Chapter 7: The Daughter Who Was Stolen
"Say that again.""
My voice sounded unfamiliar, even to me.
On the other end of the phone, Patricia Reed remained silent for several seconds.
"Mr. Hayes, I know this is difficult to believe.""
"Then help me understand. You just told me my wife was a daughter Thomas Reed spent thirty years trying to find. What does that mean?""
"It means Claire was taken from him when she was an infant.""
I looked toward Maya.
She was sitting on the living room floor, arranging colored pencils into little piles.
I lowered my voice.
"Taken by whom?""
"Your mother.""
I closed my eyes.
"Why would Eleanor do something like that?""
"Because she was involved with Thomas before he married Claire's biological mother. When that relationship ended, Eleanor discovered something that changed everything.""
"What?""
"Thomas had become engaged to another woman. They were expecting a child together. Eleanor was furious.""
Patricia paused.
"She believed Thomas had chosen another woman over her. She also knew he had considerable money.""
I gripped the phone.
"You're saying my mother stole a baby because of money?""
"I'm saying there was an incident at the hospital. The records were altered. A baby was reported deceased, but the child was actually taken away.""
I felt cold.
"Was that baby Claire?""
"Yes.""
I walked into the hallway.
"How do you know?""
"Because I helped Thomas investigate it.""
Patricia explained that she had worked for Thomas Reed for nearly twenty years. After his wife died, he had become obsessed with finding his missing daughter.
He hired investigators.
He contacted hospitals.
He searched through old adoption records.
And eventually, he found a discrepancy in a hospital's birth register.
A child listed as deceased had been transferred into another family's care.
That family was Eleanor's.
My mother.
"Why didn't Thomas go to the police?"" I asked.
"He tried. But the original records had disappeared. Eleanor had connections, and the hospital had already closed. Without reliable evidence, the case went nowhere.""
"What happened next?""
"He found Claire when she was an adult.""
I stopped walking.
"What?""
"Thomas met her. He arranged a private DNA test. The results confirmed she was his biological daughter.""
My mind raced.
"Did Claire know?""
"Eventually. She was devastated. She didn't know what to believe.""
I thought about the night Claire had shown me the photograph of her supposed father.
She had said very little about her childhood.
Whenever I asked about Eleanor, she changed the subject.
I had assumed she simply preferred keeping family history private.
Now I wondered how much pain she had carried alone.
"Patricia, why are you calling me now?""
"Because I received a letter from Claire shortly before she died.""
"What did it say?""
"She asked me to wait until someone challenged Maya's inheritance or questioned her parentage.""
I glanced at the documents on my desk.
"That's happened.""
"I know. I've been following the court filings.""
Patricia's voice became unsteady.
"There's something else you need to know. Claire left a recording with me. It contains a conversation between her and Eleanor.""
"What conversation?""
"The one where your mother admits what happened at the hospital.""
My knees felt weak.
"Do you have it?""
"Yes.""
"Can you send it to me?""
"Not yet.""
"Why not?""
"Because Claire specifically asked me to deliver it in person, together with the original hospital documents.""
I clenched my jaw.
"When?""
"Tomorrow afternoon. There's an old property Thomas owned outside Boston. Claire asked me to meet you there.""
"Why there?""
"Because that's where Thomas kept the evidence.""
After ending the call, I sat in my office for almost an hour.
I couldn't stop thinking about my mother.
The woman who had baked birthday cakes for me.
The woman who had held me when I fell off my bicycle.
The woman who had attended my wedding and cried during the vows.
Had she really stolen a baby?
Had she spent thirty years pretending that someone else's child was her own?
And had she allowed Vanessa to attack Maya because she wanted to protect a lie?
My phone vibrated.
A message from Vanessa.
*Vanessa:* We need to meet. Alone. No lawyers.
I stared at it.
Then another message appeared.
*Vanessa:* I know Patricia Reed contacted you.
I sat up.
How did Vanessa know?
Before I could respond, she called.
"Did you talk to Patricia?"" she demanded.
