“She’s trying to scare off any adoptive parents,” Kyle said. “They won’t give her the baby back, so she’s mounted this campaign against us. The woman in the airport, the men who drove us off the road.”

And the warning woman, with her quarter-million-dollar offer? It was too late to tell them about that. And maybe that was a lie. That woman could have somehow been helping Anya. I didn’t know what to think.

I pulled Kyle’s laptop out of his bag and opened it. “Alexander Borisovich Stepurin. That means his father is Boris Stepurin, yes?” I did an internet search on the name. There were several hits, mostly on sites written in Russian. If I needed to drag Pavel down here to translate all night, I would. But then I saw a listing: a biography from a Russian investment firm. A man in his early thirties, blond and handsome like Sasha. Educated in Moscow and London. A senior investment broker.

“Why worry about the father?” Danielle asked. She sounded a little uneasy.

“He might have sway with her,” I said. “Maybe he fathered her other child, too.”

“I should go see him,” Kyle said.

“We don’t even know this is the right man,” I said. “The bio says he’s married to a woman named Irina. Not Anya.”

“Maybe Anya was a girlfriend,” Kyle said. “A mistress.”

“Maybe he doesn’t even know there’s a baby,” Danielle said. “I would not do this.”

“If this is his child, he knows. They would have contacted the father when the child was surrendered at the maternity ward. He would have been given the option to claim him, right?”

“If they’re not together, she might not listen to him,” Danielle said.

“Look, what if he can convince her our adopting him is best for all?” Kyle said. “Then we can adopt him with a clear conscience.”

I nodded. “The court hearing is tomorrow afternoon,” Danielle said. “After that, he’ll be yours.”

“Do you think Anya could show up to protest?” I asked. I dreaded the thought. Even if she gave up and took back and gave up an earlier child, she is Sasha’s mother. For this to work, she must let him go of her own free will. Out of love for him, to have a better life.

What if the judge sided with her? It could happen. A decision overturned, for the sake of a mother.

Danielle stood up. “I feel like the two of you have decided not to listen to me anymore. I’m telling you, don’t go see this man. If the ruling goes your way, then fine, he’s yours. If not, he’s not.”

“But he could be the deciding factor,” I said. “I…”

“You asked me to get you a child. I’ve done that. I want no more part of it.”

“Danielle…” I started, but Kyle stopped me.