Chapter 10: The Baby in Her Arms
“Isaiah is right here!””
Vanessa's scream tore through the house.
The officer froze.
Marcus looked from the baby in Vanessa's arms to the officer.
“What did you just say?””
The officer lowered his weapon slightly.
“We found a body at the old boathouse.””
Vanessa clutched Isaiah against her chest.
“That isn't my son.””
Marcus stepped between them.
“Then whose body?””
The officer glanced at the woman on the staircase.
“We don't know yet.””
Marcus looked at his mother.
She had gone completely still.
“You knew.””
She shook her head.
“No.””
“You knew there was a body.””
“I knew there might be.””
Derrick suddenly rushed toward the back door.
The officer grabbed him.
“Don't move.””
Derrick fought against the officer's grip.
“You don't understand!””
“Put your hands where I can see them.””
Derrick stopped struggling.
His eyes found Marcus.
“Your mother set me up.””
Marcus stared.
“What?””
“She knew the police were coming.””
His mother spoke calmly.
“Derrick, enough.””
“No!””
He pointed at her.
“She gave them my name.””
The officer looked at Derrick.
“We have evidence connecting you to the boathouse.””
Derrick laughed bitterly.
“Of course you do.””
Marcus stepped closer.
“What evidence?””
The officer reached into his jacket.
“A bloodied jacket.””
Marcus looked at Derrick.
Derrick shook his head.
“Not mine.””
“A set of fingerprints.””
“Not mine.””
“And a video.””
Derrick went silent.
Marcus's eyes narrowed.
“What video?””
The officer looked at him.
“Security footage from the night Robert Carter died.””
Marcus felt his pulse jump.
“Play it.””
The officer hesitated.
“It's complicated.””
“Play it.””
The officer pulled out his phone.
The video began.
Robert's study.
The timestamp showed 12:21 a.m.
Robert was alive.
Derrick stood across from him.
Vanessa was near the door.
Then another person entered.
Marcus leaned toward the screen.
His mother.
She walked directly toward Robert.
Marcus whispered, “That's impossible.””
His mother closed her eyes.
On the recording, Robert pointed at her.
“You promised me you'd stay away.””
She answered:
“You should have given me the documents.””
Robert shook his head.
“They belong to Marcus.””
“No.””
“They belong to the children.””
His mother stepped closer.
“They belong to the family.””
Derrick looked between them.
“What are you doing here?””
She turned toward him.
“You ruined everything.””
Derrick backed away.
Robert reached for the phone.
His mother grabbed it first.
Vanessa moved forward.
“Please. Just let him call Marcus.””
His mother slapped Vanessa.
Marcus's face hardened.
Then Robert suddenly collapsed.
Vanessa screamed.
Derrick ran toward him.
The recording ended.
Marcus stared at the screen.
“That doesn't show who killed him.””
The officer nodded.
“No.””
“Then why arrest Derrick?””
“Because we found his blood in the boathouse.””
Derrick shook his head.
“I was there.””
Marcus turned.
“What?””
“I went there after your father died.””
“Why?””
“To find the recording.””
Marcus stared at him.
“You knew about it?””
“Yes.””
“And the body?””
Derrick swallowed.
“I found it.””
Whispers spread through the room.
Marcus stepped closer.
“Whose body?””
Derrick looked toward his mother.
“Rachel's.””
Evelyn gasped.
Marcus turned.
“Rachel?””
Derrick nodded.
“She wasn't killed six years ago.””
Evelyn began shaking.
“She was.””
“No.””
Derrick pointed toward the floor.
“She was kept alive.””
Marcus felt cold.
“By who?””
Derrick looked at his mother.
“She locked Rachel away.””
Marcus stared at the woman on the staircase.
“Why?””
His mother finally spoke.
“Because Rachel had the recording.””
“The recording of what?””
“Everything.””
Marcus's voice cracked.
“Everything what?””
His mother looked at him.
“The Carter family had been laundering money for years.””
Silence.
“Your father discovered it.””
She continued.
“Rachel discovered it before he did.””
Marcus looked at Vanessa.
“And Vanessa?””
“She found Rachel.””
“How?””
“Because your father asked her to.””
Marcus's eyes widened.
“So Vanessa really was protecting people.””
