Chapter 7: My Mother's Warning
“Mom!””
I caught her before her head struck the floor.
She felt impossibly light in my arms.
For eight years, I had mourned a woman I believed had died.
Now she was breathing against my chest.
Alive.
Older.
But undeniably her.
Her silver hair brushed my wrist.
Her face was thinner than I remembered, and there were deep lines around her eyes that hadn't been there when I'd last seen her.
“Mom, open your eyes.””
Nothing.
I looked at Thomas.
He stood frozen in the passage.
For the first time since he'd appeared, he looked frightened.
“You brought her here?””
Thomas took one step backward.
“No.””
“Then why is she here?””
He glanced toward Vivian.
“She found her own way here.””
I looked down at my mother.
“What did you do to her?””
Thomas shook his head.
“Nothing.””
The older police officer pressed a hand against his shoulder wound and stared at Thomas.
“Hands where I can see them.””
Thomas didn't move.
The officer raised his weapon.
“Now.””
Thomas slowly lifted both hands.
Vivian came toward me.
“Let me see her.””
I pulled my mother closer.
“No.””
“She needs medical attention.””
“She needs a hospital.””
Vivian nodded.
“Yes.””
The second officer moved toward the hidden exit.
“There's another way out?””
I pointed toward the passage.
“Call an ambulance.””
My voice sounded strange to my own ears.
Too calm.
Too controlled.
I had just found my mother alive after eight years, discovered that my father had apparently hidden the existence of my sister, learned that my wife had staged a theft, and watched my closest employee shoot a police officer.
Yet all I could think about was whether my mother was breathing.
The officer crouched beside her.
“She's alive.””
A siren sounded outside.
Thomas suddenly laughed.
Everyone turned toward him.
“What?”” I asked.
“You still don't understand.””
“Understand what?””
Thomas looked at my mother.
“She wasn't supposed to come back.””
My mother stirred.
Her eyelids fluttered.
Then her hand closed around my wrist.
“Alex.””
I leaned closer.
“I'm here.””
Her eyes opened.
For one terrifying second, they didn't recognize me.
Then they did.
And the expression on her face destroyed me.
She cried.
“My baby.””
I pressed my forehead against hers.
“Mom.””
Her fingers touched my cheek.
“You grew up.””
The words broke something inside me.
“I thought you were dead.””
“I know.””
“Why didn't you come home?””
She looked past me.
Her eyes landed on Vivian.
Her entire face changed.
Fear.
Pure, unmistakable fear.
“Get him away from her.””
I turned.
“Who?””
“You.””
She looked at me.
“Get away from Vivian.””
Vivian's face went white.
“Evelyn—”
“Don't call me that.””
My mother's voice was weak, but sharp.
Vivian stopped.
“You've done enough.””
I stared between them.
“How do you know my wife?””
My mother looked at me.
“I knew her before you did.””
Vivian began crying.
“You don't know what I had to do.””
My mother whispered, “I know exactly what you did.””
The ambulance crew rushed into the hidden room.
They lifted my mother onto a stretcher.
I stayed beside her.
Ethan and Caleb were brought downstairs by the second officer.
The moment Ethan saw my mother, he froze.
He stared at her face.
Then he looked at me.
“Daddy?””
I knelt.
“This is your grandmother.””
Caleb's mouth fell open.
“My grandma?””
My mother reached toward them.
Both boys hesitated.
Then Ethan stepped forward.
“You're the lady from the picture.””
My mother looked at him.
A tear rolled down her cheek.
“Yes.””
She held out her hand.
Ethan took it.
Caleb followed.
For a few seconds, nobody spoke.
Then Ethan whispered, “Mama said Grandma was dead.””
My mother closed her eyes.
“I know.””
Vivian turned away.
The police officer looked at her.
“Mrs. Hale, you're going to need to answer some questions.””
She didn't respond.
My mother suddenly gripped my hand.
“Alex.””
“Yes?””
“Your sister.””
I swallowed.
“Claire?””
Her eyes filled with tears.
“She was never supposed to be found.””
“What does that mean?””
“Marcus knows where she is.””
“Where?””
My mother's breathing became uneven.
“He has her.””
The room went silent.
I felt as if the air had vanished.
“You said she was safe.””
“I lied.””
“Why?””
“Because if you knew where she was, he'd know you knew.””
I stared at her.
“How long has he had Claire?””
“Twenty-two years.””
The number hit me.
Twenty-two.
A child taken from our family had grown into an adult somewhere in the world while I lived my entire life believing she never existed.
“Mom…”
She squeezed my hand.
“I tried to find her.””
“You should have told me.””
“I couldn't.””
“You could have trusted me.””
Her expression shattered.
“I was trying to keep you alive.””
I looked at Vivian.
She stood several feet away, crying silently.
“Did Vivian know about Claire?””
My mother nodded.
“She knew everything.””
I felt sick.
“How?””
“She was working for Marcus.””
Vivian stepped forward.
“No.””
My mother looked at her.
“You were.””
“I was nineteen.””
“And you still took the money.””
Vivian began sobbing.
