Chapter 8: The Secret Rachel Took to Her Grave
I wanted to hate Simone.
It would have been easy.
She had lied to me, frightened my daughter, and helped someone arrange an illegal transfer of guardianship. She had stood in a bridal room wearing a white satin gown while a man waited outside to take Ava away.
But when she stood beneath the flashing lights outside the courthouse, looking at me with tears running down her face, I saw something I hadn't expected.
Fear.
Not the fear of being arrested.
The fear of what might happen if she finally told the truth.
"Who is Ava's biological father?"" I asked.
Simone looked toward Officer Bennett.
"I need to speak to Caleb privately.""
"Absolutely not," the officer replied.
"Then I want a lawyer.""
"You have that right.""
Simone turned back to me.
"I'll tell you everything. But not here.""
I stepped closer.
"You don't get to set the conditions anymore.""
Her shoulders sagged.
"You're right.""
For the first time that day, she didn't argue.
She sat on the curb beside Denise, who was being questioned by another officer. Her white blouse was wrinkled, and a small cut crossed one knuckle.
I stood in front of her.
"Start at the beginning.""
Simone looked at the ground.
"When I met you at the charity event eighteen months ago, I already knew who you were.""
The words made my stomach twist.
"How?""
"Daniel showed me a photograph of you and Ava. He told me you were the trustee of an account that belonged to a child whose father had died.""
I stared at her.
"That's a lie.""
"I know that now.""
"You knew Rachel was my wife?""
Simone nodded.
"Daniel told me Rachel had died before she could complete the paperwork transferring the trust to its rightful beneficiary.""
"Rightful beneficiary? Ava is the beneficiary.""
"Yes. But Daniel claimed he was Ava's biological father and that Rachel had hidden the truth from you.""
I felt my hands begin to shake.
"And you believed him?""
"At first.""
"Why?""
She pressed her fingers against her forehead.
"Because he showed me documents. Medical records. Emails.
A report from a private investigator. He said Rachel had been involved with him before she met you.""
I stepped back.
"That's impossible.""
"I know.""
"Rachel would never—"
I stopped.
The truth was that I couldn't know every moment of my wife's life before we met.
But I knew Rachel.
I knew the way she had loved me, the way she had held my hand through every difficult day, the way she had spoken about honesty as though it were the only foundation worth building a life upon.
The idea that she had secretly given birth to another man's child and concealed it from me seemed absurd.
Yet someone had gone to extraordinary lengths to make me question everything.
"Did you ever meet Daniel before the charity event?"" I asked.
Simone nodded.
"He approached me through my mother. She had worked for a financial services company that once handled accounts connected to Rachel's father.""
I glanced toward Denise.
"Your mother knew about this?""
"Yes.""
"How much?""
Simone closed her eyes.
"More than I did.""
I looked at her for a long moment.
"Why did you agree to marry me?""
She began to cry.
"Because I fell in love with you.""
I felt nothing.
Or perhaps I felt too much to distinguish one emotion from another.
"That doesn't explain the recorder. The locked door. The man waiting outside.""
"I know.""
"Then explain those.""
Simone wiped her face.
"Daniel told me that after the wedding, you would sign a temporary guardianship authorization. He said it was a standard document that would allow me to handle Ava's affairs if you were traveling or unavailable.""
"I never agreed to that.""
"He said you would sign it once the ceremony was over, when everyone was celebrating and you were in a good mood.""
I stared at her.
"And Ava?""
"He wanted her present because the document required an acknowledgment that she had been informed of the arrangement.""
"She's seven years old!""
"I know!""
Her voice broke.
"I told him it was wrong. I told him you would never agree if you understood what the document actually did.""
"What did it do?""
Simone looked toward Officer Bennett.
"It would have transferred temporary control of Ava's trust to Daniel's company. He claimed he needed the authority to protect the assets while the biological-parentage dispute was resolved.""
I felt sick.
"And you helped him.""
"Yes.""
The admission came without excuse.
"I was afraid of what he knew about my mother. He had evidence that she'd helped him obtain confidential financial records. He threatened to report her unless I cooperated.""
"So you chose my daughter instead.""
Simone bowed her head.
"Yes.""
For several seconds, I couldn't speak.
Then I asked the question that had been burning through me since I saw Rachel's photograph.
"Were you at the hospital when Rachel died?""
Simone's face crumpled.
"Yes.""
"Why?""
"Daniel sent me to deliver a document. He said Rachel was willing to settle the dispute.""
"What document?""
"A proposed agreement giving Daniel temporary access to the trust records.""
"And Rachel refused?""
Simone nodded.
"She told me to leave. She said she knew Daniel was using me.""
I swallowed.
"What happened afterward?""
"I went home. I never saw her again.""
"Did you know she was afraid someone might hurt her?""
Simone didn't answer.
"Did you know?""
"Yes.""
The word was barely audible.
I turned away.
