Chapter 12: My Mother's Final Warning
I don't remember the drive to Savannah.
I remember the rain against the windshield.
I remember Daniel speaking to the detective.
I remember Emily crying in the back seat.
But mostly, I remember one thought repeating in my head.
My mother was alive.
And someone had tried to kill her.
When we reached the medical center, Detective Maddox went directly to the reception desk.
A nurse led us to a private consultation room.
A doctor entered a few minutes later.
“Are you Lauren Mitchell?””
I stood immediately.
“Yes. Is she alive?””
“She is stable at the moment. We are monitoring her closely.””
I covered my mouth.
“What happened?””
“She was brought in with severe confusion and abnormal vital signs. Initial findings suggest possible exposure to a harmful substance, but we are conducting further tests.””
“Can I see her?””
“Not yet. We need to finish a few procedures.””
I sat down.
Daniel placed a hand on my shoulder.
“She's here, Lauren. That's what matters.””
I looked at him.
“She survived all these years. She survived hiding from the people who wanted to hurt her. And now someone has found her.””
He didn't answer.
Detective Maddox stepped into the room.
“We've discovered something about the person who brought your mother to the medical center.””
“Who?””
“An employee at the facility. He said a man had been waiting outside her apartment earlier that morning.””
“Did he recognize him?””
“He described a dark-haired man in his fifties. The description is consistent with Richard Bennett.””
My hands curled into fists.
“Where is he now?””
“We're looking for him.””
Then the doctor returned.
“You may see her for a few minutes. Please keep the visit calm. She's still recovering.””
I followed him down the hallway.
Room 308.
The door opened.
And there she was.
My mother.
Her hair was shorter than I remembered, and her face looked thinner. But when I saw her hands resting on the blanket, I recognized them immediately.
Those were the hands that had braided my hair before school.
The hands that had held mine when I was afraid of thunderstorms.
The hands that had written my name on birthday cards for thirty-four years.
I approached the bed.
“Mom?””
Her eyelids moved.
I took her hand.
“It's me. It's Lauren.””
Her eyes slowly opened.
For several seconds, she simply stared.
Then her lips moved.
“Sweetheart.””
I broke down.
I bent over her hand and cried like a child.
“Why didn't you come home?””
She tried to speak, but the words came slowly.
“I wanted to.””
“You let me bury you.””
Tears appeared in her eyes.
“I know.””
“Why?””
She looked toward the door.
“Because they were watching you.””
I shook my head.
“You could have trusted me.””
“I was trying to keep you alive.””
I pressed her hand against my cheek.
“Who did this to you?””
She closed her eyes.
“Richard.””
Detective Maddox stepped closer.
“Mrs. Mitchell, can you tell us what happened?””
My mother looked at her.
“He came to see me yesterday. He said Marcus had lost control of the situation.””
“Did he threaten you?””
“He told me my daughters would pay for what I'd done.””
Emily stepped forward.
“Mom.””
My mother's eyes moved toward her.
For a moment, neither spoke.
Then Emily began crying.
“I'm sorry.””
My mother looked at her for a long time.
“I know.””
“I'm so sorry.””
“You made mistakes, Emily. But you still have a chance to tell the truth.””
Emily nodded.
“I will.””
My mother turned toward me.
“Lauren, listen carefully. The house is only part of what they want.””
I leaned closer.
“What else?””
“The trust account. Your father found evidence that Marcus's family and Bennett stole money from several people. The account was supposed to contain the original records.””
“Where are they?””
She looked at Daniel.
“Daniel knows.””
I turned toward him.
He looked uncomfortable.
My mother continued.
“Your father gave him the key.””
Daniel slowly reached into his jacket.
He removed a small brass key attached to a leather tag.
I stared at it.
“Why didn't you tell me?””
Daniel looked down.
“Your mother asked me to wait until you were ready.””
I shook my head.
“I'm tired of being kept in the dark.””
My mother squeezed my hand.
“There's a safety deposit box at the bank. It contains the original evidence, including the documents that prove who controlled the company accounts.””
Detective Maddox wrote down the details.
“Which bank?””
My mother told her.
Then she looked at me again.
“There's one more thing.””
I leaned forward.
“What?””
“Marcus wasn't the one who first approached me about the property.””
I frowned.
“Who was?””
My mother took a shallow breath.
“Your father.””
I stared at her.
“What?””
“He discovered that Marcus's father had been using the company to move money. Your father wanted to report him. But someone in the family betrayed him.””
My heart hammered.
“Who?””
My mother closed her eyes briefly.
“Someone who had access to our home. Someone who knew where your father kept his records.””
Emily looked horrified.
“Mom, don't.””
My mother opened her eyes.
“Lauren, you deserve to know.””
She looked at me.
“It was your father's brother. Your Uncle Robert.””
I remembered him vaguely.
A tall man with a deep voice who had attended family gatherings before disappearing from our lives.
“Where is he now?””
My mother shook her head.
“I don't know. But Richard has been working with him for years.””
Detective Maddox immediately contacted the investigation team.
Then my mother's monitor began beeping faster.
The doctor hurried inside.
“Everyone needs to step back.””
I held her hand.
“Mom, please.””
She looked at me.
Her voice was barely audible.
“Don't let them sell the house.””
“I won't.””
“Don't trust the original deed alone.””
I frowned.
“What do you mean?””
She reached beneath her pillow and pulled out a small folded piece of paper.
“Your father left something inside the house. Something he hid before he disappeared.””
I opened it.
A handwritten sentence appeared.
*The truth is behind the portrait of the four of us.*
I remembered the painting immediately.
It hung above the fireplace in the main living room.
A family portrait taken when I was nine.
My parents stood behind Emily and me.
I'd passed that painting thousands of times.
My mother squeezed my fingers.
“Your father wanted you to find it when the time was right.””
Then her eyes closed.
The monitor continued beeping.
The doctor asked us to leave.
I walked into the hallway, clutching the note.
Detective Maddox was speaking into her radio when her phone rang.
She listened for several seconds.
Then she turned toward us.
“Richard Bennett has been located.””
“Where?””
“At your house in Atlanta.””
I looked at Daniel.
“Why would he go there?””
The detective's expression became grim.
“Because your husband is there too.””
She paused.
“And they're not alone.””
My phone vibrated.
A photograph appeared from an unknown number.
It showed the family portrait above our fireplace.
Someone had removed it from the wall.
Behind it was a small metal compartment.
May you like
The message beneath the photograph contained only one sentence.
*Your father left you something. Unfortunately, Marcus found it first.*