“I didn't know what it was for.””
“You knew enough.””
I turned toward my wife.
“Is that true?””
Vivian wiped her face.
“At first, yes.””
My voice lowered.
“What did you do?””
Vivian looked at me.
“I watched.””
“Watched what?””
“The transfers.””
“What transfers?””
“Money sent to the people who moved Claire from one place to another.””
My entire body went cold.
“You knew my sister was alive.””
“Yes.””
“You knew where the money went.””
“Yes.””
“You knew Marcus had her.””
Vivian covered her face.
“Yes.””
I stepped toward her.
“And you married me anyway.””
She lowered her hands.
“I fell in love with you.””
I laughed bitterly.
“That's what you're going with?””
“I did!””
“You spent eleven years lying to me.””
“I spent eleven years trying to keep you alive!””
“How does framing Maya keep me alive?””
Vivian looked toward my mother.
“She found the tape.””
My mother's eyes narrowed.
“Maya found it years ago.””
I looked at the police.
“What tape?””
Vivian answered.
“The recording of your father.””
My blood ran cold.
“What did he say?””
My mother whispered, “Everything.””
She looked at me.
“He confessed.””
“To what?””
She hesitated.
Then said,
“To selling Claire.””
Caleb looked frightened.
“Daddy?””
I forced myself to soften my voice.
“It's okay.””
But it wasn't.
Nothing was okay.
My mother continued.
“Your father had debts. Marcus offered him money. In exchange, he wanted access to Claire.””
“Why Claire?””
“She saw something she shouldn't have.””
“What?””
My mother looked toward Vivian.
“Your father had been using our family charity to move stolen money.””
I remembered the foundation.
The family foundation I'd been told funded children's hospitals.
The accounts I'd never personally managed.
The annual reports I'd signed without reading deeply.
My father's legacy suddenly looked rotten.
“He used Claire as leverage,” my mother said.
“Marcus threatened to expose the fraud unless your father helped him.””
“And my father gave him my sister.””
“Yes.””
My jaw clenched.
“How did you find out?””
“I followed the money.””
“And Marcus tried to kill you?””
My mother nodded.
“He came to the hospital after the accident.””
“What accident?””
“You were driving.””
I stared at her.
“You were in the car?””
“Yes.””
“And Claire?””
“No.””
“Then what happened?””
My mother closed her eyes.
“Your father tampered with the brakes.””
I couldn't breathe.
“The accident wasn't an accident.””
“No.””
I looked at Vivian.
She was shaking.
“You knew.””
“Yes.””
“You knew my father tried to kill my mother.””
“Yes.””
“And you still stayed with me.””
Vivian's tears fell faster.
“I was trying to protect you from him.””
My mother interrupted.
“Your wife did one unforgivable thing.””
I looked at her.
“What?””
“She made a deal with Marcus.””
Vivian whispered, “I had no choice.””
My mother shook her head.
“There is always a choice.””
I stared at Vivian.
“What deal?””
Vivian said nothing.
“Tell me.””
She looked at the floor.
“He wanted the tape.””
“What did you give him?””
“Nothing.””
My mother laughed weakly.
“You gave him Maya's name.””
Vivian closed her eyes.
I felt nauseous.
“You used Maya as a sacrifice.””
“I thought he'd leave you alone.””
“And did he?””
Vivian didn't answer.
The older officer stepped between us.
“Mr. Hale, I need you to step back.””
I barely heard him.
My mother suddenly reached for me.
“Alex.””
I turned.
“There's another reason they wanted Maya arrested.””
“What?””
“The tape isn't the only evidence.””
She looked toward Thomas.
“He has the original.””
Thomas smiled.
I turned sharply.
“The tape?””
He nodded.
“Safe.””
“Where?””
He looked at Vivian.
Then at me.
“Your father hid it inside the one place nobody would search.””
I felt a chill.
“Where?””
Thomas's smile widened.
“In your home.””
I looked around the hidden room.
“Where?””
He pointed upward.
“Inside the wall behind your wedding photograph.””
My blood ran cold.
The photograph.
The same wedding photograph Vivian had stood beside when she'd opened the safe.
I suddenly understood.
The jewelry hadn't been the real target.
Vivian needed everyone looking at the safe.
While somebody retrieved something hidden behind the photograph.
I ran.
I tore up the staircase, crossed the hallway, and entered Vivian's dressing room.
The wedding photograph still hung against the wall.
I ripped it down.
Behind it was a narrow cavity.
Empty.
Except for a small brass key.
I picked it up.
Stamped into the metal were two letters.
*C.V.*
Claire Vale.
Or perhaps something worse.
My phone buzzed.
Unknown number.
A message appeared.
*You have the key. Good. Now come alone to the old Hale clinic.*
A second message followed.
*Bring the nanny.*
I stared at the screen.
Maya was in police custody.
Unless—
A final message appeared.
*Because she's the only person alive who knows where your sister is.*
And then my phone displayed a photograph that made my blood turn to ice.
Maya was sitting inside a dark room.
Alive.
May you like
Terrified.
And standing behind her was Claire.
