Chapter 12: The Attorney's Last Lie
Thomas sat at my kitchen table beneath the photograph that threatened to destroy everything I thought I knew.
The detective had asked him to explain the image.
Thomas had asked to see the original.
Now he stared at it without speaking.
"Well?"" I demanded.
He removed his glasses and set them beside the notebook.
"I need to tell you something about your father.""
I laughed bitterly.
"Of course you do.""
Thomas looked exhausted.
"I wasn't involved in his death. But I did enter his hospital room that night.""
The detective leaned forward.
"Under what circumstances?""
Thomas took a slow breath.
"Your father called me before he lost consciousness. He said Daniel had threatened him and that he believed someone was planning to alter his medical records. He asked me to come to the hospital and retrieve a document.""
"What document?"" I asked.
"The original trust agreement.""
I stared at him.
"You told me you had no knowledge of the trust being altered.""
"I didn't know about the fraudulent amendment. I knew about the original agreement.""
"Why did you lie?""
Thomas looked at the detective.
"Because I was afraid that revealing my visit would expose a source who had helped me investigate Daniel.""
"Who?"" I asked.
Thomas's eyes shifted toward Rebecca.
"Your wife.""
Rebecca went rigid.
I felt my stomach drop.
"What?""
"Rebecca contacted me after your father died. She told me Daniel had forged documents and stolen evidence. She wanted to cooperate, but she was afraid he'd retaliate against Ashley.""
Rebecca shook her head.
"That's not what happened.""
Thomas turned toward her.
"You gave me copies of the property records.""
"I gave you the records because you promised to protect Ashley!""
"And I did.""
"You promised no one would know!""
The detective raised a hand.
"One at a time.""
I looked between them.
"So you were working together behind my back?""
Thomas nodded.
"For a short period.""
"How short?""
"Several months.""
I felt something inside me collapse.
My attorney and my wife had secretly investigated my brother while I spent years believing Daniel was dead.
They had known about the fraud, the stolen documents, and the trust.
Yet neither had told me.
"Why didn't you come to me?"" I asked.
Thomas answered quietly.
"Because your father believed Daniel would use you to get to the remaining assets. He wanted you to remain outside the investigation until we had enough evidence to stop him.""
"And how did that work out?""
Thomas had no answer.
The detective asked him about the photograph.
Thomas studied it again.
"The man in the reflection resembles me, but the image is grainy. I need the original file examined.""
"Convenient," I muttered.
Thomas looked directly at me.
"Michael, I have made mistakes. I should have told you more. But I never helped Daniel steal from you.""
I wanted to believe him.
That was the worst part.
I had trusted Thomas almost as completely as I had trusted Rebecca. Every time another secret emerged, I had to reconsider years of memories, decisions, and conversations.
The detective collected the photograph and requested copies of the documents.
Before leaving, he warned us not to contact Daniel or attempt to recover Laura ourselves.
Then he turned to Thomas.
"We'll need you to come in for a formal interview.""
Thomas nodded.
"Of course.""
After the detective left, I confronted my attorney.
"Did my father know you were investigating Daniel?""
"Yes.""
"Did he know Rebecca was involved?""
"Yes.""
"Then why didn't he tell me?""
Thomas looked toward the basement door.
"Because your father had discovered something about Daniel that made him believe the fraud was only part of the problem.""
I waited.
Thomas continued.
"Your brother had been using other people's identities to obtain loans. One of those identities belonged to a man who had been missing for years before Daniel disappeared.""
I felt a cold sensation spread through my chest.
"Who?""
Thomas opened his briefcase and removed a photocopy of an old identification document.
The photograph showed a young man with dark hair and a narrow scar on his cheek.
Daniel.
But the name beneath the photograph wasn't Daniel Carter.
It was *Andrew Mitchell*.
"Who is Andrew Mitchell?"" I asked.
Thomas shook his head.
"We never established whether it was an alias or a real identity. Your father believed Daniel had used the name to open accounts, obtain credit, and conceal assets.""
