep.
Agent Miller inspected me with clinical precision. She looked at Frankie’s skin color, checked the diaper bag supplies, noted the clean bottles, the thermometer, the infant vitamin drops, and the pediatrician's discharge paperwork neatly arranged on the dining table.
"Ms. Mitchell," Agent Miller said, softening her tone slightly. "When did your daughter last feed?"
"Forty-five minutes ago," I answered steadily. "Three ounces. Her wet diapers have been logged in an app on my phone since birth. Her next pediatric checkup is scheduled for Tuesday at Macon Pediatrics with Dr. Alvarez."
Agent Miller reviewed the log on my phone, then looked at the two deputies standing near the doorway. Both officers looked distinctly uncomfortable; they were clearly familiar with Claire Sterling’s courtroom reputation.
"Who made the report, Agent Miller?" Claire asked quietly.
"I cannot disclose the reporting party's identity," Miller replied, closing her binder. "However, I will note in my summary that the child appears in optimal health, the mother demonstrates full cognitive and emotional competency, and the allegations of acute endangerment appear entirely unsubstantiated."
She looked directly at me. "You're doing fine, mama. Don't let anyone convince you otherwise."
May you like
As the door clicked shut behind them, I sank into the sofa, burying my face in Frankie’s soft blanket. Connie had fired her second missile, and we had deflected it. But Monday morning was looming, and in open court, Connie would bring her heaviest artillery.
***
