Chapter 4: The Second Handwriting
Emily stared at the signature.
Her mother's name was written across the bottom of the page.
*Claire.*
And beneath it, in a different hand:
*David Carter.*
The rain outside suddenly sounded deafening.
“Dad,” Emily whispered, “what does that mean?””
David didn't answer.
Daniel remained on the porch, water dripping from the edge of his coat.
Margaret sank into the nearest chair.
Emily looked between all three adults.
“You're all lying to me.””
“No,” David said.
“You just admitted you signed my mother's letter.””
“I did.””
“Why?””
David looked at the paper in her hands.
“Because Claire asked me to.””
Emily shook her head.
“That doesn't make sense.””
“It will.””
“Then explain it!””
David took a slow breath.
“I signed it because Claire wanted you to have proof that I knew everything. She was afraid that if something happened to her, everyone would assume I had been innocent.””
Emily's face tightened.
“What did you know?””
David looked at Daniel.
Then Margaret.
Then finally at his daughter.
“I knew your mother had discovered the truth about Daniel's family.””
Daniel stepped inside.
David immediately turned.
“I told you to stay outside.””
Daniel ignored him.
“I've waited seventeen years to hear you say that.””
David's jaw clenched.
“Not tonight.””
“Tonight is exactly when it should be said.””
Emily stepped between them.
“Enough.””
Both men stopped.
She held the letter against her chest.
“I don't care who hates who anymore. I want the truth.””
Daniel nodded.
“You deserve it.””
David pulled out a chair.
“Sit down, Emily.””
“I'd rather stand.””
He swallowed.
“Okay.””
David walked to the fireplace and stared at the flames.
“Seventeen years ago, your mother called me at two in the morning.””
Emily listened.
“She was terrified. She said she'd found evidence that someone had murdered Daniel's wife.””
Daniel closed his eyes.
David continued.
“She wouldn't tell me everything over the phone. She told me to meet her at the farmhouse.””
Emily's eyes narrowed.
“The farmhouse where I was born?””
“Yes.””
“Why were you there?””
“To help her.””
Margaret suddenly spoke.
“You were supposed to bring her home.””
David turned.
“You told me to bring her back.””
“Because she was in danger.””
“Because you wanted the evidence.””
Margaret's face hardened.
“I wanted to prevent a disaster.””
Daniel laughed bitterly.
“You always called your lies disasters.””
Margaret glared at him.
“You don't know what happened that night.””
“I know enough.””
Emily stepped closer to her grandmother.
“What did you do?””
Margaret's fingers trembled.
“I sent someone to the farmhouse.””
“Who?””
She didn't answer.
David did.
“Victor.””
Emily frowned.
“Who is Victor?””
Daniel's face changed.
“Victor Hale.””
David nodded.
“He was your grandmother's private investigator.””
Emily stared at Margaret.
“You hired someone to follow Mom?””
“I hired someone to retrieve documents.””
“What documents?””
“Evidence Claire had taken from Daniel.””
Daniel's voice turned cold.
“Evidence that proved someone had been paid to kill my wife.””
Emily's stomach turned.
“Who paid them?””
Daniel looked at Margaret.
Margaret looked away.
David answered.
“We never proved it.””
Emily's eyes narrowed.
“But Mom knew.””
“Yes.””
“What did she know?””
David walked back to the table.
“She discovered payments from an account connected to your grandmother.””
Emily's breath caught.
“Grandma?””
Margaret stood abruptly.
“I never ordered a murder!””
“Then why were your payments there?”” Daniel demanded.
“Because I paid Victor.””
“For what?””
“To investigate Daniel.””
Daniel shook his head.
“You paid him to destroy me.””
“No!””
Margaret's voice cracked.
“I paid him to protect Claire.””
Emily looked at her.
“From Daniel?””
“From what Daniel had become.””
Daniel stepped forward.
“I never touched Claire.””
Margaret's eyes flashed.
“You threatened her.””
“Because she was hiding my son from me.””
Emily stared.
“What son?””
Daniel's face fell.
“My son was alive when I left that house.””
Silence.
Emily whispered, “You had a son?””
“Yes.””
“What was his name?””
“Thomas.””
Daniel looked down.
“Thomas was six.””
Emily felt tears gather.
“What happened to him?””
Daniel's voice broke.
“He disappeared the same night my wife was killed.””
Emily looked at David.
“And Mom found him?””
“No.””
Daniel answered.
“She found records.””
“What records?””
“Adoption records.””
Emily froze.
“Adoption?””
Daniel nodded.
“Your mother discovered that someone had arranged for my son to be moved out of state under a false name.””
Emily stared at him.
“Who?””
Daniel didn't answer.
David did.
“We never found out.””
Margaret whispered, “That's not true.””
Everyone turned.
Margaret was crying.
David stared at his mother.
“What did you say?””
“I said that's not true.””
Daniel stepped toward her.
“Then tell her.””
Margaret wiped her face.
“I knew where Thomas went.””
Daniel stopped breathing.
Emily's voice was barely audible.
“You knew?””
Margaret nodded.
“I knew where he was taken.””
Daniel's face twisted.
“Where?””
Margaret looked at him.
“I can't.””
“Where?””
“I can't tell you.””
Daniel slammed his palm against the table.
“Seventeen years!””
Emily flinched.
David grabbed Daniel's arm.
“Get out.””
“No.””
“You're frightening her.””
Daniel looked at Emily.
His anger vanished.
“I'm sorry.””
Emily stared at Margaret.
“You knew where he was.””
Margaret said nothing.
“Does Dad know?””
Margaret looked at David.
David's face went pale.
“Mom?””
Margaret whispered, “He was told.””
Emily turned to her father.
“You knew?””
David shook his head.
“No.””
Margaret looked confused.
“But I told you.””
“When?””
“The morning after Emily was born.””
David stared at her.
“You never told me.””
“I did.””
“No, Mom.””
“You were exhausted.””
“You gave me a folder.””
Margaret nodded.
“I gave you the records.””
David's eyes widened.
“I never opened it.””
“Why?””
“Because Claire told me never to.””
Emily looked at the box.
“There are more papers.””
David slowly reached inside.
He pulled out a sealed envelope.
On the front were four words:
*DO NOT OPEN UNTIL SEVENTEEN.*
Emily's heart stopped.
“That’s mine.””
David looked at her.
“Yes.””
She reached for it.
But before her fingers touched the envelope, Daniel whispered:
“Don't.””
Emily turned.
“Why?””
Daniel's eyes were fixed on the seal.
“Because I know what's inside.””
“How?””
He swallowed.
“Because I put it there.””
Emily stared at him.
“You?””
Daniel nodded.
“I wrote that letter.””
Emily's fingers froze above the envelope.
“My mother didn't?””
“No.””
Daniel looked at David.
“Claire wrote the first letter.””
Then he looked back at Emily.
“I wrote the second.””
Emily slowly picked up the envelope.
“Why would you write me a letter?””
Daniel's voice dropped.
“Because I knew the truth would eventually come looking for you.””
Emily opened the seal.
Inside was a photograph.
A little boy stood beside a woman she had never seen.
And on the back, someone had written:
*Thomas Hayes — Age 6.*
Underneath was another sentence.
*He was never adopted.*
Emily looked up.
“Then where did he go?””
May you like
Daniel stared at her.
“That,” he whispered, “is the question your mother died trying to answer.””
