Chapter 3: The Man Who Knew My Father
Caleb Brooks looked nothing like the mysterious investigator I had imagined.
He was in his late sixties, with silver hair, a neatly pressed suit, and a faint scar running from his left eyebrow toward his temple.
But his eyes were sharp.
The moment he entered the room, Evelyn seemed to lose the ability to breathe.
Marcus stepped between him and the coffee table.
"This is private property. You can't just walk in here.""
Caleb glanced at him.
"Your father gave me permission to enter this house whenever Sarah needed my help.""
"Sarah doesn't need your help.""
Caleb gave a small, humorless smile.
"That's interesting. Because your father specifically instructed me to wait until someone attempted to take the property from her.""
Marcus's jaw tightened.
"You're talking nonsense.""
"Then you won't mind if I explain everything in front of everyone.""
Caleb opened his briefcase.
Inside were several sealed envelopes, old photographs, a collection of bank statements, and a thick folder marked with Thomas Carter's initials.
I moved closer.
"What did my father leave you?""
Caleb stopped arranging the documents.
He looked at me carefully.
"Your father left me instructions.""
I swallowed.
"Who was he?""
Caleb's expression softened.
"Thomas Carter.""
The room went completely still.
Marcus laughed once.
It was a short, disbelieving sound.
"That's ridiculous.""
Caleb didn't look at him.
He continued watching me.
"Sarah, I need you to understand something. Thomas knew about you long before you met his son.""
I felt the floor shift beneath me.
"That's impossible. My mother never mentioned him.""
"Your mother had her reasons.""
"Was he married to her?""
Caleb paused.
"Thomas was engaged to your mother before he married Evelyn.""
Evelyn suddenly stepped forward.
"Caleb, stop.""
He didn't turn around.
"Your husband asked me to tell the truth if this day ever came.""
"He asked you to protect this family!""
"I did protect this family. For twelve years.""
Evelyn's voice broke.
"Then keep protecting it!""
Caleb finally faced her.
"Protecting a family and protecting a lie are two different things.""
Marcus snatched one of the bank statements from the briefcase.
"Enough. If you have evidence against Daniel, show it to me. Otherwise, get out.""
Caleb took the paper back.
"I have evidence against Daniel. I have evidence against your mother. And I have evidence concerning the financial transactions you personally approved.""
Marcus went rigid.
"What?""
Caleb removed a second folder.
"These are copies of transfers made during your first three years as chief executive officer.""
Marcus shook his head.
"I never stole anything.""
"I didn't say you did.""
"Then why are you showing me this?""
"Because someone used your signature to authorize payments to companies owned by your younger brother.""
Marcus looked down.
Caleb placed three documents side by side.
Each contained Marcus's electronic authorization.
But there was something else.
The signatures had been generated from different computer terminals, including one registered to Evelyn's private office.
Marcus stared at the pages.
"Mom?""
Evelyn sat down.
"I was trying to save your father from himself.""
Marcus turned toward her.
"You told me Daniel had been managing those accounts.""
"He was.""
"Then why is your office involved?""
She began crying.
"I didn't have a choice.""
Caleb closed the folder.
"That's what you said twelve years ago.""
I looked between them.
"Why does everyone keep talking about twelve years ago?""
Caleb reached into his briefcase and removed an old photograph.
It showed a younger Thomas Carter standing outside a brick building.
Beside him was a pregnant woman wearing a pale blue dress.
Her hair was tied back.
One hand rested on her stomach.
I recognized her immediately.
My mother.
The photograph slipped from my fingers.
"No...""
Caleb gently picked it up.
"Her name was Margaret.""
I stared at the image.
"Where did you get this?""
"Your father gave it to me.""
"When?""
"Three weeks before his disappearance.""
Marcus frowned.
"His disappearance? Dad died of a heart attack.""
Caleb slowly turned toward him.
"That's the official story.""
Evelyn stood abruptly.
"Caleb!""
He ignored her.
"Thomas didn't die the way you were told.""
Marcus looked as if someone had struck him.
"What are you talking about?""
Caleb placed another photograph on the table.
This one showed Thomas standing outside a hospital.
The date was written on the back.
November 14, 2014.
I remembered that date.
It was the day my mother had supposedly died.
I stepped closer.
"Why was he at the hospital on the day my mother died?""
Caleb's face became solemn.
"Because Thomas was trying to see her one last time.""
