The alarm continued to pulse through the detention center as officers moved down the corridor. Thomas stood beside me, still cuffed, while the detective spoke rapidly into her radio.<\/p>\n
\u201cArthur Bennett is gone.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at Thomas.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow?\u201d<\/p>\n
He did not answer.<\/p>\n
The detective turned toward him. \u201cYou knew this could happen.\u201d<\/p>\n
Thomas's jaw tightened.<\/p>\n
\u201cArthur doesn't need a weapon to be dangerous.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere would he go?\u201d<\/p>\n
Thomas looked at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo Margaret.\u201d<\/p>\n
My stomach dropped.<\/p>\n
\u201cVanessa already has Claire.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe doesn't know where Claire is being held,\u201d the detective said.<\/p>\n
Thomas shook his head. \u201cArthur does.\u201d<\/p>\n
The detective stared at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat exactly are you saying?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cArthur built the entire operation. Vanessa is following instructions. Daniel was the useful son. Edward was the substitute. I was the loose end.\u201d<\/p>\n
I felt cold.<\/p>\n
\u201cEdward is dead?\u201d<\/p>\n
Thomas looked away.<\/p>\n
\u201cI believe so.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut the man who came to my cottage\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWas me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen why did you call yourself Edward?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause I needed to know whether someone was still working for Arthur.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou could have told me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIf I had told you, you would have trusted me.\u201d<\/p>\n
I laughed once.<\/p>\n
It was not a pleasant sound.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou say that like it was a mistake.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI was afraid.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou were afraid of me trusting my own husband?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI was afraid you would die because of me.\u201d<\/p>\n
The detective interrupted.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe don't have time for this.\u201d<\/p>\n
She removed Thomas's restraints long enough to move him into a secure interview room.<\/p>\n
I followed.<\/p>\n
The moment the door closed, I demanded answers.<\/p>\n
Thomas sat across from me.<\/p>\n
\u201cStart with the baby.\u201d<\/p>\n
His face changed.<\/p>\n
\u201cI knew you would ask.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou switched my child?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cVanessa said you did.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe lied.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen tell me what happened.\u201d<\/p>\n
Thomas rubbed his hands together.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you delivered Daniel, the doctors told us he was healthy. They took him for observation because of breathing problems.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI remember.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou remember the nursery?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThere was another baby in the same ward.\u201d<\/p>\n
I waited.<\/p>\n
\u201cHis mother died during childbirth.\u201d<\/p>\n
My breath caught.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat was her name?\u201d<\/p>\n
Thomas looked down.<\/p>\n
\u201cEleanor Hale.\u201d<\/p>\n
The name meant nothing.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou're saying Daniel was hers?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen whose?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat is what I spent thirty-nine years trying to determine.\u201d<\/p>\n
The door opened.<\/p>\n
The detective returned with a photograph.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe found this in Arthur's vehicle.\u201d<\/p>\n
It showed three infants in a hospital nursery.<\/p>\n
A handwritten number was visible on one blanket.<\/p>\n
318.<\/p>\n
I stared at it.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat's the locker number.\u201d<\/p>\n
Thomas nodded.<\/p>\n
The detective turned the photograph over.<\/p>\n
A date.<\/p>\n
The same date Daniel was born.<\/p>\n
Beneath it was a name.<\/p>\n
Eleanor Hale.<\/p>\n
I looked at Thomas.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou knew her.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI met her once.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe night you gave birth.\u201d<\/p>\n
My hands went numb.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou left me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI was told there was a complication.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBy whom?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cArthur.\u201d<\/p>\n
