Chapter 4: The Child Everyone Wanted
For several seconds, I couldn't hear anything except the blood pounding in my ears.
Emily stood halfway down the basement stairs, one hand gripping the railing and the other wrapped around Noah's shoulder.
Victor Hale watched us with an expression that suggested he'd been waiting for this moment.
"Explain that," I said.
Emily's lips trembled.
"Margaret, please. Not in front of Noah.""
Victor gave a short laugh.
"Actually, Mrs. Collins, the boy is the reason we're all here.""
I turned toward him.
"One more word about my grandson, and you'll regret coming into this house.""
He glanced at the camera above the workbench.
"You think that little device will protect you? Daniel installed most of the system himself. He knows exactly how to get around it.""
"Then you know he's been recording us without permission," I replied.
"That should make your situation interesting when the police arrive.""
Victor's smile faded.
For the first time, he seemed uncertain.
Emily took advantage of the silence.
"Come upstairs, Margaret. Please.""
I wanted to demand answers, but Noah's small fingers had tightened around her coat. His eyes kept moving between Victor and me.
Whatever the truth was, my grandson didn't deserve to hear it from a stranger threatening his family.
I picked up the black suitcase and carried it toward the stairs.
Victor stepped aside.
"That belongs to Daniel.""
"No," I said.
"It belongs to me. My name is on the documents.""
"You're making a mistake.""
"Then you should have left me alone.""
At the top of the stairs, Emily hurried us into the kitchen. I locked the basement door, then the back door, and pulled the curtains.
"Are the police really coming?"" I asked.
"Yes," Emily said.
"I called 911. I told them a man had entered the house and threatened us.""
"Good.""
She glanced at Noah.
"Sweetheart, why don't you go into the living room and put on your favorite cartoon? Grandma and I need to talk for a few minutes.""
Noah hesitated.
"Is that man going to take me?""
Emily knelt in front of him.
"No one is taking you anywhere without me. I promise.""
He hugged her tightly before walking into the next room.
When he was gone, I turned to her.
"Start at the beginning.""
Emily sank into a chair.
"Before Daniel and I met, I was engaged to someone named Michael Bennett. We met in college. He was studying engineering, and I was finishing nursing school.""
She paused, rubbing her bruised cheek.
"We were supposed to get married. But three months before the wedding, Michael disappeared.""
"Disappeared how?""
"He left town without saying goodbye. His apartment was empty. His phone was disconnected. His family told me they hadn't heard from him.""
"Did you contact the police?""
"Yes. They treated it like a missing-person case, but there wasn't much to investigate. He was twenty-eight, he had no criminal record, and he had recently argued with his father about money. The police thought he'd left voluntarily.""
She looked down at her hands.
"Six weeks later, I discovered I was pregnant.""
I pulled out the chair opposite her.
"Did you tell Michael?""
"I tried. I sent letters to his parents and contacted every friend I could find. Nobody knew where he was.""
"Then you met Daniel.""
"Almost a year later. Daniel was kind to me at first. He knew I was pregnant, and he said it didn't matter. He told me he wanted a family, and he would love my child as his own.""
I remembered my son bringing Emily home for dinner, his hand resting protectively on her stomach.
I'd thought he was becoming a man.
"Daniel knew Noah wasn't biologically his?"" I asked.
"Yes. He knew from the beginning.""
"Then why is this suddenly a problem?""
Emily reached into her bag and removed a small envelope.
"Because three weeks ago, I received this.""
She slid a photograph across the table.
It showed a man standing outside a courthouse in Pittsburgh. He was older than the man I'd seen in the framed engagement photographs Emily kept in an old box, but the resemblance was unmistakable.
Michael Bennett.
On the back, someone had written:
*HE'S ALIVE. AND HE KNOWS ABOUT THE BOY.*
I stared at the photograph.
"Who sent it?""
"I don't know. There was no return address. Two days later, someone left a message on my phone asking whether Noah had ever been tested for a rare inherited blood disorder.""
