Chapter 4
The gate opened.
My mother stepped into the backyard.
Margaret Carter looked exactly the way she had looked when I saw her three days earlier.
Gray cardigan.
Black slacks.
Pearl earrings.
Perfectly brushed hair.
The same woman who brought soup when I was sick.
The same woman who remembered every birthday.
The same woman Daniel now claimed had forced him to disappear.
Her eyes found me first.
Then Rebecca.
Then Daniel.
She stopped breathing.
For once in my life, my mother had no words.
Daniel stared at her.
“Hello, Margaret.”
She flinched.
Not Mom.
Margaret.
Her gaze dropped to Noah.
I moved in front of the boy.
Mom’s lips parted.
“Daniel.”
“You sound surprised.”
Tears filled her eyes.
“You’re alive.”
Daniel laughed.
“You knew that.”
“I prayed.”
“Don’t.”
“You have no idea—”
“I said don’t.”
I had never heard my brother speak to her that way.
Mom looked at me.
“Emily, please come with me.”
I didn’t move.
“Is your name Margaret Carter?”
Her face changed.
Rebecca whispered, “Emily.”
I kept staring at Mom.
“Is that your real name?”
Mom slowly closed the gate.
“No.”
The answer hit me like a physical blow.
I swallowed.
“What is your name?”
She looked at Daniel.
He answered for her.
“Victoria Hale.”
Mom shut her eyes.
I waited for her to deny it.
She didn’t.
“Who is our mother?”
Mom opened her eyes.
“You need to understand something.”
“That isn’t an answer.”
“I raised you.”
“Who gave birth to me?”
Her mouth trembled.
“Her name was Catherine.”
Was.
I caught the word immediately.
“Was?”
Mom looked down.
“She died.”
“When?”
“Emily, please.”
“When?”
“Ten years ago.”
Daniel’s face hardened.
“You told me she was alive.”
Mom turned to him.
“At the time, she was.”
“So you knew where she was?”
“Yes.”
“You knew our real mother was alive when I disappeared?”
“Yes.”
I felt sick.
Rebecca leaned against the fence.
Noah stayed behind me.
His small fingers held the hem of my shirt.
I wanted to turn around and take him somewhere safe.
But there was nowhere safe anymore.
“Why did Catherine let you raise us?” I asked.
Mom stared at me.
“She didn’t.”
I stopped breathing.
“What?”
“She didn’t give you to me.”
Daniel nodded grimly.
“I told you.”
Mom snapped, “You don’t know the whole story.”
“Then tell it.”
She looked toward the house.
“We shouldn’t do this here.”
I laughed.
“You’ve had thirty-four years to tell me. You can do it in a backyard.”
Mom’s face hardened.
That softness I had known all my life disappeared.
“Your father was married to Catherine.”
I stared at her.
“Dad?”
“Yes.”
“You were what? His girlfriend?”
“No.”
Her voice cracked.
“I was Catherine’s sister.”
Rebecca began crying.
I looked between them.
“My aunt?”
Mom nodded.
“Your real mother was my older sister.”
For a second, I heard nothing except Noah’s breathing behind me.
I remembered family photographs.
There were almost none from Mom’s childhood.
She always said her parents died young.
She claimed she had no siblings.
“You told us you were an only child.”
“I had reasons.”
“What reasons justify stealing your sister’s children?”
Mom looked furious.
“I did not steal you.”
Daniel stepped forward.
“Then what do you call taking three children across state lines and changing your name?”
“I saved you!”
The words exploded from her.
Noah jumped.
I turned and put a hand on his shoulder.
Mom noticed.
Her expression softened.
“Who is that?”
Daniel moved between them.
“You don’t get to ask.”
“Is he yours?”
Daniel said nothing.
Mom stared at Noah.
I saw recognition growing in her face.
Then something else.
Fear.
She whispered, “Where is Sarah?”
Daniel’s jaw tightened.
“You tell me.”
“I haven’t seen her.”
“You met her at the hotel.”
Mom looked genuinely confused.
“What hotel?”
“Noah saw her go downstairs to meet you.”
She looked at Noah again.
“I never met Sarah at a hotel.”
“Stop lying.”
“I’m not.”
Daniel stepped closer.
“Then how did you know her name?”
Mom froze.
Rebecca covered her mouth.
I stared.
Daniel’s eyes darkened.
“I never said her name until now.”
Mom looked toward the gate.
That was all the confirmation we needed.
Daniel moved quickly.
He caught her arm.
“Where is my wife?”
“Let go.”
“WHERE IS SHE?”
“Daniel!”
I pulled him back.
Mom rubbed her wrist.
“You have no idea what Sarah was involved in.”