The detective frowned.<\/p>\n
Thomas continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe said the hospital had lost one of the newborn records. He said Eleanor had died and her infant had no surviving family.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did Arthur want?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cA DNA test.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe said there was a chance the infant belonged to someone in our family.\u201d<\/p>\n
I stared at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you take Daniel?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen what did you do?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI followed Arthur.\u201d<\/p>\n
Thomas explained that he had seen Arthur enter a restricted section of the maternity ward.<\/p>\n
He had found a nurse giving Arthur a sealed envelope.<\/p>\n
When Thomas confronted him, Arthur threatened to expose the fertility treatment.<\/p>\n
Thomas had panicked.<\/p>\n
He went home.<\/p>\n
He said nothing.<\/p>\n
Two weeks later, Daniel was still with us.<\/p>\n
Thomas convinced himself the matter had ended.<\/p>\n
It had not.<\/p>\n
Years later, Eleanor's sister contacted him.<\/p>\n
She claimed Eleanor's baby had been stolen.<\/p>\n
Thomas began investigating privately.<\/p>\n
That investigation eventually led him to Edward.<\/p>\n
\u201cEdward knew about the baby?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe had been paid to obtain information from the hospital.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd Arthur?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cArthur was laundering money through medical billing companies.\u201d<\/p>\n
The detective stared at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is much bigger than the property fraud.\u201d<\/p>\n
Thomas nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt always was.\u201d<\/p>\n
My phone vibrated.<\/p>\n
A message from Vanessa.<\/p>\n
Bring Thomas to the lake house.<\/p>\n
No police.<\/p>\n
No Claire.<\/p>\n
You have one hour.<\/p>\n
Then another message arrived.<\/p>\n
A photograph of Claire.<\/p>\n
She was tied to a chair.<\/p>\n
Her face was bruised, but her eyes were open.<\/p>\n
Under the photograph was one sentence.<\/p>\n
She knows where Eleanor's son is.<\/p>\n
I looked at Thomas.<\/p>\n
\u201cWho is Eleanor's son?\u201d<\/p>\n
He stared at the image.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don't know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen why does Vanessa think Claire does?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause Claire handled the adoption records.\u201d<\/p>\n
My heart stopped.<\/p>\n
\u201cAdoption?\u201d<\/p>\n
Thomas nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cBefore Daniel was born, Eleanor signed temporary guardianship papers.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy would she?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe was told her baby had a fatal condition.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat isn't true.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWho told her?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cArthur.\u201d<\/p>\n
I stood.<\/p>\n
\u201cThen where is her son?\u201d<\/p>\n
Thomas looked at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cI believe you've already met him.\u201d<\/p>\n
The detective went still.<\/p>\n
\u201cWho?\u201d<\/p>\n
Thomas said nothing.<\/p>\n
I thought of every person who had appeared in this nightmare.<\/p>\n
Daniel.<\/p>\n
Vanessa.<\/p>\n
Arthur.<\/p>\n
Edward.<\/p>\n
Claire.<\/p>\n
The man in the photographs.<\/p>\n
Then one possibility made my stomach twist.<\/p>\n
\u201cDaniel?\u201d<\/p>\n
Thomas shook his head.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen who?\u201d<\/p>\n
Thomas looked at the photograph of Claire.<\/p>\n
\u201cAsk her.\u201d<\/p>\n
The detective immediately called the hospital.<\/p>\n
Claire had been transferred to another location.<\/p>\n
The call was intercepted.<\/p>\n
A voice answered.<\/p>\n
Vanessa.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou're running out of time.\u201d<\/p>\n
The detective switched the call to speaker.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere is Claire?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAt the lake.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhich lake?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMy lake.\u201d<\/p>\n
I felt a chill.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe old house?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut the house belongs to Michael and Ruth.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNot for much longer.\u201d<\/p>\n
The line went dead.<\/p>\n
The detective turned to Thomas.<\/p>\n
\u201cCan you identify the location?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know where she means.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen we go.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe has Claire.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe wants you there.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe wants you frightened.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI've been frightened for seven years.\u201d<\/p>\n
