Em Gessen

At the time their baby, who again I'm calling Elle, was born, in November 2018, Priscilla was dating someone new.

Eventually, Alan seemed to get used to the separation and was even starting to talk about their post-divorce, post-Russia future.

One day he suggested they could all move to the United States.

Priscilla thought that might work.

She could get an MBA, become an American entrepreneur.

And then, just a few days after this conversation, Priscilla got a text from Zimbabwe.

In terms of what happened next, she testified to much of this in court and legal filings I've reviewed.

A manager at her restaurant had quit.

She had to go home for a few days to deal with the crisis.

She flew to Zimbabwe.

The kids stayed with Alan.

Elle was five years old.

Elle was seven months.

Priscilla was gone for just four days.

When she landed back in Moscow and turned on her phone, it pinged with a bunch of WhatsApp messages.

The messages informed Priscilla that Alan had left the country with O, and that L was with her nanny.

After she composed herself, Priscilla rushed to their apartment.

Everything is gone.

Alan had cleaned out the entire place.

All the furniture.