"And the missing man?""
"His name was Peter Morgan.""
I looked toward Rebecca.
She had gone completely still.
"Peter Morgan," I repeated.
"Is that name familiar?""
Rebecca's lips parted.
Then she whispered, "He was Ashley's legal father.""
I stared at her.
"You told me Ashley's father abandoned you.""
"He did.""
"But Daniel is her biological father.""
"Yes.""
"Then who was Peter Morgan?""
Rebecca began to cry.
"He was the man I married before Daniel. Ashley was legally registered as his daughter because I was still married to him when she was born.""
I struggled to understand.
"Where is he now?""
Rebecca looked at the photograph.
"I don't know.""
Thomas placed the identification document on the table.
"Your father believed Daniel had stolen Peter's identity after Peter disappeared. If that's true, it could explain how Daniel obtained financial accounts under another name.""
I sat down slowly.
"Are you telling me Daniel may have had something to do with Peter's disappearance?""
"We don't know," Thomas replied.
"But we need to find out.""
Rebecca pressed her hands together.
"I thought Peter had left us. Daniel told me he had gone overseas and didn't want to be found.""
"And you believed him?""
"I wanted to.""
I looked at her.
"That seems to be the problem with everyone in this house.""
Before anyone could answer, Emily rushed into the kitchen.
"Dad, the police just called.""
I stood.
"What happened?""
"They found Laura.""
Relief flooded through me.
"Is she safe?""
Emily's expression changed.
"She's alive, but she's in the hospital. They found her near the interstate. She was unconscious, and she hasn't been able to tell them what happened.""
Thomas closed his eyes.
I grabbed my coat.
"I'm going to see her.""
The detective had told us not to interfere, but visiting a potential witness in the hospital was not the same as confronting Daniel. I called the officer handling the case, explained my relationship to Laura, and received permission to visit once the doctors confirmed she was stable.
At the hospital, Laura lay beneath a white blanket, her face bruised and her left arm bandaged.
When she saw me, she tried to sit up.
"Don't," I said gently.
"You're safe.""
Her eyes filled with tears.
"No," she whispered.
"I'm not.""
I pulled a chair beside her bed.
"Do you know who did this?""
She nodded faintly.
"Daniel.""
My jaw tightened.
"What does he want?""
"The recording.""
"We have a copy of the memory card.""
Laura shook her head.
"Not that recording. The original.""
I leaned closer.
"What original?""
She swallowed painfully.
"Your father made two recordings. One was a copy designed to mislead Daniel. The other contained the truth about what happened in his hospital room.""
My heart began pounding.
"Where is it?""
Laura looked toward the door.
Then she whispered, "Your father gave it to someone he trusted.""
"Who?""
Her fingers closed around my wrist.
"The person who was there when he died.""
I stared at her.
"Who was in the room?""
Laura's eyes filled with terror.
Then she spoke the name I had never expected to hear.
"Emily.""
I stopped breathing.
"My daughter?""
Laura nodded weakly.
"She was there that night. She was only nine years old, but she saw everything.""
I stumbled backward.
That was impossible.
Emily had been home with me the night my father died. I remembered tucking her into bed before driving to the hospital after receiving the call.
I remembered her sleeping in the back seat when I returned to collect her the next morning.
Unless—
Unless someone had taken her to the hospital after I left.
I turned toward the door.
Emily stood in the hallway, tears streaming down her face.
She had followed me inside.
"Dad," she whispered, "there's something I've never told you about Grandpa's death.""
She looked at Laura.
Then back at me.
"I didn't just see what happened in that room.""
Emily took a trembling breath.
"I remember who walked out carrying the envelope.""
And when she told me the name, I finally understood why Daniel had spent eight years pretending to be dead.
Because the person who had helped him disappear wasn't Rebecca.
May you like
It wasn't Thomas.
It was someone who had been standing beside me at my father's funeral, crying as though she had lost him, too.
