Chapter 5: What They Stole
I turned around slowly.
Daniel was standing in the nursery doorway.
His face had gone gray.
“You knew my mother was alive.””
It wasn't a question.
Daniel said nothing.
I stepped toward him.
“You knew.””
“Grace—”
“You knew!””
My voice cracked through the room.
The officer immediately stepped between us.
“Mr. Hale, don't move.””
Daniel raised his hands.
“I wasn't going to hurt her.””
“You've done enough.””
I looked at Claire.
“She said my baby isn't the only thing he stole.””
Claire nodded.
“She was talking about your past.””
“My past?””
Claire looked at Daniel.
“Tell her.””
Daniel shook his head.
“No.””
Claire's expression hardened.
“Then I will.””
She walked to the dresser and opened the bottom drawer.
Inside was a wooden box.
She lifted it out.
The box was old.
Its brass clasp was scratched.
She placed it on the changing table.
“This belonged to your mother.””
I stared at it.
“How did you get it?””
“She gave it to me.””
“When?””
“Two years ago.””
My eyes narrowed.
“Two years ago?””
Claire nodded.
“The same month I came here.””
I remembered that day.
Claire at the gate.
Rain pouring down.
Vanessa furious.
I had thought they were arguing about money.
I had been wrong.
Claire opened the box.
Inside were letters.
Photographs.
A hospital wristband.
And a cassette tape.
I stared at the tape.
“What's that?””
“Your mother's voice.””
My throat tightened.
The officer looked at Claire.
“Do you have a player?””
Claire nodded.
“In the study.””
Daniel immediately said, “No.””
The officer looked at him.
“Why?””
“Because those recordings are private.””
“Private isn't the same as illegal.””
Daniel looked away.
Claire carried the box downstairs.
We entered the study.
It was a room I had cleaned hundreds of times.
I had dusted Daniel's bookshelves.
Polished his desk.
Emptied his trash.
I had never once imagined that the room contained evidence of my own life.
Claire placed the cassette into an old player.
Static filled the room.
Then a woman's voice came through.
My mother's voice.
I hadn't heard it in twelve years.
But I knew it instantly.
“Grace, if you're hearing this, I'm sorry.””
My knees weakened.
I grabbed the edge of the desk.
Her voice continued.
“I don't know whether you'll ever hear this. But if you do, it means Daniel failed to erase everything.””
Daniel closed his eyes.
My mother continued.
“You were seventeen when I discovered what he was doing.””
I looked at him.
“He came to our house asking about your sister.””
My heart stopped.
“What sister?””
Claire whispered, “Listen.””
The recording continued.
“Your father had already disappeared. I thought Daniel knew where he was.””
I covered my mouth.
“But Daniel wasn't looking for him.””
Static crackled.
“He was looking for your daughter.””
My entire body went cold.
The officer looked at me.
“My daughter?””
My mother's voice answered from the tape.
“Yes, Grace. You were pregnant.””
I shook my head.
“No.””
Claire put a hand on my shoulder.
“You were seventeen.””
I backed away.
“No.””
Daniel spoke softly.
“Grace…”
I turned on him.
“Don't say my name.””
He stopped.
The tape continued.
“You gave birth to a baby girl. Daniel arranged for her to be taken from the hospital.””
Tears blurred my vision.
“No.””
“He told the hospital you had died during delivery.””
My hand flew to my mouth.
The room spun.
“And when you woke up, they gave you medication that caused severe memory loss. Daniel told everyone you had suffered a traumatic breakdown.””
Claire was crying now.
I looked at her.
“You knew?””
“I found out years later.””
“And you didn't tell me?””
“I tried.””
“When?””
“Every time I got close, Daniel threatened my family.””
Daniel slammed his fist against the desk.
“That's enough.””
The officer grabbed his arm.
“Sit down.””
My mother's voice continued.
“He took your baby because she was a perfect match for someone.””
“For who?””
The recording crackled.
Then my mother's voice became barely audible.
“A wealthy man named Richard Vale.””
Claire's eyes widened.
I looked at her.
“Who is Richard Vale?””
She shook her head.
“I don't know.””
Daniel did.
He looked toward the window.
The officer noticed.
“You know him?””
Daniel remained silent.
The officer repeated, “Who is Richard Vale?””
Finally, Daniel answered.
“An investor.””
Claire laughed.
“He was more than that.””
Daniel glared at her.
“Don't.””
“He funded the entire operation.””
“What operation?”” I asked.
Claire opened another folder.
Inside were photographs.
Doctors.
Nurses.
Hospital administrators.
And Daniel.
Always Daniel.
Standing beside newborn babies.
Signing papers.
Receiving envelopes.
My hands shook as I picked up one photograph.
A baby was lying in a hospital bassinet.
The photograph had been taken twelve years earlier.
There was a name written underneath.
*Baby Girl Brooks.*
My heart stopped.
“That's her.””
Claire nodded.
“That's Emma.””
I looked closer.
The baby had a tiny birthmark near her left ear.
Emma had the same mark.
But something didn't make sense.
“If Emma was my daughter…”
Claire interrupted.
“She isn't the baby Daniel gave Vanessa.””
“What?””
Claire pulled out another photograph.
A different newborn.
Same hospital.
Same date.
Same surname.
But the birthmark was missing.
I stared at the two photographs.
“Then who is Emma?””
Claire's voice shook.
“That is what Daniel has been trying to hide.””
Daniel stood suddenly.
“Stop.””
The officer pushed him back.
“Sit.””
“No.””
Daniel looked at me.
“You don't understand what happens if this gets out.””
“I don't care.””
“You should.””
“Why?””
“Because Richard Vale is dead.””
Claire went silent.
The officer frowned.
“When did he die?””
“Three years ago.””
I looked at Claire.
She slowly shook her head.
“That's impossible.””
Daniel's eyes narrowed.
“You know something.””
“I know he called me last week.””
My blood ran cold.
The officer stared at her.
“You spoke to Richard Vale last week?””
Claire nodded.
“On the phone.””
Daniel whispered, “He isn't dead.””
Claire looked at him.
“Exactly.””
Silence.
Then my mother's voice came from the cassette again.
A sentence none of us had expected.
“Grace, if Richard is still alive, never let him see Emma.””
The tape clicked.
Finished.
I looked toward the door.
“Where is Emma?””
The officer answered immediately.
“At the hospital.””
I grabbed my coat.
“I need to go.””
Claire followed.
“So do I.””
Daniel shouted after us.
“You don't know what you're walking into!””
I stopped.
“Neither do you.””
Then I left.
But halfway down the driveway, my phone rang again.
This time, it wasn't my mother's number.
It was the hospital.
I answered.
“Hello?””
A nurse's voice trembled.
“Ms. Brooks?””
“Yes.””
“You need to come immediately.””
“Is Emma okay?””
There was a pause.
“No.””
My heart stopped.
“What happened?””
The nurse whispered:
“Someone just came into her room claiming to be her father.””
I looked back at the Hale house.
Daniel was standing in the window.
Watching me.
May you like
And beside him stood Vanessa.
Neither of them looked surprised.
