“Until we know that baby wasn’t killed, we have to run this investigation on the assumption that she was, because by the time we get the results from the coroner, it’ll be too late to go back and preserve evidence. But regardless of all of that, you can’t go tip off a suspect that he’s about to be served with a warrant!”

“You told Jake’s parents that he isn’t a suspect.”

“No, I didn’t. Of course he’s a suspect, Beckett! The baby was found in his bag, and that’s the best lead we have so far.”

“But it isn’t the only one. You also have the shirt and the Crimson Cryer Twitter account.”

“That account is a nuisance, not a lead. We have no reason to believe the account holder knows anything more than we do about that poor baby. In fact, all its information seems to be coming directly from our investigation.”

“But the shirt?”

“I’m not going to discuss this with you.” My mother heads for the arched doorway into the hall. “I’m going to be late.”

“Wait, just one more question. Unrelated to the inves- tigation.”

She turns back to me with her arms crossed over her robe. “Quickly.”

“What’s going to happen to the baby if they can’t find her next of kin? If no one claims her body?”

My mother sighs. “There’s a lot of paperwork, a public notice, and a ninety-six-hour hold after the body is released by the coroner, while we wait for relatives to come forward. But eventually, because the expense lies with Daley County, unclaimed remains will be cremated, which is the most cost-effective way to handle the situation.”

“What will happen to the ashes?”

“The state requires that they be buried. Daley County has a paupers’ lot.”

“That’s a cemetery?”

“Of sorts. The plots are very small, because ashes don’t take up much space. There are no headstones, and no real funerals. Just a legally mandated final resting place.”

Ouch.

“So, they’re just going to incinerate her and dump her in an unmarked hole in the ground? No one will be able to visit her, even if the mom eventually comes forward to identify her?”

My mother exhales slowly. “Some stories don’t have happy endings, Beckett.”

I know that. And I know she’s not just talking about Lullaby Doe.

But I also know that sometimes if you want a happy ending, you have to pick up the pen and write it yourself.