Chapter 5 - The Father I Buried Twice
His name was Thomas Reed.
My father.
The man I had mourned.
The man whose cheap wooden coffin I had touched when I was ten.
The man whose death certificate said industrial accident.
Except he was standing under Dominic Vale’s mansion.
Older.
Thinner.
Alive.
“No,” I said.
He stopped.
“Clara.”
“Don’t say my name.”
His face flinched.
Good.
I wanted it to hurt.
Dominic moved between us.
“Who are you?”
Thomas looked at him.
“The reason your family is still alive.”
Adrian laughed bitterly.
“That’s rich.”
Thomas looked at him.
“You were supposed to be moved last week.”
“Sorry to inconvenience you.”
I stared at my father.
My childhood returned in broken flashes.
Sunday pancakes.
Cigarette smoke on his jacket.
His rough hands fixing my bicycle chain.
My mother crying after midnight.
Then one day, two police officers.
A closed casket.
A funeral.
Years of poverty.
My mother working until her hands cracked.
All while he had been alive.
“You left us.”
His eyes returned to me.
“I protected you.”
“By making us think you were dead?”
“Yes.”
I slapped him.
Hard.
No one moved.
His cheek reddened.
I wished it had made me feel better.
It didn’t.
“My mother died.”
“I know.”
“You knew?”
His eyes filled.
“Yes.”
“And you stayed dead.”
His jaw trembled.
“I was trying to reach her.”
I laughed.
It came out broken.
“You had twelve years to reach me.”
“Clara—”
“No.”
Dominic looked at Thomas.
“Start explaining.”
Thomas slowly reached into his coat.
Three weapons appeared instantly.
Dominic.
Victor.
A guard at the passage entrance.
Thomas froze.
“USB drive.”
He removed it carefully.
Placed it on a table.
“Everything is there.”
Dominic didn’t touch it.
“What?”
“Financial transfers. Halden’s reports. Marco’s payments. Judges. Officers. Everyone.”
“The ledger?”
“A modern copy.”
I stared at him.
“You had it.”
“Rebecca gave it to me.”
My mother.
“Before she died?”
“Yes.”
“Then why didn’t you expose them?”
His eyes became hollow.
“Because you were still alive.”
I wanted to scream.
“What does that mean?”
“It means Marco knew I had children.”
Children.
Plural.
I frowned.
“I don’t have siblings.”
Thomas closed his eyes.
“No.”
“What?”
“Clara—”
“What did you mean?”
His face broke.
“You had a sister.”
My breath stopped.
“A baby.”
My mother had never told me.
“She died?”
Thomas looked away.
“No.”
I stared.
“Where is she?”
“I don’t know.”
Anger vanished.
Fear took its place.
“What happened?”
“Marco took her.”
Dominic swore quietly.
Thomas continued.
“Your mother was pregnant when she discovered the original ledger. Marco threatened the baby. We tried to disappear.”
“Why fake your death?”
“To draw attention away from Rebecca.”
“And it failed.”
He nodded.
“Marco found her years later.”
My mother died because she kept running from a war I never knew existed.
“What was my sister’s name?”
“Lucy.”
The name felt strange.
And instantly precious.
“Is she alive?”
“I believe so.”
“Why?”
Thomas looked toward Dominic.
“Because Dr. Halden specialized in placing children under false identities.”
Everyone became still.
Noah’s hand slipped into mine.
I looked down.
Children.
False identities.
Medical manipulation.
My little sister might have grown up inside the same network that was now targeting Noah.
Dominic picked up the USB.
“Why appear now?”
“Because Halden is preparing to move Noah tonight.”
Dominic’s face darkened.
“How?”
“With a court order.”
Victor cursed.
Thomas nodded.
“Emergency psychiatric removal. He’ll claim Noah is a danger to himself and others.”
I looked at the bruise forming beneath my ribs.
The injuries to eighteen nannies.
Evidence.
Manufactured or encouraged.
A perfect file.
“And Clara’s injury today gave him the final incident,” Thomas said.
Dominic looked at me.
I understood.
If I said Noah attacked without cause, Halden could use it.
“If I tell the truth?”
Thomas gave a tired smile.
“Then you become inconvenient.”
I almost laughed.
