Chapter 13: The Man Who Looked Exactly Like My Father
For several seconds, I couldn't move.
The man standing beside the black SUV had my father's face.
The same silver hair.
The same narrow eyes.
The same scar above his left eyebrow from a car accident thirty years earlier.
But my father was standing beside me, holding his phone.
I looked from one man to the other.
“Dad?””
Robert's face had gone completely white.
“Get Noah inside,” he whispered.
The man beside the SUV smiled.
Then he raised his hand and waved.
Noah immediately grabbed my jacket.
“Daddy, that's him.””
I crouched beside my son.
“Sweetheart, have you seen that man before?””
He nodded.
“He comes when Mommy and Daddy are sleeping.””
Laura rushed toward us.
“Noah, come inside.””
But the boy refused to let go of my hand.
“He says I have to call him Grandpa.””
My stomach tightened.
The man across the street began walking toward us.
Robert stepped forward.
“Stay back!””
The stranger stopped.
Then he laughed.
“Robert. Still pretending to be the good brother?””
I felt the ground disappear beneath me.
“Brother?””
Robert turned toward me.
“Daniel, I need to explain.””
The stranger smiled.
“Go ahead, little brother. Tell him who I am.””
Robert's eyes filled with tears.
“My name is Robert Carter. But he's my identical twin, Richard.””
I stared at the man.
My grandfather had two sons.
Robert and Richard.
I'd been told Richard died in a boating accident when I was six years old.
There had been a memorial service.
A funeral.
A photograph of an empty coffin.
I remembered my grandmother crying.
I'd never questioned it.
“Uncle Richard?””
He smiled.
“Hello, Daniel.””
I moved Noah behind me.
“You've been visiting my son?””
“Of course. He's my grandson.””
“Stay away from him.””
Richard laughed.
“You sound just like your father.””
Robert stepped between us.
“You were supposed to stay away from the children.””
Richard's expression hardened.
“And you were supposed to keep the family agreement.””
I looked at Robert.
“What agreement?””
He lowered his head.
“Your grandfather wanted control over the family trust. Richard was supposed to manage it after he died.””
Richard interrupted.
“Until your father changed the will.””
Robert nodded.
“He discovered that Richard had been using the foundation to move money illegally.””
Richard smiled.
“Allegedly.””
“So Grandpa arranged for Richard's disappearance?”” I asked.
Robert shook his head.
“No. Richard disappeared voluntarily. He was given money and a new identity. In exchange, he agreed never to interfere with the family.””
Richard laughed.
“And then your grandfather died. Your father took control. Margaret helped him hide the financial records.””
I stared at him.
“My mother knew you were alive?””
“Your mother has known everything.””
I felt sick.
“Why did you want my son?””
Richard looked at Noah.
“Because he's the first grandson. The trust was designed to pass through him.””
“That's not your decision.””
“It became my decision when your grandfather appointed me as the successor.””
Robert shook his head.
“The appointment was revoked.””
Richard's smile disappeared.
“Only because your father forged the amendment.””
I looked at Robert.
He didn't deny it.
Before I could ask anything else, two police vehicles turned onto the street.
Richard glanced toward them.
“Looks like we've run out of time.””
He started backing toward his SUV.
I shouted.
“WAIT!””
He stopped.
I held up my phone.
“Why did you send someone to my son's bedroom?””
Richard's smile returned.
“Because I wanted to know whether he remembered anything.””
“Remember what?””
He looked directly at Noah.
Then he said:
“Ask him what the woman told him about his mother.””
I turned toward my son.
Noah was trembling.
I knelt.
“Buddy, what woman?””
He whispered:
“The lady who visits me when Mommy is sleeping.””
Laura covered her mouth.
Noah continued.
“She says my real mommy was sick because she didn't listen to Grandpa.””
I felt rage burning through my chest.
“Did she tell you anything else?””
He nodded.
“She said my sister was supposed to be the only baby.””
I froze.
“What?””
Noah looked down.
“She said Mommy only wanted one of us.””
Robert suddenly stepped forward.
“That's a lie.””
Richard smiled.
“Is it?””
He reached into his coat and pulled out a folded document.
“Your grandfather left one final instruction. Sarah's medical records were never supposed to be released.””
He handed it to the nearest police officer.
“Perhaps Mr. Carter would like to read the original.””
I looked at the document.
It was a medical authorization dated the night Sarah died.
The signature at the bottom wasn't my mother's.
It wasn't Thomas's.
It was mine.
But I had never signed it.
Then I noticed something beneath the signature.
A handwritten sentence.
If the mother becomes a threat, prioritize the children's transfer.
My knees nearly buckled.
Richard leaned closer.
“Daniel, your father didn't tell you the worst part.””
I looked at him.
“What?””
He whispered:
“Your grandfather didn't arrange Sarah's death. He arranged yours.””
Then a police officer shouted.
“Sir! Put your hands where we can see them!””
Richard turned.
And instead of running, he smiled.
Because the man they were approaching wasn't Richard.
It was Robert.
The man beside me.
May you like
My father had switched places with his twin.
And the person I'd trusted to protect my children had just been exposed as the man who had helped destroy their mother.
