Chapter 9: The Child They Hid
Diane stared at the dead phone in her hand.
Nobody spoke.
The car sat in the middle of the empty road, its headlights cutting through the darkness.
My father's hands remained locked around the steering wheel.
Finally, he turned toward Diane.
"What did he mean?""
She didn't answer.
Dad's voice sharpened.
"Diane.""
She looked at me.
Then at Elena.
Then out the windshield.
"I never knew his name.""
My father's jaw tightened.
"Whose name?""
"The boy.""
My heart pounded.
"What boy?""
Diane swallowed.
"Your mother's second baby.""
Elena shook her head.
"No.""
Diane looked at her.
"I was there.""
"You were never there.""
"I was.""
My mother stared at her.
Diane's voice became quieter.
"The night you were taken, I was at the hospital.""
Elena's face drained of color.
"You saw my babies.""
Diane nodded.
"Both of them.""
The silence inside the car felt suffocating.
I looked at Elena.
"You had twins?""
She nodded slowly.
"I didn't know.""
Dad turned toward her.
"Why didn't you tell me?""
"Because you weren't the father.""
He flinched.
"I know.""
"My doctors told me the pregnancy was complicated. I was terrified.""
She looked at me.
"I knew about you.""
Then she glanced away.
"But I didn't know about the second baby until the delivery.""
Dad whispered, "A boy.""
Elena nodded.
"A boy.""
I stared at the dashboard.
My whole life had been built around being the only child.
Then, in less than an hour, I'd learned I had a sister.
Now I was hearing there had been another brother.
"Where is he?"" I asked.
Diane looked at me.
"I don't know.""
"You said someone knows.""
"I said they took him.""
"Who?""
She closed her eyes.
"Victor.""
My father stared.
"Your uncle?""
"Yes.""
"Why?""
Diane hesitated.
"Because the boy was valuable.""
"He's a child.""
"He was the only one who could inherit the second trust.""
Dad's expression changed.
"What second trust?""
Diane looked at him.
"Your father created it after Daniel was born.""
Dad shook his head.
"My father died before any of this happened.""
"His lawyers didn't.""
She took a breath.
"The trust was divided.""
"Into what?""
"Three shares.""
She held up her fingers.
"One for Daniel. One for Lily. One for the second boy.""
I stared at her.
"You knew about all three.""
"Yes.""
"And you said nothing.""
Diane looked down.
"I was afraid.""
My father's voice became cold.
"You keep saying that.""
"Because it's true.""
"You used fear as an excuse for twelve years.""
"I know.""
Elena leaned forward.
"What's his name?""
Diane went silent.
"What's his name?"" Elena repeated.
"I don't know.""
Elena stared at her.
"You knew he existed.""
"I knew a baby boy was taken.""
"By whom?""
"The hospital.""
My mother's face tightened.
"That's impossible.""
Diane shook her head.
"Your doctor declared him dead.""
Elena froze.
"What?""
"They told you he died.""
"No.""
"They told Mark you lost the second baby.""
My father closed his eyes.
"That's what I was told.""
Elena's voice trembled.
"I never saw his body.""
Diane nodded.
"Because there wasn't one.""
I felt sick.
"You mean he's alive.""
"Yes.""
"Where?""
Diane looked at the phone.
"I don't know exactly.""
"But someone does.""
She nodded.
"The man who called.""
My father started the engine again.
"We're going to London.""
Diane looked at him.
"You can't.""
"I can.""
"They'll kill you.""
"Then they'll have to try.""
He looked at me.
"I'm not leaving you behind.""
Then at Elena.
"And I'm not losing your mother again.""
We drove in silence.
About twenty minutes later, Diane spoke.
"There is an address.""
Dad looked at her through the mirror.
"Where?""
"London.""
"What address?""
"St. Agnes Children's Trust.""
Elena stiffened.
"That's where Lily was.""
Diane nodded.
"Yes.""
Dad frowned.
"Children's trust?""
"It was a foster organization.""
"Is it still operating?""
"No.""
"Why?""
Diane swallowed.
"Because it was never really a charity.""
The road ahead blurred beneath the headlights.
Dad said, "What was it?""
"A placement network.""
"For what?""
"Children whose identities had been erased.""
I felt the blood drain from my face.
"You mean stolen children.""
Diane nodded.
"Yes.""
Elena whispered, "They took my son.""
"And hundreds of others.""
My father slammed his hand against the steering wheel.
"How many?""
"I don't know.""
"Guess.""
"Dozens.""
Elena stared through the windshield.
"Your uncle built an empire from children.""
Diane didn't contradict her.
Suddenly my phone vibrated.
I almost dropped it.
Unknown number.
A message appeared.
*DO NOT GO TO ST. AGNES.*
Another message followed.
*YOUR MOTHER IS NOT TELLING YOU EVERYTHING.*
Then a photograph loaded.
It showed Elena.
Standing outside a hospital.
Holding two newborn babies.
I stared.
One was me.
The other was a baby boy.
I zoomed in.
The boy wore a tiny white bracelet.
A name was written on it.
*NOAH.*
My heart stopped.
"Mom.""
She looked at me.