His mother nodded.
“Yes.””
Vanessa cried silently.
Marcus looked at her.
“Why didn't you tell me?””
Vanessa's voice trembled.
“Because every time I tried, someone threatened Lily.””
Marcus looked down at his daughter.
Lily was standing behind the officer, clutching his hand.
Then Marcus noticed something.
Her flower basket.
The same basket she had carried down the wedding aisle.
He remembered what she had said.
She had promised Vanessa.
But she had never said what she was carrying.
Marcus crouched.
“Lily, what's in the basket?””
Lily looked frightened.
“A present.””
“For me?””
She nodded.
Marcus opened it.
Beneath the white flowers was a tiny black recorder.
His father's initials were scratched into the side.
RC.
Marcus pressed the button.
Robert's voice filled the room.
“If Marcus is hearing this, then I failed.””
Marcus closed his eyes.
Robert continued.
“Vanessa, you were right. I should have told him.””
Vanessa covered her mouth.
“I was wrong to hide the truth.””
The recording crackled.
“But there is one thing none of them knows.””
Marcus looked up.
His mother went pale.
Robert's voice continued.
“Isaiah is not Derrick's son.””
Derrick froze.
Vanessa stared at the baby.
Marcus whispered, “Then whose child is he?””
The recording continued.
“He is Marcus's.””
Marcus stopped breathing.
Vanessa's eyes filled with tears.
She whispered, “I tried to tell you.””
Marcus stared at her.
“But the dates…”
“Your father changed the hospital records.””
Marcus shook his head.
“Why?””
“To protect you.””
Derrick suddenly laughed.
“No.””
Robert's voice continued.
“Vanessa became pregnant with Marcus's child before she met Derrick again.””
Marcus stared at Vanessa.
“Then why marry Derrick?””
“Because he found out.””
Derrick stepped forward.
“He wasn't supposed to know.””
The officer grabbed him.
Derrick fought.
“She's lying!””
Vanessa shouted back.
“You threatened to kill him!””
“I was protecting my family!””
“You kidnapped my son!””
“He is my nephew!””
Marcus looked at the baby.
His son.
His heart broke open.
He reached for Isaiah.
Vanessa slowly handed him over.
Marcus held the baby against his chest.
Isaiah opened his eyes.
Marcus began crying.
For the first time that day, he smiled.
Then the officer's radio crackled.
“Detective, we have confirmation.””
The officer listened.
His expression changed.
“What?””
He looked toward Marcus.
“The body at the boathouse has been identified.””
Marcus's smile disappeared.
“Who?””
The officer swallowed.
“Rachel Carter.””
Evelyn covered her face.
Marcus looked at his mother.
“You said she was alive.””
His mother shook her head.
“She was.””
“When did she die?””
His mother didn't answer.
The officer did.
“Three days ago.””
Marcus stared.
“Three days?””
The officer nodded.
“We found a recording beside the body.””
“What recording?””
“A confession.””
Marcus looked at Vanessa.
The officer continued.
“Rachel named the person who ordered her imprisonment.””
Marcus turned toward his mother.
She was crying now.
But then she smiled.
Not sadly.
Almost peacefully.
Marcus stepped backward.
“What?””
His mother whispered:
“Rachel wasn't the person who had the recording.””
She looked at Vanessa.
“She was.””
Vanessa's face went white.
Marcus tightened his grip around Isaiah.
“What does that mean?””
His mother smiled again.
“It means the confession you just heard wasn't Rachel's.””
The officer suddenly reached for his weapon.
Vanessa took one step backward.
Derrick stopped fighting.
Evelyn whispered, “Oh God.””
Marcus looked at the recorder in his hand.
The light was still blinking.
Then a final voice came through the speaker.
Not Robert.
Not Rachel.
Not Vanessa.
A man's voice.
Calm.
Familiar.
“Marcus, if you're hearing this, I'm sorry.””
Marcus's blood turned cold.
He knew that voice.
It belonged to his father.
But Robert had been dead for four years.
The recording continued.
“The woman standing in front of you is not your mother.””
Marcus slowly looked up.
The woman on the staircase stopped smiling.
May you like
And for the first time, everyone in the room understood that the wedding had never been the beginning of the story.
It had been the trap.
