Chapter 10: The Boy Vanessa Called Her Son
I didn't wait for Rebecca to finish speaking.
I grabbed my keys and ran toward the front door.
“Marcus, stop!”” she called.
“Vanessa is at my daughter's school!””
“The principal has already contacted the police. Don't go there alone.””
I turned.
“My daughter is twelve years old. A woman who has been threatening her is trying to collect her belongings. I'm not sitting here waiting.””
Olivia stood beside the kitchen counter, gripping the photograph of baby Samuel.
“Marcus, if Samuel is with her, there's something you need to know.””
I stopped.
“What?””
Olivia looked toward the children upstairs.
“Samuel isn't Vanessa's biological son.””
I frowned.
“You just told me he was.””
“He was raised as her son. But the adoption records were never finalized.””
Rebecca immediately opened her laptop.
“Where did you get that information?””
“From Claire. She discovered it while investigating Vanessa's financial records.””
Olivia placed the photograph on the table.
“Samuel was born to Vanessa's former business partner. His parents died shortly after his birth. Vanessa arranged to become his guardian.””
“Why?””
“Because the child's grandparents had established an inheritance.””
I stared at her.
“Another inheritance?””
Olivia nodded.
“And Claire discovered that Vanessa had been using the boy's identity to access the money.””
I felt sick.
“How much?””
“About two million dollars.””
Rebecca looked up.
“Do you have evidence?””
Olivia reached into her bag and pulled out a small notebook.
“Claire kept copies of everything.””
I glanced at the clock.
We were running out of time.
“I'm going to the school.””
Rebecca stood.
“I'm coming with you.””
When we arrived, two police officers were already outside the school administration building.
The principal met us at the entrance.
“Mr. Reynolds, I'm relieved you're here.””
“Where is Maya?””
“She's safe. She's in the counselor's office with her brother.””
I exhaled.
“And Vanessa?””
The principal looked uncomfortable.
“She left before the officers arrived.””
“Did she take Samuel?””
“No. The little boy is still here.””
I turned toward the hallway.
A small boy was sitting on a bench beside the school counselor.
He looked about six years old.
Dark hair.
Brown eyes.
A blue jacket that was too large for his shoulders.
He was holding a stuffed rabbit.
I approached slowly.
“Hi. I'm Marcus.””
The boy looked up.
“Are you Maya's dad?””
“Yes.””
He glanced toward the counselor.
“Vanessa said you were going to take me away.””
I crouched in front of him.
“What's your name?””
“Samuel.””
“Do you know where Vanessa went?””
He nodded.
“She said she had to get something from a house.””
“What house?””
He shook his head.
“She said it was where my real mommy used to live.””
My heart tightened.
I looked at Rebecca.
She was already speaking quietly with the officers.
Then Samuel reached into his jacket and pulled out a folded piece of paper.
“Vanessa told me not to show anybody this.””
I opened it.
It was a photograph of a woman holding a baby.
The woman was smiling.
The baby wore a blue blanket.
On the back, someone had written:
*For Samuel. Your mother loved you more than anything.*
I looked at the boy.
“Who gave you this?””
“Vanessa.””
“Did she tell you who the woman was?””
Samuel shook his head.
“She said I shouldn't ask.””
I looked at the photograph again.
The woman wasn't Vanessa.
It was someone else.
Someone I recognized from Claire's old family photographs.
A woman named Emily Whitmore.
Paul Whitmore's younger sister.
I looked at Olivia.
She had followed us into the hallway.
When she saw the photograph, her face changed.
“Oh, my God.””
“What?””
Olivia knelt beside Samuel.
“Sweetheart, do you know who Emily is?””
Samuel nodded.
“She used to visit me.””
“Where?””
“At my old house.””
Olivia covered her mouth.
Then she looked at me.
“Emily was Paul's sister. She died giving birth to Samuel.””
I stared at the boy.
“Then why did Vanessa tell everyone she was his mother?””
Olivia's voice shook.
“Because Emily's parents left an inheritance for him. Vanessa was named his temporary guardian.””
I looked at Rebecca.
“Temporary?””
Rebecca nodded slowly.
“If the guardianship was never finalized, Vanessa may have been acting outside her legal authority.””
Samuel looked between us.
“Am I in trouble?””
I shook my head.
“No, buddy. You haven't done anything wrong.””
He hugged the stuffed rabbit.
“Can I stay with Maya?””
I looked toward the counselor's office.
“Yes.””
For the first time that morning, I felt something other than anger.
I felt pity.
This little boy had been dragged into a battle he didn't understand.
Just like my children.
An hour later, the police located Vanessa's vehicle outside Claire's old family home.
The property was in Vermont.
It had been empty for years, but the front gate had been opened recently.
I looked at Rebecca.
“Why would she go there?””
Olivia answered before the lawyer could speak.
“Because that's where Claire kept the original estate documents.””
I felt my stomach tighten.
“Are they still there?””
“I don't know.””
Rebecca contacted the local authorities and arranged for officers to secure the property.
Then her phone rang.
She listened.
Her expression changed.
“What happened?”” I asked.
“Someone entered the house.””
“Vanessa?””
“The officers believe so.””
“Did they find her?””
“No.””
I looked toward the school counselor's office.
Maya was sitting beside Noah.
Samuel had joined them.
The three children were quietly drawing on a piece of paper.
I wondered how many more lies they would have to survive.
Then Rebecca spoke again.
“Marcus, the officers found something in Claire's bedroom.””
“What?””
“A hidden compartment behind the wardrobe.””
She paused.
“Inside was a second safe.””
I felt my pulse quicken.
“What's inside?””
Rebecca looked directly at me.
“An original birth certificate.””
I frowned.
“Whose?””
She hesitated.
“Samuel's.””
I looked at the boy.
Then at the photograph.
Something was wrong.
Because if Samuel's birth certificate had been hidden in Claire's bedroom, Claire had known far more about the boy than anyone had admitted.
And there was another name on the document.
Not Vanessa's.
Not Paul's.
The name of the person listed as Samuel's biological father.
May you like
*Daniel Reynolds.*
My brother.
