Chapter 10: The Name Nobody Expected
"Who gave Vanessa the order?""
My father's voice trembled as he spoke into the phone.
The police officer repeated the question.
"She identified someone named Thomas Marcus.""
Dad stopped breathing.
Daniel looked up immediately.
"Thomas? Your brother?""
Dad slowly lowered the phone.
My father's older brother, Thomas, had been the person who helped him build his construction company. He had introduced Dad to investors, handled major contracts, and even stood beside him at my mother's funeral.
He had carried my coffin-shaped memory box when I was little.
And according to Vanessa, he had ordered my mother's treatment to be stopped.
"That's impossible," Dad whispered.
Daniel placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Marcus, we need to hear what Vanessa actually said before drawing conclusions.""
Dad shook his head.
"Thomas was there when Sarah and I got married. He held Lily when she was born. He was family.""
Sarah, who had been sitting silently beside the window, suddenly spoke.
"Marcus, I need you to remember something.""
He turned toward her.
"What?""
"Three weeks before I went to the hospital, Thomas came to our house.""
Dad frowned.
"He said he was checking on us.""
"No. He came to ask me about the company accounts.""
Sarah reached into her envelope and removed another photograph.
It showed Thomas standing beside Robert outside a restaurant.
On the back, Sarah had written:
The two men who know where the money went.
Dad stared at it.
"Why didn't you tell me?""
"I tried. But Thomas called me the next morning. He said if I mentioned his name again, Lily would pay for it.""
Dad's hands curled into fists.
Daniel immediately called the police station.
"We're coming in. Please make sure Vanessa's statement is preserved and that Thomas Marcus is contacted.""
After arranging transportation for Sarah, Dad and Daniel drove to the station.
I was still with Aunt Rachel when Dad called.
"Princess, how are you?""
"I'm okay. Did you find Mommy?""
His voice broke slightly.
"Yes, sweetheart. I found her.""
I screamed with happiness.
"When can I see her?""
"Very soon.""
"Is she coming home?""
"Yes. I promise.""
Then I asked the question that had been bothering me.
"Daddy, will Vanessa come back?""
There was a long silence.
"No, sweetheart. She won't be living with us anymore.""
I felt something inside me finally relax.
At the police station, Vanessa was sitting in an interview room.
Her expensive handbag was gone. Her makeup was smudged, and her hair was tied into a careless knot.
When Dad entered, she stood.
"Marcus.""
He didn't sit down.
"Tell me about Thomas.""
Vanessa looked toward the detective.
"Can we speak privately?""
"No," Dad replied.
"You lost the right to private conversations when you used my daughter to hide stolen money.""
Vanessa lowered her head.
Then she began.
"Thomas approached Robert and me two years before Sarah died. He said your company was expanding too quickly and that you were making poor financial decisions.""
Dad frowned.
"Thomas helped me run the company.""
"That's what you believed.""
She explained that Thomas had discovered a way to divert money through several shell companies. Robert created the accounts, while Vanessa handled the paperwork.
When Sarah discovered the transfers, she confronted Thomas.
He became furious.
"He told me Sarah was going to destroy everything," Vanessa said.
"He wanted her to sign documents transferring control of Lily's trust.""
"And when she refused?""
Vanessa began crying.
"Thomas told me to make sure she never got the chance to talk to you.""
Dad leaned forward.
"What exactly did he tell you to do at the hospital?""
Vanessa wiped her face.
"He gave me a document and said it was a transfer authorization. He told me Sarah would receive treatment at another facility.""
"Did you read it?""
"Not carefully.""
"Did you know it stopped her emergency treatment?""
Vanessa hesitated.
Then she nodded.
"I knew.""
Dad closed his eyes.
For a moment, he couldn't speak.
"You heard my wife asking for help, and you signed that paper anyway?""
"I was afraid.""
"So was Sarah! So was my little girl!""
Vanessa began sobbing.
"I thought the doctors would save her.""
"But you signed the order.""
She nodded.
Then she looked directly at him.
"Thomas told me that if Sarah died, everything would become much easier. He said nobody would question the trust documents.""
The detective interrupted.
"Did Thomas personally visit the hospital?""
Vanessa nodded.
"Yes. He was there that night.""
Dad's expression changed.
"Thomas was in Chicago that night. That's what he told me.""
Vanessa shook her head.
"He came through the service entrance.""
The detective wrote something down.
Then he asked, "Why did you continue taking money from Lily's trust after Sarah disappeared?""
Vanessa looked toward Dad.
"Because Thomas told me the company would eventually belong to Lily. He said the money was just being moved temporarily.""
"Then why did you buy your children everything while refusing to buy Lily shoes?""
She looked down.
"I hated being reminded that Lily was Sarah's daughter.""
Dad stared at her.
Vanessa continued.
"Every time I looked at her, I remembered that Sarah had everything I wanted. The marriage. The house.
The money. You.""
Dad stood.
"Lily was seven years old.""
"I know.""
"She was wearing shoes with holes in them.""
Vanessa began crying harder.
"I know.""
Dad turned toward the door.
"Then you should have remembered that before you hurt her.""
Just as he reached the hallway, the detective called him back.
"Mr. Marcus, there's something else.""
He held up a printed email.
It had been recovered from Vanessa's deleted messages.
The sender was Thomas.
The subject line read:
*THE GIRL MUST NEVER FIND THE BLUE ENVELOPE.*
Dad stared at the screen.
"What blue envelope?""
Vanessa covered her mouth.
The detective looked at her.
"Where is it?""
Vanessa whispered:
"Sarah gave it to Lily before she died.""
Dad felt his stomach drop.
He remembered the little blue envelope I'd mentioned once when I was younger.
The one Mommy had told me to keep somewhere safe.
He immediately called Aunt Rachel.
"Rachel, is Lily with you?""
"Yes. Why?""
"Ask her whether she still has anything her mother gave her. Especially a blue envelope.""
Aunt Rachel called back less than a minute later.
"Marcus...""
"What?""
"Lily says she has it.""
Dad closed his eyes.
"Where?""
May you like
Aunt Rachel's voice trembled.
"Inside the lining of her old stuffed rabbit.""
