Chapter 10: The Woman in My Mother's Coffin
For several seconds, nobody spoke.
My father's younger sister, Rebecca, had been dead for six years.
I'd attended her funeral when I was twelve.
I'd watched my father cry beside her coffin.
I'd placed a white rose on top of it.
And now Kayla was telling us that the woman buried in my mother's place had been my aunt.
Dad grabbed the back of a chair.
"That's impossible.""
Kayla was crying so hard she could barely speak.
"Mom told me what to do.""
Vanessa grabbed her daughter's shoulder.
"Kayla, stop.""
"No!""
Kayla pulled away.
"I'm done protecting you!""
Detective Harris stepped between them.
"Miss Morgan, I need you to explain exactly what you mean.""
Kayla wiped her face.
"Rebecca was at the hospital. Mom told me she was helping Aunt Laura leave.""
My mother slowly stood.
"Rebecca?""
Kayla nodded.
"She was supposed to get into the ambulance. Mom said the hospital had made a mistake and that nobody would know.""
Dad shook his head.
"Rebecca died in a car accident three weeks before Laura's funeral.""
Kayla looked down.
"That's what Mom told everyone.""
My father turned toward Vanessa.
"Where is my sister?""
Vanessa said nothing.
Dad stepped closer.
"WHERE IS REBECCA?""
Detective Harris raised his hand.
"Mr. Carter, let us handle this.""
But my father was no longer listening.
He looked like a man whose entire life had just been turned upside down.
My mother approached him.
"Richard, I need you to listen to me.""
He turned.
"Did you know?""
She shook her head.
"No. I thought Rebecca had been killed.""
"Then why did you say nothing?""
"Because I never knew she was part of it.""
Kayla suddenly spoke.
"Mom told me Aunt Rebecca was going to help her. But after the funeral, she said Rebecca had gone away.""
My mother looked at her.
"Did you see Rebecca after that?""
Kayla nodded.
"Once.""
"When?""
"At a hotel. A few months after the funeral.""
Dad's expression hardened.
"Which hotel?""
"I don't remember the name.""
Vanessa finally spoke.
"She's confused. She's been under a lot of pressure.""
Kayla turned toward her.
"Stop saying that!""
Her voice echoed through the house.
"You told me Dad would never find out. You told me Emily would leave after graduation. You said we would finally have everything.""
I stared at her.
"Everything?""
Kayla nodded.
"Mom said the house, the investments, and the money would eventually belong to us.""
My father looked disgusted.
"You were planning to steal your cousin's inheritance?""
Kayla began crying again.
"I didn't understand everything!""
I looked at her.
"You understood enough to sign a false statement saying I was unstable.""
She lowered her head.
"I know.""
"And you cut my dress.""
Her face crumpled.
"I was angry.""
"That doesn't explain anything.""
"I know.""
For once, Kayla didn't have an excuse.
Detective Harris instructed an officer to separate Vanessa and Kayla for questioning.
Then another officer approached with the recording device recovered from the office.
"We found the original recording," he said.
Margaret had arrived while the officers were searching.
She immediately recognized the device.
"This belonged to Laura.""
My mother nodded.
"I recorded the conversation after Vanessa threatened me.""
The detective connected it to a portable speaker.
A few seconds of static filled the room.
Then Vanessa's voice emerged.
"Once Laura is gone, Richard will believe whatever I tell him.""
A man's voice answered.
Daniel.
"And the girl?""
Vanessa laughed.
"Emily is a child. She'll grow up believing her mother died naturally. By the time she's eighteen, she'll have no idea what was taken from her.""
Then another voice appeared.
Michael's.
"What about Rebecca?""
Vanessa answered calmly.
"Rebecca knows too much. She'll have to disappear as well.""
Dad closed his eyes.
My mother gripped the edge of the table.
The recording continued.
Daniel asked, "And the body?""
Vanessa replied, "That's already handled. The family will bury Rebecca under Laura's name. Nobody will question it.""
I felt nauseated.
My father stepped backward.
"My sister...""
He couldn't finish.
Then the recording revealed something even worse.
Michael spoke again.
"There's one problem. Rebecca has a daughter.""
Vanessa answered.
"Not anymore.""
Dad looked at the detective.
"What does that mean?""
The recording stopped.
The detective rewound it and played the final section again.
A child's voice could be heard in the background.
A girl crying.
Then Vanessa spoke.
"Take her away before she tells anyone what happened.""
My mother began shaking.
"Rebecca had a daughter," she whispered.
Dad looked at her.
"Where is she?""
Mom covered her mouth.
"Her name was Sophie.""
I remembered Sophie.
My cousin.
She'd been about eight when I last saw her.
I remembered her pink bicycle and the way she used to follow me around during family gatherings.
After Rebecca's funeral, Vanessa told everyone Sophie had gone to live with relatives.
I hadn't questioned it.
I was twelve.
I looked at my father.
"Where did she go?""
He stared at the recording device.
"I don't know.""
Detective Harris turned toward Vanessa.
"Mrs. Carter, where is Sophie?""
Vanessa's face had gone completely blank.
Then she smiled.
It was a small, cold smile.
"You people still don't understand.""
The detective stepped closer.
"Explain.""
Vanessa looked at my mother.
"Laura, you should have stayed away. Because if Sophie is alive, she knows exactly what happened that night.""
My mother grabbed Dad's hand.
"Richard, we have to find her.""
Detective Harris immediately contacted his team.
But before he could give further instructions, an officer rushed into the room.
"Detective, we found something in the safe.""
He held up a small envelope.
There was a photograph inside.
It showed a teenage girl standing outside a school.
On the back, someone had written:
*SOPHIE CARTER — CURRENT LOCATION CONFIRMED.*
Below the photograph was an address.
May you like
And a date.
The photograph had been taken only three days earlier.