“Apparently I was born inconvenient.”
Dominic handed the USB to Victor.
“Copy everything.”
Thomas shook his head.
“No network.”
“Why?”
“Marco has people watching electronic traffic.”
Victor nodded.
“We make physical copies.”
Dominic turned toward me.
“Stay here with Noah.”
I shook my head.
“I’m testifying.”
“Eventually.”
“Tonight.”
“Clara.”
“If they come with an emergency order, I’m the injured employee. I’m the witness.”
He stared at me.
Thomas said softly, “She’s right.”
Dominic’s look could have cut steel.
Thomas lifted his hands.
“Just saying.”
For one absurd second I almost smiled.
Then Noah pulled my sleeve.
“Clara.”
“What?”
“Lady.”
His eyes pointed toward the passage.
A figure stood there.
Blonde.
White blouse.
Dark coat.
Dominic turned.
The world stopped.
“Elena.”
She looked older than in the photographs.
Thinner.
A scar ran along one temple.
But she was alive.
Noah hid behind me.
Elena’s face crumpled.
“My baby.”
She took one step.
Noah screamed.
“NO!”
She stopped instantly.
Dominic looked as though someone had ripped him open.
“Elena.”
Her eyes lifted to him.
Three years of grief passed silently between them.
I almost turned away.
Then Elena whispered, “I’m sorry.”
Dominic didn’t move.
“Why?”
“I thought you would come after us.”
“I would have.”
“That’s why.”
He laughed once.
Not happily.
“You let me bury you.”
“I was trying to keep Noah alive.”
“You let me think I failed you.”
Tears filled her eyes.
“I know.”
Noah pressed against my leg.
Elena looked at him.
“He doesn’t know me.”
“He knows your picture,” I said softly.
Her face brightened for half a second.
Then broke.
“Does he?”
“Yes.”
“Then why is he afraid?”
No one answered.
Because that question was too painful.
Finally Noah whispered, “Lady says Mommy.”
Elena looked confused.
“What lady?”
I felt cold.
“You aren’t the woman visiting him at night?”
“No.”
Dominic turned sharply.
“The camera.”
Elena shook her head.
“I haven’t been inside this house since the night I left.”
Everyone stared.
Then who had been entering Noah’s room?
Thomas looked at Dominic.
“Halden used women to impersonate family members during conditioning.”
My stomach twisted.
“Conditioning?”
“To alter memory. Create fear associations.”
Dominic’s face went white.
“He was teaching Noah to fear me.”
Thomas nodded.
“And possibly Elena.”
Noah covered his ears.
“Bad man.”
I crouched.
“Halden?”
He nodded.
Elena began crying.
Dominic stepped toward her.
He stopped himself.
She noticed.
And that hurt more than if he had shouted.
Their marriage had survived death.
It might not survive the truth.
A guard ran down the corridor.
“Boss.”
Dominic turned.
“We’ve got vehicles at the gate.”
“How many?”
“Four.”
“Police?”
“County.”
Thomas looked at his watch.
“They’re early.”
“Court order?”
The guard nodded.
“And Dr. Halden is with them.”
Dominic’s expression changed.
The man everyone feared returned.
I grabbed his sleeve.
“No.”
He looked at me.
“If you threaten them, he wins.”
His jaw flexed.
“Then what do you suggest?”
I looked at Noah.
Then the USB.
Then Elena.
“We give him exactly what he wants.”
Everyone stared.
I stood.
“An injured maid.”
I touched my ribs.
“A terrified child.”
Then I looked at Dominic.
“And a father who appears to have lost control.”
Elena understood first.
“You want him to expose himself.”
“Yes.”
Dominic shook his head.
“Too dangerous.”
“So is losing Noah.”
He stared at me.
I held his gaze.
“You asked how I knew Noah was afraid.”
I looked toward the stairs.
“Because frightened people make mistakes when they think they have no choice.”
I took Noah’s hand.
“Tonight, we make Halden think he has won.”
Minutes later, the mansion doors opened.
Dr. Elias Halden entered carrying a leather medical case.
He smiled when he saw the bruise on my side.
And then his eyes landed on me.
His smile disappeared.
May you like
“Rebecca’s daughter,” he whispered.
He had known exactly who I was all along.