I couldn't look at her.
For three years, I had wondered whether I had missed something in Rachel's final days. Whether I had failed to ask the right questions. Whether I'd been so focused on getting her through her illness that I hadn't noticed the fear in her eyes.
Now I knew someone else had seen that fear.
Someone who had done nothing.
My phone rang.
Miriam again.
I answered.
"Tell me you have something.""
"I do," she said.
"I've reviewed the emergency filing. The statement attributed to Rachel contains a serious inconsistency.""
"What inconsistency?""
"It claims she signed the declaration on the date of her death. But the hospital records show she was unconscious and receiving intensive treatment at that time.""
I closed my eyes.
"So the statement is forged.""
"It appears to be. But we need to verify the signature and obtain the original records.""
"Can they still take Ava?""
"Not lawfully on the basis of a forged statement. But the filing could create confusion and delay. We need to act quickly.""
I looked at Simone.
"Did you know about the forged statement?""
She shook her head.
"No. I swear I didn't.""
I didn't know whether to believe her.
Miriam continued.
"Caleb, there's another issue. The trust documents contain an amendment Rachel prepared shortly before her death. It was never submitted to the court because she wanted to review it with you first.""
"What amendment?""
"It names you as the sole acting trustee while you remain able to care for Ava. It also requires an independent review if anyone attempts to challenge your parental status.""
"Who conducts the review?""
"An independent trustee named by Rachel.""
"Who?""
Miriam hesitated.
"Ethan Mitchell.""
I looked at my brother.
He was standing several feet away, listening.
His face showed no surprise.
"You knew?"" I asked him.
"Rachel told me she was considering it. She never confirmed the final amendment.""
Miriam's voice came through the phone.
"The amendment includes a sealed statement explaining why she made that choice. I have the original, and I'm bringing it to the police now.""
I looked at the forged birth certificate.
The false statement.
The messages.
Everything had been designed to create uncertainty about Ava's parentage.
But if Rachel had anticipated the attack, she might have left us a way to prove the truth.
I turned toward Simone.
"Where is Ava?""
She shook her head.
"I don't know.""
"You said Daniel had a plan.""
"He did. But Victor took her before the police reached the basement. Daniel was supposed to meet him at the courthouse and hand over the original documents.""
"What original documents?""
"The trust records. The birth records. Whatever Daniel believed would prove his claim.""
"Then why did Victor ask me for the blue coat?""
Simone looked at me.
"Because Daniel believed Rachel had hidden the original evidence inside it.""
I felt a cold clarity settle over me.
"They thought the coat contained the original trust documents.""
"Yes.""
"But it contained a letter and a flash drive.""
Her eyes widened.
"You found it?""
I nodded.
She covered her mouth.
"Then Daniel doesn't know where the originals are.""
"No. But he knows we have evidence.""
I looked at Officer Bennett.
"We need to tell the team about the flash drive.""
She nodded and stepped away to make the call.
I turned back to Simone.
"There's one thing I still don't understand.""
She looked up.
"Why did Ava say you told her nobody would believe her?""
Simone stared at her hands.
"Because she heard Daniel talking to me.""
"About what?""
"About the plan to take her. She asked me whether you knew. I told her not to tell you.""
My chest tightened.
"Why?""
"Because I thought if I could get through the ceremony, I could fix everything afterward.""
I stared at her.
"You wanted me to marry you first.""
She nodded.
"Once we were married, I thought I'd have enough influence to stop Daniel from doing anything permanent. I thought I could protect Ava without exposing my mother.""
"And instead, you locked her in a room.""
"I know.""
"No, Simone. You don't know.""
I leaned closer.
"She thought the person who was supposed to love her was helping a stranger take her away. She thought I might not believe her. Do you understand what that does to a child?""
Simone began to sob.
I stepped back.
I had no sympathy left to offer her.
A police officer approached with a phone in a clear evidence bag.
"We recovered this from Ms. Brooks's second device. There's a new message from Victor Hale.""
Officer Bennett took the phone.
The message was a photograph of Ava sitting in a vehicle.
This time, the window was open.
Behind her, a familiar building stood beneath a streetlight.
I recognized the brick facade.
The old train station near the river.
The one Rachel used to visit with Ava on Sunday afternoons.
Below the photograph was a message.
*The father will come. The girl will stay.*
Another message appeared before anyone could speak.
*Bring the coat and the trust amendment. You have thirty minutes.*
Officer Bennett looked at me.
"We're moving.""
I stared at the photograph.
Ava was still wearing her flower-girl dress.
The white fabric was dirty at the hem.
She was frightened, but she was looking toward the camera.
This time, her lips were clearly forming words.
I zoomed in.
She was saying the same thing again.
*Don't come alone.*
Then I noticed what she was holding.
A small piece of paper.
May you like
A piece of paper with three words written in Rachel's handwriting.
*LOOK UNDER THREE.*
