Chapter 5: The Brother Claire Never Mentioned
The police officer waited while I processed his words.
“Claire had a brother?””
The officer nodded.
“His name is Michael Bennett. He submitted a guardianship claim this afternoon.””
Melissa sank into a chair.
I turned toward her.
“You knew about him?””
She wiped her cheeks.
“Yes.””
“How long?””
“Since Claire was alive.””
I stared at her.
“Why didn't you tell me?””
Melissa looked down.
“Because Claire had cut him out of her life.””
“Why?””
She shook her head.
“I don't know everything.””
I laughed bitterly.
“That's becoming your favorite answer.””
The officer interrupted.
“Mr. Mitchell, we need you to come to the station. Your wife's statement and the guardianship claim need to be reviewed.””
I agreed, but I refused to leave without arranging for someone I trusted to stay with Lily.
Daniel remained at the hospital.
My sister Rachel arrived at the house to stay with Emma.
Before I left, I confronted Melissa one more time.
“Did Michael know Lily was alive?””
She hesitated.
Then nodded.
“He called me last year.””
“What did he want?””
“To see her.””
“And you refused?””
“I told him she was dead.””
I felt sick.
“You told her uncle she was dead?””
Melissa began crying harder.
“Robert said it was the only way to keep her safe.””
I grabbed my jacket.
“Stop blaming Robert for every decision you made.””
At the station, the detective assigned to the case introduced herself as Detective Laura Bennett.
She was in her forties, with tired eyes and a calm voice.
She placed several documents on the desk.
“Mr. Mitchell, we have a complicated situation.””
“That's one way to describe it.””
She slid a photograph toward me.
It showed a man standing outside an apartment building.
He had dark hair, a narrow face, and the same brown eyes I'd seen in Claire.
“Is this Michael Bennett?””
I nodded.
“I've never met him.””
“According to our records, he was declared missing shortly after your first wife's death.””
“Why?””
“His car was found abandoned near a river. No body was recovered.””
I stared at the photograph.
“So why is he filing a guardianship claim now?””
Detective Bennett folded her hands.
“Because he says he's been looking for Lily for eight years.””
She opened another folder.
Inside was a series of letters.
All addressed to Claire.
All returned as undeliverable.
“He claims he sent these to your former address.””
I examined the envelopes.
Some were dated before Claire died.
Others were dated afterward.
One letter had been opened and resealed.
I recognized the handwriting on the envelope.
Melissa's.
My stomach tightened.
“Where did you get these?””
“They were recovered from a storage unit registered under your wife's name.””
I looked at her.
“Melissa intercepted them?””
“We're investigating that possibility.””
Then Detective Bennett asked something unexpected.
“Mr. Mitchell, did Claire ever mention a man named Thomas?””
I frowned.
“Thomas who?””
“Just Thomas.””
I shook my head.
She pulled out a small photograph.
It showed Claire standing beside a man in a baseball cap.
On the back was a date.
Three days before her death.
I recognized the location.
The parking lot outside my company's old office.
“Who is he?””
“We don't know yet.””
The detective studied my face.
“Your first wife appears to have been involved in something much larger than a family inheritance dispute.””
I thought about Lily's words.
The man behind you.
The loud noise.
Mommy crying.
I leaned forward.
“Detective, I want to know what happened the night Claire died.””
She nodded.
“Then we need to locate Michael.””
I left the station after giving my statement.
On the way home, I stopped at the storage facility where Claire's locker was registered.
Locker 214 was at the end of a dim corridor.
The brass key turned smoothly.
Inside were several boxes, an old suitcase, and a small wooden chest.
I opened the first box.
Photographs.
Letters.
Medical documents.
Then I found a thick envelope with my name written across it.
Ryan.
My hands began shaking.
I opened it.
Inside was a letter.
My love,
If you're reading this, something has happened to me. I need you to understand that I never stopped loving you. I also need you to understand that Lily is your daughter.
I stopped breathing.
The letter continued.
Melissa knows about the trust. Robert knows about the accident. And Michael knows the truth about the man who has been following me.
I read the next paragraph twice.
Please don't trust anyone who tells you I died alone.
A small photograph slipped from the envelope.
It showed Claire standing outside a house.
A man stood behind her.
His face had been partially scratched away.
But I recognized his jacket.
Robert's company jacket.
I turned the photograph over.
There was another message.
The man who sabotaged my brakes wasn't Robert.
I felt my stomach drop.
Then I heard footsteps behind me.
I spun around.
A man stood at the entrance to the storage unit.
He was holding a folded newspaper.
“Ryan Mitchell?””
I stepped backward.
“Who are you?””
He slowly removed his baseball cap.
The face from the photograph stared back at me.
“Michael Bennett.””
Claire's brother.
The man everyone believed was dead.
He looked at the letter in my hand.
“You found it.””
I nodded.
“Who killed my wife?””
Michael's expression hardened.
“Before I answer that, I need to tell you something about Lily.””
“What?””
He looked toward the corridor.
“She's not the only child Claire was trying to protect.””
My mouth went dry.
“What are you talking about?””
Michael stepped closer.
“Claire had another baby.””
I stared at him.
“Another baby?””
He nodded.
“And according to the records, that child disappeared the same night Claire died.””
My legs nearly gave out.
I had two daughters?
No.
Three?
I couldn't make sense of anything anymore.
Michael pulled another photograph from his pocket.
It showed Claire holding a newborn baby.
And beside her stood Melissa.
On the back, Claire had written a date.
The date was eight years earlier.
Michael looked at me.
“Ryan, where was Melissa the night Claire's car crashed?””
I couldn't answer.
Because suddenly I remembered.
She had told me she'd been at home.
May you like
But the photograph suggested she had been with Claire.
And perhaps she had been there when the third child disappeared.
