Chapter 13: The Murder Behind My Birth
“Tell me the truth,” I said.
Thomas stood beneath the flickering hospital light, his hands trembling.
Richard kept his gun pressed against Danielle's head.
Judge Caldwell watched from the doorway, looking more irritated than frightened.
And Dr. Bennett was slowly moving toward the medical case.
Nobody seemed willing to breathe.
Thomas looked at me.
“Your biological mother was named Victoria Lawson. She was twenty-three when she gave birth to you.””
I swallowed.
“I know her name.””
“She wanted to keep you. Richard refused. He told her that a child born outside his marriage would destroy his reputation.””
Richard laughed.
“Your father always enjoyed exaggerating.””
Thomas ignored him.
“Victoria threatened to expose the illegal fertility program. She had copies of the medical records and knew about the baby transfers.””
I looked at Richard.
“So you killed her?””
Thomas nodded slowly.
“He arranged for her to be taken to this hospital. I was working with him at the time. I believed we were going to convince her to surrender the documents.””
“What happened?””
Thomas closed his eyes.
“She refused. Richard ordered the doctor to give her a sedative. The dosage was deliberately increased.””
Danielle covered her mouth.
I felt sick.
“And you watched?””
“I was in the room.””
“You watched my mother die?””
Thomas began crying.
“I tried to stop them.””
“But you didn't.””
He shook his head.
“No.””
Richard sighed.
“Must we continue this sentimental performance?””
I stepped toward him.
“You murdered my mother.””
“She was unstable.””
“You murdered her!””
“She was going to ruin everything!””
His voice echoed through the abandoned hospital.
For the first time, Richard had stopped pretending to be a respectable businessman.
His face twisted with anger.
“She wanted money. She wanted a name. She wanted to take what belonged to me.””
“She wanted her son.””
Richard's expression hardened.
“You were never supposed to know.””
Thomas reached into his jacket.
Hayes immediately raised his weapon.
“Don't move!””
Thomas pulled out a small silver recorder.
“I kept the original recording.””
Richard went completely still.
“What?””
Thomas held it up.
“Everything that happened in this hospital. Your orders. The doctor's instructions. Your threats.””
Richard's gun shifted away from Danielle.
“You told me you destroyed that.””
“I lied.””
For a moment, nobody moved.
Then Thomas threw the recorder toward Hayes.
Richard fired.
The bullet struck Thomas in the chest.
“Dad!””
He fell backward.
Danielle screamed.
Hayes fired twice.
Richard dropped his weapon and collapsed against the wall.
Dr. Bennett tried to run, but two officers rushed through the corridor and tackled him.
Judge Caldwell raised both hands.
“I had nothing to do with the shooting!””
Hayes kicked Richard's gun away.
“Everybody down!””
I dropped beside Thomas.
Blood was spreading across his shirt.
“Dad. Stay with me.””
He struggled to breathe.
“Marcus…”
“Don't talk. The ambulance is coming.””
He grabbed my wrist.
“No. You need to hear this.””
I shook my head.
“Please.””
He looked toward Richard.
“I didn't raise you because I wanted your inheritance. I raised you because I loved your mother.””
I stared at him.
“My mother?””
“Eleanor. I loved her before Richard abandoned her. When Victoria died, Eleanor helped me bring you home.””
I remembered the birth certificate.
The letters.
The photographs.
“Why didn't you tell me?””
“Because Richard threatened to take you away. He knew the truth about your birth could destroy everything.””
Thomas coughed.
“I thought keeping the secret would protect you.””
I squeezed his hand.
“You were my father.””
His eyes filled with tears.
“I wanted you to know that.””
His breathing became shallow.
Then he whispered:
“There's one more thing in the recorder. Don't let Richard reach the original files.””
His hand slipped from mine.
“Dad?””
No response.
“Dad!””
Paramedics rushed into the room.
They pushed me aside and began working on him.
I stood beside Danielle, watching them fight to keep the man who had raised me alive.
Richard was being handcuffed.
As officers dragged him past us, he turned his head.
“You think this ends with me?””
I stared at him.
“It's over.””
He smiled through the blood on his lip.
“No, Marcus. You still haven't seen the original file.””
Hayes picked up the silver recorder.
“Let's see what he's talking about.””
He pressed play.
At first, there was static.
Then a woman's voice.
Victoria.
“If anything happens to me, the children must be protected. Richard has already arranged another transfer.””
A man's voice answered.
Richard.
“Which child?””
Victoria whispered something.
I leaned closer.
The next sentence was barely audible.
“The girl. The one born before Marcus.””
Hayes stopped the recording.
I stared at him.
“What girl?””
He replayed it.
Victoria's voice came through again.
“The girl. The one born before Marcus. Richard has been hiding his first daughter for thirty years.””
I looked at Richard.
His smile had disappeared.
Then Eleanor's voice came through the recorder.
“Her name is Charlotte.””
I felt my knees weaken.
Because I recognized that name.
It was written on the final page of my father's original trust agreement.
May you like
The person named as its sole independent beneficiary.
And the person Richard had spent thirty years trying to find.
