Chapter 2: The Woman in the Photograph
Marcus barely slept that night.
At three in the morning, he sat alone in the study with every light turned on.
The forged signature lay on the desk.
Beside it were bank records, old photographs, and the copy of Evelyn's death certificate.
Something about the certificate had always bothered him.
Not the date.
Not the hospital.
The signature.
He had never thought much about it before.
But now he stared at the doctor's name.
Then he opened his laptop.
He searched the hospital.
The doctor listed on the certificate had retired seventeen years earlier.
Marcus frowned.
He called Daniel.
“Tell me you’re awake.””
“I was expecting you.””
“I need everything on Evelyn's death.””
A pause.
“You mean everything?””
“Everything.””
Daniel sighed.
“Marcus, we already investigated this years ago.””
“No. Vanessa investigated it.””
Silence.
Marcus closed his eyes.
“Send me the original case file.””
“You're going to reopen this?””
“I never closed it.””
By sunrise, Daniel arrived at the house.
Ava was sitting at the kitchen table, untouched toast in front of her.
Marcus sat beside her.
“I'm sorry I didn't believe you yesterday.””
Ava looked down.
“You believe me now?””
“Yes.””
She nodded slowly.
“Then I need to tell you something.””
Marcus leaned forward.
“What?””
Ava reached into her backpack and pulled out her phone.
“I took a picture.””
She opened the gallery.
Marcus stared at the screen.
It showed Vanessa standing in the study.
In her hand was a folder.
Behind her, the locked drawer was open.
And next to Vanessa stood a woman.
Marcus stopped breathing.
The woman was older.
Thinner.
Her hair was shorter.
But the eyes were unmistakable.
His wife's eyes.
“Where did you get this?”” Marcus whispered.
“I took it two weeks ago.””
“Who is she?””
Ava shook her head.
“I don't know.””
Marcus zoomed in.
The woman's face was partially turned away.
But there was a small scar near her left eyebrow.
A scar Evelyn had gotten when she was twenty-two.
Marcus remembered kissing that scar on their wedding night.
Daniel stared over his shoulder.
“Marcus…”
“I know.””
“You think she’s alive?””
Marcus couldn't answer.
His phone suddenly rang.
Unknown number.
He answered.
“Hello?””
A woman's voice whispered, “Stop looking for Evelyn.””
Marcus stood.
“Who is this?””
“You don't understand what Vanessa did.””
“Tell me.””
“If you keep digging, she’ll know you're close.””
“Who?””
The woman breathed shakily.
“Evelyn.””
Marcus's heart hammered.
“Where is my wife?””
The call ended.
He immediately called back.
The number was disconnected.
Daniel stared at him.
“What did she say?””
Marcus looked at the phone.
“She said Evelyn is alive.””
Ava's eyes filled with tears.
“Mom…”
Before Marcus could respond, Vanessa appeared in the kitchen doorway.
“What are you talking about?””
Marcus turned.
“Where is Evelyn?””
Vanessa went pale.
“I don't know what you mean.””
“You just heard her name.””
“I've heard it before.””
Marcus walked toward her.
“Did you know she was alive?””
“No.””
“Did you pay someone to find her?””
“No.””
“Did you forge my signature?””
Vanessa's eyes flashed.
“That was to protect this family!””
“From what?””
She said nothing.
Marcus slammed the bank records onto the counter.
“From my own wife?””
Vanessa stared at the papers.
Then she whispered, “You should leave this alone.””
Marcus laughed bitterly.
“You've been telling me my wife is dead for eight years.””
“Because she was supposed to be.””
The kitchen went silent.
Vanessa realized what she'd said.
Ava's mouth fell open.
Marcus stared at her.
“What did you just say?””
Vanessa backed away.
“I didn't mean—”
“You said she was supposed to be dead.””
“I was angry.””
“No.””
Marcus stepped closer.
“You knew.””
Vanessa's face hardened.
“You don't know what Evelyn was capable of.””
“She was my wife.””
“She was dangerous.””
Marcus shook his head.
“That's a lie.””
Vanessa laughed once.
“You think you knew her?””
“Yes.””
“You knew the woman she wanted you to know.””
Marcus felt something cold settle inside his chest.
“What are you talking about?””
Vanessa looked toward Daniel.
“Ask him.””
Daniel frowned.
“Ask me what?””
Vanessa's eyes locked on Marcus.
“Ask your attorney why he never showed you the second page of Evelyn's medical report.””
Daniel went rigid.
Marcus turned slowly.
“Daniel?””
Daniel didn't speak.
“What's on the second page?””
“Marcus…”
“What is on it?””
Daniel lowered his eyes.
“It says Evelyn wasn't alone when she died.””
Marcus stared at him.
“What does that mean?””
Daniel reached into his briefcase.
He pulled out an old photograph.
It showed Evelyn outside a small café.
Standing beside her was another woman.
The woman was their longtime maid.
*Rose.*
Rose had supposedly died two years before Evelyn.
Marcus took the photograph.
“Why is Rose here?””
Daniel swallowed.
“Because Rose didn't die.””
Marcus looked at Vanessa.
Her face was now completely expressionless.
“Then where is she?””
Vanessa whispered, “I don't know.””
But Marcus saw something on the photograph.
Written on the back in blue ink was an address.
A café in another city.
And beneath the address were six words:
*Ask Rose what really happened that night.*
Marcus grabbed his keys.
Ava stood.
“Dad, where are you going?””
“To find Rose.””
Vanessa shouted after him.
“Marcus, don't!””
He stopped at the door.
He turned.
Vanessa was trembling.
“Why are you so afraid of her?””
Vanessa's lips parted.
But before she could answer, Marcus's phone buzzed.
A new message.
No number.
Just a photograph.
Marcus opened it.
It showed a woman sitting inside a café.
Her face was turned toward the window.
Her hands rested around a coffee cup.
Marcus zoomed in.
He recognized the necklace around her neck.
It had belonged to Evelyn's mother.
But the message beneath the photograph was worse.
*She's not alone.*
Marcus stared at the second figure in the picture.
A man was sitting across from the woman.
His own husbandly instinct made him recognize the watch first.
Then the hand.
Then the wedding ring.
Marcus's blood ran cold.
The man sitting across from Rose was *Marcus himself*.
May you like
Except the photograph had been taken that morning.
And Marcus was still standing inside his house.