My throat tightened.
"Was he there when she died?""
"No.""
"Then what happened?""
Caleb hesitated.
He looked toward Evelyn.
"Your mother disappeared from that hospital before anyone could identify who had taken her.""
I felt sick.
"Are you saying my mother might not have died?""
Nobody answered.
Vanessa quietly backed away from the coffee table.
For the first time since entering my house, she looked genuinely frightened.
Marcus turned toward his mother.
"Mom, tell me he's lying.""
Evelyn pressed a hand against her chest.
"Your father was obsessed with Margaret. He would have destroyed everything for her.""
Caleb reached into his briefcase again.
This time, he removed a small leather notebook.
It was old, with worn corners and a brass clasp.
"Thomas kept records of every suspicious transaction connected to Carter Industries. But this notebook contains something different.""
He opened it.
The first several pages listed dates and bank transfers.
Then he turned to a page marked with a red ribbon.
There were two names written in Thomas's handwriting.
DANIEL CARTER.
EVELYN CARTER.
Beside them was a transfer of $780,000.
Marcus stared at the page.
"Mom, you told me you had nothing to do with Daniel's accounts.""
Evelyn began sobbing.
"I was trying to protect you!""
"Protect me from what?""
Caleb answered before she could.
"From discovering that your family had been planning to remove Thomas from the company before he could expose the theft.""
Marcus stumbled backward.
Then he noticed another name written beneath the transfer.
His own.
"Why is my name here?""
Caleb closed the notebook.
"Because Thomas discovered that someone had been using your identity to authorize transactions.""
Marcus shook his head.
"That's not possible.""
"It gets worse.""
Caleb removed an old envelope from the bottom of the briefcase.
The handwriting on it matched the letter Thomas had left me.
He placed it in my hands.
Across the front were five words.
*TO SARAH, MY FIRST DAUGHTER.*
I stared at the envelope.
My fingers trembled.
"First daughter?""
Marcus stepped toward me.
"Give me that.""
Caleb raised one hand.
"Let her read it.""
I carefully opened the envelope.
Inside was a letter, a small hospital photograph, and an official-looking document folded into quarters.
The letter contained only a few lines.
My Sarah,
If you have reached this moment, then the people I feared have finally revealed themselves.
You were my daughter before you ever became part of the Carter family.
I wanted to tell you everything, but I needed to protect you until I could prove what happened.
The truth is in the document enclosed.
Forgive me for making you wait.
Your father,
Thomas.
My vision blurred.
I unfolded the second document.
It was an original birth certificate.
At the top was my full name.
Sarah Elizabeth Mitchell.
My mother's name was listed beneath it.
Margaret Anne Mitchell.
Then my eyes moved to the final line.
*FATHER: THOMAS WILLIAM CARTER.*
The paper slipped from my hands.
Marcus caught it.
He read the name.
Then read it again.
"That's my father.""
Vanessa covered her mouth.
Marcus looked at me as though he were seeing a stranger.
"You're telling me my wife is my father's daughter?""
Caleb nodded.
"That's exactly what Thomas was trying to tell you.""
Evelyn suddenly screamed.
"IT'S A LIE!""
She rushed toward the document, but Caleb stepped between us.
"Mrs. Carter, the original hospital records still exist. And so do the DNA samples Thomas preserved.""
Marcus turned toward his mother.
"What DNA samples?""
Evelyn shook her head violently.
"Don't listen to him!""
Caleb looked directly at Marcus.
"Eleven years ago, before your wedding, Thomas arranged a private DNA test because he wanted to confirm Sarah's identity.""
My stomach twisted.
"What DNA test?""
Caleb opened another folder.
"There were two sets of results. One was genuine. The other was deliberately altered.""
Marcus stared at him.
"Who changed them?""
Caleb slowly turned toward Evelyn.
"Your mother knows.""
Evelyn backed away, shaking her head.
Then Caleb placed one final document on the table.
It was a DNA laboratory report dated eleven years earlier.
And beneath the words PATERNITY EXCLUSION, someone had written a handwritten instruction.
*DESTROY THE ORIGINAL. MAKE SURE SARAH NEVER KNOWS.*
Caleb pointed to the signature at the bottom.
I recognized the handwriting immediately.
It belonged to my husband.
Marcus looked down.
May you like
His face turned completely white.
Because the signature authorizing the falsified DNA report was his own.
