Chapter 9: The Daughter With Three Names
A flashlight clicked on.
Victoria stood near the archive entrance.
Her wedding dress was gone. She wore black trousers, a leather jacket, and a pair of gloves.
In her right hand was a small pistol.
Detective Brooks immediately raised his weapon.
"Put it down!""
Victoria smiled.
"Not until I get what I came for.""
Nathaniel stepped in front of Eleanor.
"You're making this worse.""
Victoria pointed the gun toward the ceiling.
"You're still trying to protect everyone, Nathaniel. That's adorable.""
"Where did you get the gun?""
"Your father.""
Nathaniel's face tightened.
"My father is dead.""
"His money isn't.""
She moved toward the filing cabinet.
"Give me the Elizabeth Sterling file.""
Brooks kept his weapon trained on her.
"Put the gun down and step away from the documents.""
Victoria ignored him.
"Rose, I know you found the photograph. I know you know about the third child.""
I held the file against my chest.
"Who is she?""
Victoria's eyes moved to the document.
"Her name is Elizabeth. Or Eleanor. Or whatever name your mother decided to give her.""
"Is she alive?""
Victoria's expression changed.
For the first time, she seemed almost sad.
"She's been alive longer than you think.""
Eleanor stepped forward.
"Where is she?""
Victoria laughed bitterly.
"You really don't remember?""
Eleanor stared at her.
"Remember what?""
Victoria lowered the gun slightly.
"Margaret didn't raise the third child because she wanted a baby. She raised her because Richard paid her to.""
"That's what we know," Nathaniel said.
"No. You don't understand. Margaret was given a choice. She could raise the child and receive a fortune, or she could refuse and watch her own daughter disappear.""
Victoria's voice cracked.
"She already had me. I was seven years old. She was told that if she cooperated, we would both be safe.""
I stared at her.
"You're saying Margaret had another daughter?""
Victoria looked directly at me.
"Yes.""
The room went silent.
Nathaniel frowned.
"Then who is Elizabeth?""
Victoria shook her head.
"Margaret's adopted daughter. Your biological sister.""
"Then what does that make you?""
Victoria's smile disappeared.
"My mother raised two girls. One she gave birth to. One she stole from a hospital.""
Eleanor covered her mouth.
"Margaret never told me.""
Victoria pointed at her.
"Because you were too busy pretending you were the victim.""
I stepped closer.
"Why did you marry Nathaniel?""
Victoria looked at me.
"Because my mother told me the Callaways owed us a fortune. Because I grew up watching her beg for money from a family that had everything. Because Richard promised that one day I would have what belonged to me.""
"By marrying your brother?""
Her expression twisted.
"Don't.""
Nathaniel stared at her.
"Did you know we were related when you agreed to marry me?""
Victoria looked away.
"I suspected.""
"You suspected?""
"I found the hospital records six months ago. I didn't know everything. I thought the documents were forged.""
"And you still went ahead with the wedding?""
Victoria's eyes filled.
"By then, I was already trapped.""
Brooks took a step forward.
"Put the weapon down, Victoria.""
She suddenly pointed it at Eleanor.
"Tell them what happened to Elizabeth.""
Eleanor shook her head.
"I don't know where she is.""
"LIAR!""
Victoria's voice echoed through the archive.
"Margaret told me everything before she died. She said Eleanor had been visiting Elizabeth secretly for years.""
I turned toward Eleanor.
"Is that true?""
She looked at me.
Then she nodded.
"I found her when she was seventeen.""
Nathaniel looked stunned.
"You knew where our sister was?""
"I knew where she had been living. I didn't know if she wanted contact.""
"Did you ever tell her about us?""
Eleanor began crying.
"Once.""
"What did she say?""
"She told me she didn't want anything to do with the Callaway family.""
Victoria laughed.
"That's because you told her Grace had abandoned her!""
I felt sick.
Eleanor closed her eyes.
"I thought it was safer.""
"Safer for whom?"" I demanded.
She didn't answer.
A noise came from the hallway.
One of the officers shouted, "Police! Show your hands!""
Victoria spun toward the sound.
Brooks seized the opportunity.
"Drop it!""
She fired.
The bullet struck a metal filing cabinet.
Everyone ducked.
Nathaniel pulled me behind the desk as officers rushed forward. One tackled Victoria, knocking the gun from her hand.
The weapon slid across the floor.
Brooks kicked it away and handcuffed her.
"You're under arrest for attempted murder and assault.""
Victoria struggled.
"You don't understand! You're arresting the wrong person!""
"Save it for the station.""
She turned toward me as the officers dragged her away.
"Rose! Ask Eleanor what happened to Grace's third child after she left the hospital!""
I stared at her.
"Elizabeth is the third child.""
Victoria shook her head.
"No. Elizabeth is Margaret's daughter. The baby Richard paid her to raise.""
I felt the blood drain from my face.
"Then who was the third child?""
Victoria leaned toward me.
"There's another name on the original birth record. A baby who was never supposed to exist.""
The officers pulled her through the doorway.
Her voice echoed down the corridor.
"Your mother gave birth to four children, Rose!""
Four.
Nathaniel looked at me.
Eleanor began trembling.
I turned toward her.
"Is that true?""
She slowly reached into her handbag and removed a small silver locket.
Inside was a photograph of Grace holding four newborn babies.
On the back, someone had written four names.
Nathaniel.
Rose.
Elizabeth.
And one more.
*Victoria.*
My mouth went dry.
Nathaniel stared at the photograph.
"Victoria is our sister?""
Eleanor shook her head, tears streaming down her face.
"No.""
She pointed to the last name.
"Victoria was born to Margaret. But the fourth baby...""
Her voice broke.
"The fourth baby was Grace's child. And I gave her to Richard's wife.""
Nathaniel looked confused.
"My father never had another wife.""
Eleanor's face went white.
"That's because Richard had her erased, too.""
She turned the locket over.
A final sentence had been engraved beneath the names.
One child was raised in the Callaway mansion. One was raised by Grace. One was given to Margaret. And the last one was raised by the woman who murdered Richard Callaway.
I stared at Eleanor.
"Who murdered my father?""
Before she could answer, Detective Brooks returned.
He held a photograph taken from Victoria's phone.
It showed an elderly woman sitting in a hospital room.
A woman I recognized immediately.
My mother.
Grace Carter.
And standing beside her, holding her hand, was Eleanor Callaway.
But the photograph had been taken that morning.
Grace was alive.
May you like
And someone had written a message beneath the image:
Your mother is waiting. But she only wants to see one of her children.