Daniel went still.
“What does that mean?”
Mom looked at me.
“You called the police?”
“No.”
“You need to.”
Rebecca spoke for the first time in minutes.
“No police.”
Mom turned.
“Why?”
“Because of what happened last time.”
“What happened last time?” I asked.
Rebecca looked at Daniel.
He shook his head.
Mom stared at them.
“What did you two do?”
Daniel said, “Nothing.”
Rebecca laughed nervously.
“You broke his nose.”
My eyes widened.
“Whose nose?”
Rebecca looked toward the basement door inside the house.
My stomach dropped.
“Rebecca.”
She said nothing.
“Who else is here?”
Mom whispered, “Oh no.”
Daniel looked at her.
“You know him?”
Mom headed toward the house.
Daniel blocked her.
“You’re not going anywhere.”
She shouted, “If he’s still here, we are all in danger!”
I ran toward the patio.
Rebecca caught my arm.
“Emily!”
I shook free.
I entered the kitchen.
The house smelled stale.
There were dishes stacked beside the sink.
Heavy curtains covered every window.
The basement door stood at the end of the hallway.
A chair had been wedged beneath the handle.
I stopped.
“Rebecca?”
She came inside.
“Don’t open it.”
“Who is downstairs?”
“A man who followed Daniel.”
Daniel entered behind us.
“He tried to take Noah.”
Mom came in last.
Her face was white.
“When?”
“Two days after we arrived.”
“Describe him.”
“Tall. Mid-forties. Scar on his neck.”
Mom whispered a name.
“Marcus.”
Daniel stared.
“You know him.”
Mom backed away from the basement.
“We need to leave.”
I pointed at the door.
“Is there a man locked down there?”
Rebecca nodded.
“For six months?”
“No. Three days.”
“What happened?”
“He came back.”
Daniel said, “We caught him in Noah’s room.”
My stomach turned.
“And instead of calling police, you locked him downstairs?”
Rebecca laughed.
“You think police make this better?”
“Yes!”
Mom whispered, “Not if Marcus is who I think he is.”
I looked at her.
“Who is he?”
She swallowed.
“Your father’s younger brother.”
I stared.
“Dad didn’t have a brother.”
“He did.”
“Another lie?”
“Yes.”
Daniel kicked the chair away from the basement door.
Mom grabbed him.
“Don’t.”
Daniel looked at her.
“You want answers? So do I.”
He opened the door.
Dark stairs led downward.
A weak voice came from below.
“Daniel?”
Mom staggered back.
The voice laughed.
“I wondered when she would show up.”
Daniel flipped on the basement light.
We went down together.
Rebecca stayed at the top with Noah.
A man sat tied to a metal support post.
Blood had dried beneath his nose.
His left eye was swollen.
He smiled when he saw Mom.
“Victoria.”
Mom looked terrified.
“Marcus.”
He laughed.
“Still pretending to be Margaret?”
I stepped closer.
“Where is Sarah?”
Marcus looked at me.
His smile faded.
“You must be Emily.”
“How do you know me?”
“Your father talked about you.”
“My father has been dead for twenty years.”
Marcus smiled again.
“That’s another thing Victoria lied about.”
Mom whispered, “Don’t.”
Marcus looked directly at me.
“Your father didn’t die in that crash.”
I stared at him.
“Then where is he?”
Marcus leaned his head back against the post.
“He was alive three weeks ago.”
Daniel swore under his breath.
Mom grabbed the wall.
Rebecca came halfway down the stairs.
“What did he say?”
Marcus raised his voice.
“Your daddy is alive.”
Rebecca shook her head violently.
“No.”
Marcus laughed.
“Ask Victoria.”
We all looked at Mom.
She said nothing.
And suddenly I understood the expression on her face.
It wasn’t disbelief.
It was recognition.
“You knew,” I whispered.
Mom looked at me.
Tears filled her eyes.
“I knew he survived.”
I could barely get the words out.
“And you let us bury an empty coffin?”
Her lips trembled.
“I thought he was safer dead.”
Daniel slammed his fist against the wall.
Noah cried from upstairs.
Then Marcus spoke again.
“You’re all asking the wrong question.”
I turned to him.
“What question?”
He smiled.
“Not whether your father is alive.”
His eyes moved to Mom.
“You should be asking what he’s been doing for twenty years.”
Mom whispered, “Marcus, stop.”
He ignored her.
“He built the whole thing.”
“What thing?”
Marcus looked at Daniel.
“The business Sarah discovered.”
Daniel went still.
Marcus smiled.
“And if Sarah found what I think she found, your wife isn’t missing.”
May you like
He paused.
“She’s being kept somewhere your father owns.”
