Chapter 8: The Photograph Beneath His Pillow
I ran upstairs.
"Noah!""
His bedroom door stood open.
The bedside lamp was on.
His blanket lay twisted across the mattress.
But Noah wasn't there.
My heart slammed against my ribs.
"NOAH!""
I checked the closet.
The bathroom.
The space beneath his bed.
Nothing.
Officer Collins rushed into the hallway.
"Mr. Reed, stay calm. We'll secure the property.""
"MY SON IS GONE!""
I ran toward the back staircase.
Then I heard a tiny voice.
"Daddy?""
I turned.
Noah was standing inside Sarah's old sewing room, holding the blue toy truck.
His cheeks were wet.
I dropped to my knees and pulled him into my arms.
"Where were you? Why didn't you answer?""
He buried his face against my shoulder.
"I heard someone downstairs. I got scared.""
"Did you see anybody?""
He nodded.
"A man came into my room.""
My blood turned cold.
"What did he look like?""
Noah rubbed his eyes.
"He had a black jacket. He looked under my bed, then he opened Mommy's closet.""
Officer Collins crouched beside us.
"Did he touch you?""
Noah shook his head.
"He didn't see me. I was behind the curtains.""
I held my son tighter.
"You're safe now.""
But Noah wasn't finished.
"He left something on my pillow.""
He pointed toward the bedroom.
I entered slowly.
A white envelope lay in the center of the bed.
My name was written across it.
Inside was a photograph.
Sarah.
Standing beside Daniel.
They were outside a courthouse, holding hands.
On the back, someone had written:
*SHE KNEW ABOUT THE BABY BEFORE YOU DID.*
I stared at the photograph.
Noah looked up.
"Daddy, is Mommy in trouble?""
I forced a smile.
"No, buddy. Mommy isn't in trouble.""
But I knew the photograph had been chosen carefully.
Someone wanted me to believe Sarah had been hiding Daniel's involvement with Noah.
Someone wanted me angry enough to stop investigating Vanessa.
Officer Collins examined the envelope.
"No fingerprints we can immediately identify. We'll have the scene processed.""
I looked at the photograph again.
There was a date printed in the lower corner.
October 14.
The year Noah was born.
I remembered that day.
It was the day Sarah had called me at work, crying.
She told me she needed me to come home.
I'd been in the middle of a major business presentation and told her I would be there in an hour.
When I finally arrived, Daniel was already gone.
Sarah never explained what had happened.
I had assumed it was another argument between them.
Now I wondered whether she had been trying to tell me the truth.
My phone rang.
Daniel.
I answered.
"Where are you?""
"Marcus, you need to listen.""
"You have thirty seconds.""
"Vanessa is going to destroy the evidence. She's heading to the hospital archive.""
I looked at Officer Collins.
"What evidence?""
"The original prescription records. Sarah made copies before she died. Vanessa knows where the originals are stored.""
"Why would you help her?""
Daniel exhaled.
"Because she has something on me.""
"What?""
He went quiet.
Then he said, "The DNA test.""
I closed my eyes.
"That isn't enough to explain what you've done.""
"There's another test, Marcus.""
My stomach tightened.
"What are you talking about?""
"Sarah had another paternity test performed. The one in the red box wasn't the final result.""
I looked at the photograph in my hand.
"Who is Noah's father?""
Daniel's voice broke.
"I don't know. That's the problem.""
I gripped the phone.
"What?""
"Sarah told me the first test was manipulated. She said someone had switched the samples.""
I stared at the wall.
"Who switched them?""
"Vanessa.""
For several seconds, neither of us spoke.
Then Daniel continued.
"Marcus, listen. I know you hate me. You have every right. But Sarah made me promise something before she died.""
"What?""
"To make sure Noah never found out the truth until he was old enough to understand.""
I looked toward my son.
He was sitting on the edge of his bed, holding the blue truck.
"What truth?""
Daniel lowered his voice.
"Sarah wasn't the only person who knew about the hospital records. Your father knew too.""
I stopped breathing.
My father had died when I was twenty-six.
He had never met Vanessa.
At least, that was what I'd always believed.
"That's impossible.""
"Marcus, there's a letter in the hospital archive. Sarah addressed it to your father.""
"Why would she?""
"Because she discovered he had been paying someone to keep the medical records hidden.""
I stared at the phone.
"Who?""
Daniel answered with two words.
"Dr. Harrison.""
The call ended.
Officer Collins approached.
"What's wrong?""
I looked at him.
"My father may have been involved.""
He frowned.
"Is there anyone else who can verify this?""
I looked down at Sarah's photograph.
Then I remembered something.
My father had kept a locked metal cabinet in his old study.
After his funeral, I had never opened it.
The house had been sold, but I'd kept one item from that room.
A small brass key.
May you like
It was still in my desk drawer.
And according to the note Sarah had left, the hospital archive wasn't the only place where she had hidden evidence.
