Sarah tapped the next document. “Two years later, school registration records appear for a child using the same identity. The guardian listed is Linda Varner.”
“Not Hale,” I said.
“Correct. She didn’t become Linda Hale until later. We found a marriage certificate between Linda Varner and a man named Curtis Hale, who was the real Ryan’s uncle.”
I frowned. “So she married into the dead child’s family?”
“Yes. After the identity substitution began.”
The room felt too bright.
“Why?” I asked.
“Benefits. Access. Cover. Possibly custody protection. Curtis Hale had military survivor benefits connected to his brother’s family. There were also insurance payments and a trust account established after the baby’s death. Small at first, but enough to matter.”
I looked at the name on the page.
Ryan Michael Hale.