My fingers tightened around the photograph.
"What disorder?""
Emily shook her head.
"I didn't know what they were talking about. I deleted the message because I thought it was a scam.""
"And Daniel?""
"He found the photograph in my purse. He demanded to know who Michael was and why I was hiding him. I told him the truth. Daniel said he'd handle it.""
She looked toward the living room.
"That night, he searched Noah's room while the boy was asleep. I found him looking through his birth records and medical paperwork.""
"Why didn't you tell me?""
"Because Daniel said if I involved you, he'd accuse me of stealing your money. He told me he had proof that I had been transferring funds out of your accounts.""
"Did you ever transfer anything?""
"No. But he showed me bank statements with my name on them. He said he could make them look like I'd been stealing from you for years.""
My stomach turned.
The forged power of attorney. The guardianship petition. The strange company receiving money from my accounts.
Daniel hadn't simply been planning to take my house.
He'd been building a trap around everyone who might stand in his way.
"Emily," I said, "what does Noah's biological father have to do with my property?""
She hesitated.
"That's what I don't understand. But last week, Daniel received a phone call while he was in the shower. His phone lit up on the counter. I saw the name of the caller.""
"Who?""
"Victor Hale.""
I glanced toward the kitchen window.
Outside, a dark sedan had pulled to the curb.
A man remained inside with the engine running.
"Did you hear the conversation?""
"Not all of it. But Daniel said something about a trust, a missing heir, and a deadline.""
"A deadline for what?""
Emily's eyes filled with tears.
"Getting Noah's DNA tested.""
The words hung between us.
Then she pulled another document from her bag.
It was a photocopy of a letter from a law firm in Pennsylvania, addressed to Michael Bennett.
The letter mentioned an estate valued at more than twelve million dollars.
And near the bottom, a paragraph had been highlighted.
In the event that Mr. Bennett's direct descendants cannot be located, the assets will be distributed according to the terms of the secondary beneficiary agreement.
I read the paragraph twice.
"Michael inherited this money?""
"Apparently. His father died two months ago. Michael was listed as the primary beneficiary, but the lawyers couldn't locate him until recently.""
"And Noah?""
Emily nodded slowly.
"Michael's father knew about me. He knew I was pregnant before Michael disappeared. Someone must have told the lawyers that Michael had a child.""
I looked at the photograph again.
Suddenly, Victor's demand for the original birth certificate made terrible sense.
They weren't interested in Noah because he was Daniel's son.
They were interested in him because he might be Michael Bennett's heir.
But one question remained.
"If Michael is alive, why hasn't he contacted you?""
Emily's expression changed.
"Because I think Daniel knows where he is.""
Before I could respond, a knock sounded at the front door.
Three firm raps.
Then a woman's voice called from the porch.
"Police department. Please open the door.""
I let out a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding.
When I opened the door, two uniformed officers stood outside. A third person waited behind them, wearing a dark suit and carrying a leather briefcase.
The taller officer introduced himself as Sergeant Miller.
"Mrs. Collins, we received a report of an unauthorized person entering your property. Is everyone safe?""
"At the moment," I said.
"But a man named Victor Hale is downstairs, and we have evidence of financial fraud and threats.""
Sergeant Miller looked at his partner.
"Where is Mr. Hale?""
"Basement.""
They moved toward the stairs.
The man in the suit remained in the doorway.
"Mrs. Collins?"" he asked.
"My name is Andrew Cole. I'm an attorney representing the Bennett family estate.""
Emily rose so quickly that her chair scraped across the floor.
"How did you find us?""
Mr. Cole opened his briefcase and removed a sealed envelope.
"Because, Mrs. Collins, someone finally submitted the missing document we've been waiting for.""
He placed it on the kitchen table.
"The original birth certificate.""
I looked at the envelope.
It bore Noah's full name.
May you like
And beneath it, in unfamiliar handwriting, someone had added a message.
*Before you open this, you should know that Michael Bennett is not the only person who has been lying about Noah's identity.*
