Chapter 7 - TESSA'S DEFENSE
Tessa did not deny leaving the children.
Her lawyer built the strongest defense possible.
Tessa said she watched them for more than twenty-four hours.
She fed them.
Bathed them.
Put them to bed.
Wednesday morning, Evelyn called.
The closing documents needed delivery.
Tessa believed she would be gone:
forty-five minutes.
She left Micah with instructions:
Stay inside.
Do not answer the door.
Call 911 if necessary.
Terrible judgment.
But not a plan to abandon them for a full day.
Why did she not return?
Her car was involved in a minor collision.
No major injury.
But police impounded it because of expired registration.
Her phone battery died.
She spent hours arranging transport and dealing with insurance.
Could she have called from someone else’s phone?
Yes.
Could she have told police two children were alone?
Yes.
She did not.
Why?
Tessa admitted:
“I panicked because I knew leaving them was illegal.”
That made her decision worse.
Fear of consequences extended the danger.
Tessa’s $600 childcare payment became disputed too.
She claimed it was not payment.
“Delaney left cash for groceries.”
Delaney said:
“Three hundred for food. Three hundred for watching them.”
No receipt.
No written agreement.
Then a text surfaced:
DELANEY:
I’ll leave 600. Please stay until I’m back.
TESSA:
Fine. You owe me.
That supported Delaney.
Tessa’s lawyer argued “owe me” could mean prior family debts.
Possible.
Then another message:
TESSA:
I’m not babysitting two kids for free while you save the sale.
Clearer.
Tessa had accepted responsibility.
That mattered because she later tried to portray herself as a relative who merely stopped by.
She had not merely stopped by.
She agreed to be the caregiver.
Then there was the red folder.
Tessa admitted she had it.
She delivered it to Evelyn.
She claimed she did not understand the occupancy affidavit issue.
Grace showed her text:
TESSA:
If kids aren't there at inspection, it's basically vacant.
May you like
Tessa stopped.
She understood enough.
