Chapter 11 - THE DNA
The old photograph at the banquet proved recognition.
Not identity.
Independent testing did.
Claire provided DNA.
Richard did too.
Result:
parent-child relationship greater than 99.99%.
Claire was Richard’s biological daughter.
Vanessa was not.
Then investigators found something worse.
Evelyn had arranged a DNA test thirteen years earlier.
Private laboratory.
Samples:
Richard.
Vanessa.
Result:
excluded biological parentage.
Richard had never seen it.
The report had been sent to Evelyn’s attorney.
Evelyn claimed she ordered it because she had doubts.
Grace asked:
“And after it excluded Richard?”
Evelyn answered:
“I believed the sample could be wrong.”
“Did you repeat it?”
“No.”
“Did you tell Richard?”
“No.”
That was the turning point.
Before that test, Evelyn could argue reckless belief.
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After it, she knew Vanessa was not Claire.
And continued anyway.
