Chapter 12: The Sister Nobody Mentioned
My mother couldn't speak.
She stared at Laura as if the woman's words had reached into a locked room inside her memory.
“I don't have a sister,” she said again.
Laura shook her head.
“You did.””
“What's her name?””
“Claire.””
My mother staggered backward.
“No.””
Daniel caught her arm.
“Eleanor?””
She pulled away.
“I remember that name.””
Everyone went silent.
She pressed both hands against her temples.
“She was…”
Her voice broke.
“She was my twin.””
I looked at Milo.
He looked just as stunned as I was.
“Your twin?””
Mom nodded slowly.
“My parents told me she died when we were children.””
Laura said nothing.
Richard did.
“They told you she died.””
Mom turned toward him.
“You knew?””
Richard's face remained expressionless.
“I knew Claire survived.””
My mother stared at him.
“Where is she?””
Richard looked at me.
“She raised your daughter.””
The room seemed to shrink.
I whispered,
“Claire raised me?””
Richard nodded.
“Not Thomas.””
I looked at Thomas.
He looked devastated.
“I was her legal guardian,” he said.
“But she raised me?””
Thomas nodded.
“She lived under another name.””
My mother stepped toward Richard.
“Where?””
He didn't answer.
Daniel grabbed him by the collar.
“Where is she?””
Richard smiled.
“Too late.””
Daniel slammed him against the wall.
“Talk.””
Richard remained calm.
“She's already gone.””
I looked at Laura.
“Where?””
Laura pulled another photograph from the stack.
It showed a woman standing on a porch.
She had my mother's face.
My face.
But older.
She was holding a little girl.
I stared.
“Is that me?””
Laura nodded.
“And that's Claire.””
I touched the photograph.
“Why would she take me?””
“Because she believed Eleanor had abandoned you.””
My mother shook her head.
“I never abandoned her.””
“I know.””
“Then why?””
Laura looked at Richard.
“Because someone convinced Claire that Eleanor wanted Kate dead.””
Mom's eyes filled with tears.
“Who?””
Richard smiled.
“Your own father.””
Daniel's fist tightened.
“Richard.””
“He knew Eleanor would never willingly give up her child.””
“So he used Claire.””
Richard nodded.
“Claire loved her sister. She believed she was saving Kate.””
I looked at Thomas.
“And you?””
“I was paid to make the adoption legal.””
“You knew she was alive.””
“Yes.””
“You knew my mother was looking for me.””
“Yes.””
“Why didn't you tell her?””
Thomas looked down.
“Because Claire threatened to disappear with you.””
Mom whispered,
“She had my daughter.””
“Yes.””
“And you let her.””
“I was afraid.””
My mother turned away.
For the first time, I understood something.
Almost everyone in my life had been afraid.
And every time someone chose fear over truth, another piece of my family disappeared.
Milo touched my shoulder.
“Kate.””
I looked at him.
“What?””
“There's something else.””
He pulled the flash drive from his pocket.
“I copied the files before we came here.””
My eyes widened.
“You still have them?””
He nodded.
“Everything Richard did.””
Daniel took the drive.
“We can give this to the police.””
Richard laughed.
“You won't make it out of here.””
A crash sounded upstairs.
Several footsteps rushed through the hospital.
Then a voice shouted,
“Police! Nobody move!””
Daniel looked surprised.
“I didn't call them.””
My mother looked at Laura.
“I did.””
Laura smiled faintly.
“I made the call before we entered.””
Richard's confidence disappeared.
Officers stormed down the stairs.
They surrounded Richard.
One officer pulled out handcuffs.
“Richard Mercer, you're under arrest.””
Richard stared at me.
“You think this ends with me?””
I said nothing.
He smiled.
“Ask your mother where she was on the night Claire disappeared.””
My mother froze.
The officer pushed Richard toward the stairs.
I turned to Mom.
“What does he mean?””
She shook her head.
“I don't know.””
But her expression told me she did.
Milo stepped beside me.
“Mom?””
She looked at him.
“I remember.””
“What?””
She slowly sat down.
“Claire didn't disappear.””
I frowned.
“Then where did she go?””
Mom looked at me.
“She came to me the night you were taken.””
“And?””
“She told me she was going to take you somewhere safe.””
My heart stopped.
“You let her?””
“I begged her not to.””
“What happened?””
Mom's eyes filled with tears.
“She left with you.””
I stared.
“But Richard said she raised me.””
“She did.””
“Then why didn't you find me?””
Mom looked toward the ceiling.
“Because the next morning, Claire called me.””
“What did she say?””
Mom's voice dropped to a whisper.
“She said someone was following her.””
“Who?””
“I asked her where she was.””
“And?””
“She gave me an address.””
“What address?””
Mom looked at me.
“The house where you grew up.””
I couldn't breathe.
“The Hayes house?””
She nodded.
“Claire told me to come alone.””
I swallowed.
“Did you?””
“No.””
“Why?””
“Because when I arrived…”
She stopped.
“What?””
Mom's face turned white.
“There was blood on the front porch.””
The entire room went silent.
Milo whispered,
“Was Claire dead?””
Mom shook her head.
“No.””
She looked at me.
“She was gone.””
Then my phone buzzed.
Unknown number.
One message.
*Stop looking for Claire. She doesn't want to be found.*
May you like
A second message appeared immediately.
*And Kate… you should ask your mother what happened to the other twin.*