I turned the phone toward her.
The moment she saw the picture, she covered her mouth.
"Noah.""
Dad looked over.
"What?""
Elena whispered the name again.
"That was his name.""
My father looked at me.
"Who sent this?""
I showed him the number.
Before he could say anything, another message arrived.
*ASK DIANE WHO ADOPTED NOAH.*
I turned around.
Diane had gone completely still.
"You know.""
She stared at the floor.
"Diane.""
She started crying.
"Yes.""
My father pulled the car to the side of the road.
"Who adopted him?""
Diane shook her head.
"I can't.""
"Tell us.""
"They told me never to say.""
"Who?""
She wiped her face.
"Your family.""
Dad stared.
"My family?""
"Your father's brother.""
Victor.
I felt a cold sensation crawl up my spine.
"Victor adopted my brother?""
"No.""
Diane's voice broke.
"He sold him.""
Elena screamed.
"No!""
Dad turned toward Diane.
"To whom?""
Diane hesitated.
"A wealthy family.""
"Which family?""
She looked at me.
"The name is on the adoption papers.""
"Where are they?""
"In London.""
Dad stared ahead.
"We're going there.""
Diane shook her head.
"No.""
"Why?""
"Because they know we're coming.""
"We already knew that.""
"No.""
She leaned forward.
"They're not waiting for us at St. Agnes.""
"Then where?""
"At the house.""
Dad's eyes narrowed.
"What house?""
"The house where Noah grew up.""
Elena stared at her.
"You know where he is.""
Diane nodded.
"Yes.""
"Where?""
Diane looked toward me.
"He's not far.""
My heart started racing.
"How far?""
She whispered,
"Three streets from your school.""
I couldn't speak.
Dad looked at her in the mirror.
"Are you saying my brother has been living there all these years?""
"Yes.""
"Under what name?""
Diane closed her eyes.
"Noah was never called Noah.""
"What was he called?""
She opened her eyes.
"Daniel.""
The world seemed to stop.
Dad turned around so quickly the car drifted toward the shoulder.
"What?""
Diane began sobbing.
"They gave him your name.""
Elena stared at her.
"Why?""
"Because they wanted to make sure nobody would ever know there were two children.""
I looked at my father.
"Then who am I?""
Diane shook her head.
"Daniel Carter.""
"Then who is he?""
She whispered,
"Daniel Reed.""
My father's face went pale.
Reed.
Thomas Reed.
Ethan had said the name before.
I looked at the phone again.
The photograph of the babies seemed different now.
My brother had the same eyes.
The same scar.
The same birthmark on his left wrist.
I touched my own wrist.
A small crescent-shaped mark.
My mother saw it.
Then she grabbed my hand.
"Oh my God.""
"What?""
She turned my wrist over.
"His twin had the same mark.""
Dad looked at her.
"Twins can share that.""
Elena shook her head.
"Not this.""
"What do you mean?""
Her eyes filled with tears.
"The doctor said the mark wasn't genetic.""
I stared.
"Then what was it?""
"A tiny ink dot.""
She pointed to the photograph.
"It was placed on both babies.""
"Why?""
Elena's voice dropped.
"So they could tell them apart.""
I felt sick.
"They needed to know which child belonged to which trust.""
Nobody spoke.
Then my phone rang.
Unknown number.
Dad reached for it.
I answered first.
"Hello?""
Static.
Then a boy's voice.
Young.
Maybe twelve or thirteen.
My age when I remembered being alone in the kitchen.
"Daniel?""
I froze.
"Who is this?""
The boy breathed shakily.
"My name is Daniel.""
My heart slammed against my ribs.
He continued.
"They told me never to call you.""
My mother began crying before I even told her who was on the phone.
"Where are you?"" I whispered.
A pause.
Then:
"At home.""
"Where?""
He gave me an address.
It was three streets from my school.
The same neighborhood I'd walked through hundreds of times.
The same neighborhood where I'd bought candy after class.
The same neighborhood where someone had been watching me.
I asked, "Are you alone?""
"No.""
"Who is with you?""
Silence.
Then the boy whispered,
"The man who says he's my father.""
My father closed his eyes.
"What is his name?"" I asked.
The boy answered.
"Mark Carter.""
My stomach dropped.
I looked at my father.
He had gone completely white.
The boy on the phone continued,
"But I don't think he's my father.""
Then, in the background, a man's voice shouted,
"Who are you talking to?""
The call went dead.
Dad immediately started the car.
Elena grabbed his arm.
"Where are you going?""
"Home.""
"Mark, no.""
He stared at the road.
"That boy is three streets away.""
Diane whispered from the back seat,
"Don't go there.""
Dad's voice was cold.
"Why?""
She looked at me.
"Because if the boy really is your brother...""
She swallowed.
"...then someone has spent twelve years making sure neither of you discovers the other.""
My father's foot pressed harder against the accelerator.
And for the first time, I wondered whether the greatest secret in our family wasn't who my biological father was.
It was who had been pretending to be my brother's father.
Because somebody had taken my brother.
Given him my name.
Placed him three streets away.
May you like
And somehow—
that person knew exactly when I would finally find him.