Thomas looked at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat's what I was afraid of.\u201d<\/p>\n
We left under police escort.<\/p>\n
The drive took less than an hour.<\/p>\n
As we approached the lake, the familiar road appeared between the trees.<\/p>\n
My old house stood in the distance.<\/p>\n
The windows were dark.<\/p>\n
A single vehicle sat beside the dock.<\/p>\n
Michael and Ruth were nowhere to be seen.<\/p>\n
Police surrounded the property.<\/p>\n
The detective held up her hand.<\/p>\n
Everyone stopped.<\/p>\n
A loudspeaker crackled.<\/p>\n
Vanessa's voice came from inside.<\/p>\n
\u201cMargaret, send Thomas.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at him.<\/p>\n
He shook his head.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI'll go.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou don't understand.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI understand perfectly.\u201d<\/p>\n
The detective whispered.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe'll breach on my signal.\u201d<\/p>\n
Thomas stepped forward.<\/p>\n
\u201cVanessa!\u201d<\/p>\n
Silence.<\/p>\n
Then she answered.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou finally decided to stop hiding.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou're finished.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou've been finished for years.\u201d<\/p>\n
The front door opened.<\/p>\n
Arthur stood there.<\/p>\n
Blood still stained his shirt.<\/p>\n
He held a gun.<\/p>\n
Behind him stood Claire.<\/p>\n
Her hands were bound.<\/p>\n
Vanessa appeared beside her.<\/p>\n
And behind them was Daniel.<\/p>\n
He looked terrified.<\/p>\n
I stared at my son.<\/p>\n
\u201cDaniel?\u201d<\/p>\n
He shook his head.<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn't know.\u201d<\/p>\n
Vanessa laughed.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou always say that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Arthur pointed the gun toward Thomas.<\/p>\n
\u201cCome inside.\u201d<\/p>\n
Thomas moved.<\/p>\n
I grabbed his arm.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
He looked at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf I don't, Claire dies.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI'll go with you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Arthur's voice hardened.<\/p>\n
\u201cOnly Margaret and Thomas.\u201d<\/p>\n
The detective whispered.<\/p>\n
\u201cDon't move.\u201d<\/p>\n
Thomas stepped toward the house.<\/p>\n
I followed.<\/p>\n
Inside, the rooms smelled exactly as I remembered.<\/p>\n
The fireplace.<\/p>\n
The wood floors.<\/p>\n
The faint scent of the cedar cabinet.<\/p>\n
For one strange second, I felt as though I had returned to an ordinary evening.<\/p>\n
Then I saw the dining table.<\/p>\n
Documents covered it.<\/p>\n
Bank statements.<\/p>\n
Birth records.<\/p>\n
Medical reports.<\/p>\n
Photographs.<\/p>\n
And one envelope marked 318.<\/p>\n
Vanessa pointed at it.<\/p>\n
\u201cOpen it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Thomas looked at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou shouldn't.\u201d<\/p>\n
I picked it up.<\/p>\n
Inside was a photograph.<\/p>\n
A newborn baby.<\/p>\n
On the back was a name.<\/p>\n
Not Daniel.<\/p>\n
Not Eleanor's son.<\/p>\n
Another name.<\/p>\n
Thomas stared at it.<\/p>\n
His face went white.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
He whispered.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis can't be.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat is it?\u201d<\/p>\n
He handed me the photograph.<\/p>\n
I looked at the baby.<\/p>\n
Then at the name.<\/p>\n
My breath stopped.<\/p>\n
The name belonged to a man I had known for nearly forty years.<\/p>\n
Daniel's real mother was not the only secret.<\/p>\n
Someone had been living beside us all this time.<\/p>\n
And the person in that photograph was the one Arthur had spent decades protecting.<\/p>\n
The alarm continued to pulse through the detention center as officers moved down the corridor. Thomas stood beside me, still cuffed, while the detective spoke rapidly into her radio. \u201cArthur … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7649,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7654","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-insightdrama"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7654","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=7654"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7654\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7674,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7654\/revisions\/7674"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/7649"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=7654"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=7654"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=7654"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}