Chapter 9: The Man Buried Twice
Emily couldn't speak.
Her grandfather.
The man she'd been told died before she was born.
Michael Carter.
She looked at David.
“Grandpa?””
David nodded.
“He was your biological father.””
Daniel closed his eyes.
Richard stepped back.
Margaret whispered, “And that is why everything happened.””
Emily shook her head.
“No.””
She looked at Claire.
“You knew?””
Claire nodded.
“I found out after you were born.””
“Then why did you tell me Daniel was connected to me?””
“Because Daniel was connected to what happened.””
Emily looked at Daniel.
He looked devastated.
“I thought you were my daughter,” he whispered.
Emily's heart broke for him.
“You didn't know?””
“No.””
“Then why did you stay?””
Daniel looked toward Claire.
“Because your mother asked me to protect you.””
Claire nodded.
“She knew someone would come for you.””
Emily turned to David.
“And you?””
David's voice was quiet.
“I knew the truth about your father.””
“Then why did you raise me?””
“Because I loved you.””
“That doesn't explain it.””
David stepped closer.
“Your grandfather wasn't a good man.””
Margaret whispered, “He was dangerous.””
Emily frowned.
“What did he do?””
David looked toward the window.
“Michael Carter built the company that Victor worked for.””
Richard's expression hardened.
“He didn't build it.””
David turned.
“He funded it.””
“That's different.””
“Not enough.””
Richard stepped forward.
“Michael funded private medical facilities where records could be altered.””
Emily felt sick.
“You mean the baby network?””
“Yes.””
Daniel stared at Richard.
“And Thomas?””
Richard nodded.
“Thomas was one of the first children moved through the system.””
Emily looked at Claire.
“How did my grandfather become my father?””
Claire's eyes lowered.
“Your mother had an affair.””
Emily froze.
“Mom?””
Claire nodded slowly.
“I was married to David.””
David looked away.
“I didn't know.””
Claire continued.
“I was lonely. David was working constantly. Michael knew.””
Emily looked at David.
“You knew?””
“Not until later.””
Claire wiped her tears.
“I became pregnant.””
“With me.””
“Yes.””
“Did Grandpa know?””
“Yes.””
“Did Dad?””
“No.””
Emily closed her eyes.
For seventeen years, she'd thought her family was ordinary.
Messy, maybe.
But ordinary.
Now every person around her had been carrying a different version of her birth.
Richard spoke quietly.
“Michael didn't want you.””
Emily looked at him.
“What?””
“He wanted your mother to terminate the pregnancy.””
Claire nodded.
“I refused.””
“Why?””
“Because you were my child.””
Richard continued.
“Michael became afraid that if Emily was born, she could inherit part of his business and expose what he'd built.””
Emily stared.
“I was a threat?””
“You were evidence.””
David shook his head.
“That was why he arranged the transfer.””
“But if he was my father, why would he hide me?””
“Because he didn't want anyone to know.””
Margaret whispered, “He wanted Emily erased.””
Emily looked at her.
“But you saved me.””
Margaret nodded.
“I tried.””
Richard laughed bitterly.
“You failed.””
Margaret turned.
“What?””
Richard pointed toward the black box.
“You forgot one thing.””
He reached inside and pulled out a small cassette tape.
Emily frowned.
“What is that?””
Richard smiled.
“Your grandfather recorded everything.””
David's face went pale.
“Where did you get that?””
“Victor gave it to me.””
“Victor was dead.””
“Before he died.””
Richard placed the cassette on the table.
“There is a recording of Michael speaking to Margaret.””
Margaret shook her head.
“No.””
David stared at his mother.
“What did he say?””
Margaret didn't answer.
Richard pressed play.
Static filled the dining room.
Then an older man's voice emerged.
Michael.
Emily recognized it from an old home video.
“Margaret, the girl cannot remain with Claire.””
A younger Margaret's voice answered:
“She's David's daughter.””
Michael laughed.
“You know that's not true.””
Emily covered her mouth.
The recording continued.
Margaret said, “What do you want me to do?””
Michael answered:
“Give her a clean identity.””
Emily's eyes widened.
“And Thomas?””
“Take him.””
“Where?””
“Anywhere.””
“What if Daniel finds him?””
“He won't.””
“Why?””
“Because Daniel will be told his son is dead.””
The recording crackled.
Then Michael said something that made everyone freeze.
“Once Emily is registered as Thomas Hayes, no one will ever know which child survived.””
David stopped the tape.
The room was silent.
Emily stared at him.
“Why did you stop it?””
David's hand shook.
“Because I can't let you hear the rest.””
“I need to.””
“No.””
“Yes!””
Emily reached for the recorder.
David pulled it away.
“Dad!””
He looked at her.
“There is one thing you don't know.””
“What?””
David's eyes filled with tears.
“The child who was registered as Thomas Hayes…”
He looked at Daniel.
“…was never Thomas.””
Daniel stared.
“What?””
David nodded.
“The records were fabricated.””
Emily's heart pounded.
“Then where was Thomas?””
David looked toward Richard.
Richard slowly shook his head.
“You shouldn't tell her.””
David ignored him.
“Thomas was here.””
Emily whispered, “Here?””
“In this house.””
Margaret began sobbing.
David continued.
“Your grandfather brought him here the night you were born.””
Daniel stepped forward.
“Where?””
David pointed upstairs.
“To the nursery.””
Daniel's face went white.
“But there was only one baby.””
David nodded.
“One baby you saw.””
Emily stared.
“Then where was the other?””
David looked at her.
“In the wall.””
Emily's blood ran cold.
“What?””
“The nursery had a hidden room.””
Margaret closed her eyes.
David walked toward the stairs.
“I found it seventeen years ago.””
Emily followed.
“Why didn't you tell me?””
“Because the room was empty.””
Daniel followed them.
“Empty?””
David nodded.
“Except for one thing.””
He stopped outside the old nursery.
The door creaked open.
Dust floated through the flashlight beam.
David pushed aside a bookshelf.
Behind it was a narrow wooden door.
Emily stared.
Her heart hammered.
David inserted a key.
The lock clicked.
He opened it.
Inside was a tiny room.
A crib sat against the wall.
Beside it was a rusted metal cabinet.
Emily stepped inside.
On the floor lay a child's blue shoe.
Daniel picked it up.
His hands began shaking.
“This was Thomas's.””
David opened the cabinet.
Inside was a single envelope.
He pulled it out.
The handwriting on the front belonged to Michael Carter.
*For the person who eventually finds my grandson.*
Emily stared.
“Grandson?””
David opened it.
His face changed.
“What?””
Emily reached for the letter.
“Dad?””
He handed it to her.
She read the first line.
Then her entire body went cold.
*Emily is not the only child I hid that night.*
Below it was another sentence.
*If she ever discovers the truth, tell her to look for the boy I called my heir.*
And beneath that was a name.
*Thomas Carter.*
Emily looked at Daniel.
Daniel whispered:
“Thomas wasn't my son.””
May you like
He stared at the letter.
“He was Michael's.””
