Released<\/i>. The word was a gunshot in the silent room. Blake had walked away from this devastation with scratches, while Olivia lay shattered. And he had vanished.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll need copies of all her medical records,\u201d I said, my voice dropping to the precise, measured tone that had made junior executives tremble for thirty years. \u201cAnd the police report. Immediately.\u201d<\/p>\n
Linda nodded, a look of relief on her face. \u201cOf course. It\u2019s good you\u2019re here, Mrs. Harrison. She needs an advocate right now.\u201d<\/p>\n
After she left, I leaned close to Olivia\u2019s ear. \u201cListen to me, sweetheart,\u201d I whispered. \u201cI\u2019m not going anywhere. I am going to find out exactly what happened. And I promise you, I will get answers.\u201d Then I pulled out my phone. The mother in me was weeping, but the executive was taking control. My vacation was over. A new, far more important project had just begun.<\/p>\n
My first text to Blake was simple, a strategic probe. Blake, I\u2019m at Northwestern with Olivia. Please call me immediately.<\/i><\/p>\n
Three hours later, there was still no response. In that time, a neurosurgeon with kind eyes, Dr. Patel, had outlined Olivia\u2019s catastrophic injuries: traumatic brain injury, punctured lung, lacerated liver, a compound femur fracture. The litany of damage was a physical assault. An officer named Ramirez had also come by, explaining that Blake was wanted for questioning.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have reason to believe Mr. Thompson may have been texting at the time of the crash,\u201d he\u2019d said. \u201cIn addition to the alcohol in his system. His blood alcohol level was 0.11.\u201d<\/p>\n
Drunk. Speeding. Texting. He had turned his car into a missile with my daughter in the passenger seat.<\/p>\n
I logged into the joint emergency bank account I\u2019d set up for them as a wedding gift. And there it was. The truth, spelled out in debits and charges. One day after Olivia\u2019s accident, the spending spree began. Hotel charges in Miami. A thousand-dollar restaurant bill. A payment to a yacht rental company. Designer boutiques. Cash withdrawals totaling over $15,000.<\/p>\n