"Yes, it is," I said.
Daniel's first call finally came at 11:47 am
He sounded irritated, not worried.
“Mom, I’m on a cruise. What’s so urgent that it’s going to ruin this for us?”
I went out into the hallway.
“Your daughter is in the emergency room,” I said.
A pause.
Then a laugh. “Olivia? She’s fine. It’s probably just a cold. She exaggerates everything.”
I gripped the phone tightly.
“She has a fever of 40 degrees,” I said. “Severe dehydration. They found her alone.”
Silence.
Then Rachel's voice interrupted, sharp and defensive. "We hired a nanny. Something must have gone wrong."
“Which nanny?” I asked.
Another pause. This one longer.
Unanswered.
Detective Harris signaled me to give him the phone. I handed it to him.
"I'm Detective Harris from Riverside County," he said. "We're opening an investigation for child endangerment."
The call was cut off.
That same night, social services arrived. Olivia was officially placed in temporary protective custody, although I made it clear that she would stay with me as long as the hospital allowed.
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