Chapter 13: The Secret My Father Had Buried for Six Years
Nobody moved.
My mother stared at Dad as if she'd never seen him before.
I stood between them, trying to understand what he'd just admitted.
"You drove Mom away from the hospital?"" I asked.
Dad lowered his head.
"Yes.""
"Why?""
He rubbed both hands over his face.
"Because I thought I was saving her.""
My mother's voice trembled.
"Richard, you told me you were going to Chicago that night.""
"I was supposed to.""
"Then why were you at the hospital?""
Dad looked toward Detective Harris.
"I received a phone call from Michael. He told me Laura had discovered something dangerous about Vanessa and Daniel. He said she needed to leave immediately.""
My mother shook her head.
"Michael never told me that.""
"I know.""
Dad continued.
"He said there was a car waiting. He told me not to tell anyone because Vanessa had people watching the hospital.""
I looked at him.
"So you helped Mom escape?""
Dad nodded.
"I drove her to a small motel outside the city. We agreed I'd return the following morning with money and a different car.""
My mother covered her mouth.
"But you never came.""
Dad's eyes filled.
"Because when I returned home, Vanessa was waiting.""
He explained that Vanessa had shown him photographs of me leaving school.
She'd told him Michael had discovered our plan.
Then she'd handed him a letter supposedly written by Laura.
The letter claimed my mother wanted no further contact with him.
"She told me Laura had decided to disappear," Dad whispered.
"She said Laura blamed me for everything.""
My mother shook her head.
"I never wrote that letter.""
"I know that now.""
Dad pulled a folded document from his jacket.
"I found it in Michael's old office last year. I kept it because I couldn't understand why Laura would write something like that.""
Margaret took the paper.
She examined the signature.
"This is another forgery.""
Dad nodded.
"I suspected it.""
I stared at him.
"Then why didn't you tell me?""
He looked at me.
"Because I was ashamed. I thought I'd failed your mother. I thought if I admitted what happened, you'd lose whatever faith you still had in me.""
My throat tightened.
"You let me believe Mom was dead.""
He began crying.
"I know.""
"You let me grow up thinking she never got to see me graduate.""
"I know, sweetheart.""
I stepped away.
For six years, I'd missed my mother every day.
I'd cried into her old pillow.
I'd celebrated birthdays without her.
I'd spent four months working for a dress because I wanted to honor a promise I'd made to a woman I believed I'd never see again.
And my father had known there was a chance she was alive.
Even if he'd been manipulated, he had kept the truth from me.
Detective Harris interrupted.
"Mr. Carter, did you return to the motel the following morning?""
Dad nodded.
"Yes.""
"What did you find?""
"An empty room. Her belongings were gone.""
My mother closed her eyes.
"Vanessa had found me.""
Dad turned toward her.
"How?""
"Michael had been following you.""
Margaret looked up.
"Do you have evidence?""
My mother nodded.
"Rebecca found something in the original hospital records. Someone had accessed the visitor logs and copied the vehicle information from the hospital parking garage.""
Dad looked horrified.
"Michael.""
Mom nodded.
"He knew where you took me.""
Sophie suddenly spoke.
"My mother told me Uncle Michael had a second phone.""
Detective Harris turned toward her.
"Do you know where it is?""
Sophie nodded.
"She said he kept it in a locked drawer at his house.""
The detective immediately contacted his team.
Then Margaret opened the documents recovered from the warehouse.
"Richard, there's something else.""
She placed a printed financial statement on the desk.
It showed regular payments to a company called Carter Property Holdings.
Dad frowned.
"That's Michael's company.""
Margaret nodded.
"The payments began six years ago. But look at the dates.""
She pointed to the first transaction.
November nineteenth.
The day after the photograph of Laura and Vanessa outside the hospital.
Then she pointed to the final payment.
Four days earlier.
My mother stared at the page.
"He's still receiving money.""
Dad looked at her.
"From whom?""
Margaret traced the transaction.
"From a trust-related account that should have been frozen.""
Detective Harris took the document.
"That gives us another financial trail.""
Suddenly, an officer entered the warehouse.
"Detective, we found Rebecca.""
Sophie jumped to her feet.
"Where?""
"She's alive. We located her at a roadside medical clinic. She requested police protection.""
My mother burst into tears.
"Rebecca.""
Dad closed his eyes.
For the first time that evening, he looked relieved.
But the officer wasn't finished.
"There's a problem.""
Detective Harris turned.
"What problem?""
"She refuses to speak until she sees Richard Carter alone.""
Dad frowned.
"Me?""
The officer nodded.
"She says she has something important to tell you about the night Laura disappeared.""
My mother took Dad's hand.
"Go.""
He looked at her.
"Are you sure?""
"Whatever she has to say, we need the truth.""
We arrived at the clinic shortly before midnight.
Rebecca was sitting in a small examination room.
She looked older, thinner, and exhausted.
But it was unquestionably my father's sister.
The moment Dad entered, she began crying.
"Richard.""
He stood in the doorway.
"Why?""
She lowered her eyes.
"I'm sorry.""
"Why did you help them?""
"I didn't know what they were planning at first.""
Dad shook his head.
"You signed the documents.""
"I was trying to protect Sophie.""
"By stealing from Emily?""
Rebecca covered her face.
"Vanessa told me Daniel would take Sophie away if I didn't cooperate. She said he had connections, money, and people who could make us disappear.""
Sophie stepped forward.
"Mom?""
Rebecca began sobbing.
"Sweetheart.""
They embraced.
Dad waited until they separated.
"Tell me what happened at the hospital.""
Rebecca looked toward Detective Harris.
Then she spoke.
"Vanessa arranged the switch. She had access to the medical paperwork. When Laura escaped with you, Vanessa needed everyone to believe Laura had died.""
My mother entered the room.
Rebecca froze.
"Laura?""
Mom nodded.
Rebecca stood.
For a long moment, the sisters simply stared at each other.
Then Rebecca whispered:
"I thought I'd never see you again.""
My mother embraced her.
But the reunion was interrupted when Rebecca stepped back and looked at Dad.
"There's something you still don't know.""
Dad frowned.
"What?""
Rebecca swallowed.
"Vanessa didn't just arrange Laura's disappearance.""
She looked directly at me.
"She arranged your mother's death certificate because she wanted to hide something else.""
"What?"" I asked.
May you like
Rebecca's voice dropped.
"Your mother had another child.""
