Chapter 5
I didn't sleep that night.
Neither did Emily.
Police searched the house again, but whoever entered had left almost nothing behind.
The nursery message was photographed.
The envelope was taken for fingerprints.
I kept staring at the picture on my phone.
My mother.
A newborn.
Me?
Maybe.
At seven the next morning, someone knocked.
Detective Bell stood outside.
Beside him was my mother.
I nearly slammed the door.
"I didn't invite her."
Bell raised one hand.
"She asked to speak with you in my presence."
Mom looked terrible.
No makeup.
No expensive coat.
Just fear.
Emily appeared behind me.
Mom immediately looked away.
I stepped between them.
"You don't look at her."
"Ryan—"
"You watched Chloe beat her."
"I know."
"You defended her."
"I know."
"Then why are you here?"
Mom started crying.
"Because your father is gone."
Bell explained that Dad had emptied one account overnight and disappeared.
His phone had been abandoned at a gas station.
Mom wrung her hands.
"Thomas called me after midnight."
"What did he say?"
"That everything was over."
"For him, maybe."
"He said you found the photograph."
My heart stopped.
"You knew about it?"
She nodded.
Emily touched my arm.
I asked the question I didn't want answered.
"Am I Dad's son?"
Mom closed her eyes.
"Yes."
Relief hit me.
Then she continued.
"But I didn't give birth to you."
The room went silent.
I stared at her.
"What?"
"You were Thomas's son."
"You just said—"
"With another woman."
My chest felt hollow.
"Who?"
Mom sat down.
"Her name was Sarah."
Emily moved closer to me.
Mom continued.
"Thomas was married to me when he met her."
I couldn't speak.
"Sarah became pregnant. She wanted to keep you. Thomas wanted nothing to do with her."
"Then how did I end up with you?"
Mom's face twisted.
"Sarah died."
I took a step back.
"When?"
"Six weeks after you were born."
"How?"
Mom looked at Bell.
Then at me.
"Car accident."
Bell's expression changed.
"You don't believe that anymore, do you?" he asked.
Mom shook her head.
"I haven't for years."
My skin went cold.
"What are you saying?"
"Your grandmother never believed Sarah's death was an accident."
The photograph suddenly made sense.
Grandma's warning.
The video.
Why she didn't trust Mom.
"You knew this my whole life?"
"I raised you."
"That wasn't my question."
She began sobbing.
"Yes."
I turned away.
Emily reached for me.
I couldn't feel anything.
Mom continued.
"Your grandmother wanted to tell you when you turned eighteen. Thomas stopped her."
"How?"
"He threatened to expose something she'd done."
Bell leaned forward.
"What?"
"I don't know."
"Why was the photograph in your possession?" I asked.
Mom stared at me.
"It wasn't."
My head snapped toward her.
"What?"
"I've never seen that exact photograph before."
"You're holding me."
"No."
She pointed at the phone.
"Look closely."
I enlarged the image.
The woman looked exactly like Mom at first glance.
But now I saw it.
A small mark near the eyebrow.
Mom didn't have it.
"That's Sarah," Mom whispered.
My breath left me.
The woman holding the newborn wasn't my mother.
It was my biological mother.
"Who sent it?"
"I don't know."
Bell's phone buzzed.
He read a message.
His expression hardened.
"What?"
He looked at me.
"We found your father's car."
"Where?"
"Outside an abandoned property owned by Carter Development."
Mom stood abruptly.
"No."
Bell looked at her.
"You know it?"
Her face went white.
"Thomas took Sarah there once."
"Why?"
May you like
Mom's lips trembled.
"Because that's where she died."