"Why?""
"Marcus, please. Just answer me.""
"Yes.""
A long silence followed.
Then Vanessa whispered:
"Don't go to that property tomorrow.""
I felt my pulse quicken.
"Why?""
"Because you don't understand what you're getting into.""
"Then explain it.""
"Mom has been trying to protect us.""
"Protect us from what? The truth?""
Vanessa's voice cracked.
"From losing everything.""
I stared at the wall.
"Everything that belongs to Maya?""
"You're twisting my words.""
"Did you know Claire was Thomas Reed's daughter?""
Silence.
Then:
"Yes.""
I closed my eyes.
"Did you know my mother took her from her biological family?""
Vanessa began crying.
"Marcus, please.""
I had never heard my sister cry like that.
Not when our father died.
Not when she went through her divorce.
Not even when she lost her job years earlier.
"Tell me the truth," I said.
She sniffed.
"Mom told me Claire wasn't supposed to inherit anything. She said Thomas had abandoned her and that Claire had stolen our family's future.""
"Your family?""
"I was his daughter too!""
"No, Vanessa. You were his biological daughter. But that doesn't give you the right to steal from Maya.""
She suddenly became angry.
"You don't understand! Mom promised me that one day I would receive what was mine.""
"And what did Claire promise Maya?""
Vanessa didn't answer.
I continued.
"She promised her a future. One you and Mom are trying to destroy.""
Then I ended the call.
The next afternoon, I drove to Thomas Reed's old property.
It was a large stone house surrounded by tall trees and an iron fence. The driveway was cracked, and the garden had grown wild.
Patricia was waiting beside the front entrance.
She was in her late sixties, with short white hair and a leather folder tucked under one arm.
"Mr. Hayes?""
"Marcus, please.""
She shook my hand.
"I'm sorry for everything your family has put you through.""
I looked at the house.
"Show me what Claire left.""
Inside, the property smelled of old wood and dust.
Patricia led me into a study.
A large portrait of Thomas Reed hung above the fireplace.
He had Claire's eyes.
The resemblance was unmistakable.
Patricia placed several folders on the desk.
"Thomas kept everything here. Hospital correspondence, photographs, legal statements, and the original DNA results.""
I opened the first folder.
There were photographs of a hospital.
A woman holding a newborn.
A handwritten note.
And a birth certificate.
The mother's name was Margaret Reed.
The child's name was Claire Margaret Reed.
I stared at the document.
"Is this her original birth certificate?""
"Yes.""
Patricia nodded.
"And this is the document Eleanor used to register her under a different identity.""
She handed me another certificate.
The date was identical.
But the mother's name was Eleanor Hayes.
I felt my stomach turn.
"She changed Claire's identity.""
"Yes.""
I picked up the final envelope.
It contained a photograph of a much younger Eleanor standing beside Thomas Reed.
On the back, someone had written:
The night everything changed.
Patricia placed a small recorder on the desk.
"This is the conversation Claire recorded.""
She pressed play.
My mother's voice filled the room.
"I did what I had to do, Thomas.""
Then another voice.
Claire.
"You stole me from my mother.""
Eleanor responded without hesitation.
"I gave you a home.""
"You gave me a lie!""
The recording crackled.
Then my mother's voice became quieter.
"You have no idea what I sacrificed to raise you.""
Claire replied:
"You sacrificed another woman's daughter.""
The recording stopped.
I stared at the machine.
Then Patricia placed one final document in front of me.
It was a letter from Thomas Reed.
The first sentence read:
To my granddaughter, Maya, who deserves to know why her grandmother tried to erase her mother.
I looked up.
"There's more?""
Patricia nodded.
"Much more.""
Then she pointed to the final paragraph.
"Your father was involved in this investigation too, Marcus.""
I read the words.
And suddenly, I understood why Robert had said my father knew something about Maya before she was born.
May you like
Because the letter revealed that my father had discovered the truth years before Claire did.
And he had been secretly collecting evidence against Eleanor.
