Chapter 10: The Man Who Never Stopped Looking for Me
I read the threat on Michael's door until the words stopped looking like words.
Someone had found him.
Someone knew Thomas was helping me.
And someone was still willing to threaten a man who had spent seventeen years trying to find his daughter.
"Call him again," I told Thomas.
"I already tried.""
"Try again!""
Thomas dialed.
The phone rang six times before going to voicemail.
I grabbed my jacket.
"We're going to his house.""
Caleb picked up his car keys.
"I'm coming.""
Thomas shook his head.
"Emily, we don't know what we're walking into.""
"He's my father. I'm not leaving him out there because someone threatened him.""
For once, Thomas didn't argue.
The drive took thirty-five minutes.
We passed strip malls, gas stations, and quiet neighborhoods before reaching a small residential street lined with old oak trees.
Michael's house was a modest blue bungalow with a white mailbox.
The front door stood slightly open.
I stopped on the porch.
"Michael?""
No answer.
Caleb moved beside me.
"Stay behind us.""
We entered carefully.
The living room was neat except for a broken lamp near the sofa. A drawer had been pulled open, and several photographs were scattered across the carpet.
Someone had searched the house.
Thomas picked up a framed picture.
It showed my mother holding me as a baby.
On the back, she had written:
For Michael, so you never forget the little girl who has your eyes.
I touched the photograph.
My mother had kept a place for him in my life even when I didn't know his name.
Then I heard something.
A faint tapping.
Three knocks.
Coming from the hallway.
We followed the sound to a small study.
The door was locked.
Thomas tried the handle.
"Michael?""
A weak voice answered.
"Who's there?""
"It's Thomas.""
There was a pause.
Then the lock clicked.
The door opened.
An older man stood inside, holding a wooden walking stick.
His hair was mostly gray, and his face was thinner than in the hospital photograph.
But his eyes were unmistakable.
My eyes.
He stared at me.
For a long moment, neither of us spoke.
Then he whispered:
"Emily?""
I nodded.
He took one unsteady step forward.
"Oh, sweetheart.""
His voice broke.
I had imagined this moment so many times without knowing I was imagining it.
I thought I would be angry.
I thought I would demand explanations.
Instead, I started crying.
Michael opened his arms.
I walked into them.
He held me carefully, as though he was afraid I might disappear.
"I'm sorry," he whispered.
"I'm so sorry I wasn't there.""
I pulled away.
"Why didn't you find me?""
He looked devastated.
"I tried. Your mother told me Richard was raising you, and I respected that. I sent letters.
Birthday cards. Christmas presents.""
"Why didn't I receive them?""
"Because every single one came back.""
He walked to a cabinet and opened the bottom drawer.
Inside were dozens of envelopes.
All addressed to me.
Some were decorated with little drawings.
One had a photograph of a bicycle attached.
Another contained a birthday card with a handwritten message.
*I hope you're learning to ride without training wheels. Your dad is very proud of you.*
I covered my mouth.
"I never got any of these.""
Michael shook his head.
"Your mother told me Vanessa had convinced Richard to cut off contact. Then Laura stopped answering my letters.""
He paused.
"I didn't know she was dead until three years later.""
"Three years?""
"I received a call from someone claiming to be a hospital employee. They told me Laura had died and that you had been placed with relatives.""
"That was a lie.""
"I know that now.""
He sat down heavily.
"Your mother called me two days before she died. She told me she had discovered something terrible about Vanessa. She said she had hidden documents in a safety deposit box.""
I leaned forward.
"What did she say about the medication?""
Michael's expression darkened.
"She told me Vanessa had been visiting the hospital under a false name.""
"What?""
"She was pretending to be a relative of another patient. She had access to the medication records.""
Thomas looked stunned.
"Why didn't Laura report her?""
"She tried. But the hospital administrator was involved.""
I remembered Margaret Hale.
"Did you know Margaret?""
Michael nodded.
"She was the person who contacted me after Laura died. She said she had proof that Vanessa had altered the medical records.""
"Where is she?""
He looked down.
"She disappeared.""
A cold feeling moved through me.
"Vanessa told everyone she was dead.""
Michael shook his head.
"Margaret wasn't dead. She was hiding.""
Suddenly, Caleb's phone rang.
He checked the screen.
"It's the police.""
He answered.
"Hello?""
His expression changed.
"What do you mean?""
He listened for several seconds.
Then he looked at me.
"Emily, they found something.""
"What?""
"Vanessa's been released.""
I stared at him.
"Released? How?""
"She wasn't formally charged. They're still investigating the documents.""
Michael stood up.
"Then we need to leave.""
Before anyone could move, a car horn sounded outside.
Once.
Twice.
Michael went to the window.
His face went white.
A black SUV was parked across the street.
The driver's window rolled down.
A woman leaned toward the passenger side.
I recognized her immediately.
Vanessa.
But she wasn't alone.
The man sitting beside her had gray hair and a familiar narrow jaw.
I had seen him in the photographs.
Daniel Cross.
My mother's supposed enemy.
Vanessa lifted a hand and waved.
Then Daniel held up a sheet of paper.
Even from the window, I could read the heading.
*EMILY BENNETT — GUARDIANSHIP AND MEDICAL CONSENT AGREEMENT.*
Michael grabbed my arm.
"She's not here to threaten us.""
"Then why is she here?""
He looked at me with terror in his eyes.
"Because Vanessa has already filed paperwork claiming you're mentally incompetent.""
May you like
And then he said something worse.
"She wants a court order putting you back under her control.""
