Chapter 7: The Woman Behind the Window
Andrew stared at the photograph as if the woman inside it might disappear if he blinked.
His thumb moved across the screen, enlarging her face.
“That's her,” he whispered.
“That's my mother.””
Margaret stepped closer.
“Andrew, are you certain?””
He nodded.
“I've seen that face in every dream I've had since I was a child.””
I watched him struggle to breathe.
For years, he had believed his mother was dead. Now someone was telling him she was alive, but threatening to kill her if he continued searching.
Helen Carter's warning suddenly echoed in my mind.
Don't remove anything without documenting it.
I grabbed my phone and photographed the message.
“Andrew, we need to call the police.””
He shook his head.
“Not yet.””
“Someone just threatened your mother's life!””
“And if they're watching her, calling the police might make them move her.””
He was right about one thing.
We had no idea who was behind the message.
I turned toward Margaret.
“Do you recognize the facility?””
She examined the photograph.
Then her expression changed.
“Silver Pines.””
Andrew looked at her.
“How do you know?””
“I used to visit someone there.””
“Who?””
Margaret hesitated.
“Richard's sister. She was admitted years ago.””
Andrew frowned.
“My father had a sister?””
Margaret nodded.
“Her name was Eleanor. She died several years ago.””
I looked back at the photograph.
“Then how could Catherine be there?””
Margaret's face went pale.
“Because Eleanor's family paid for several private rooms at Silver Pines. Richard controlled the payments.””
Andrew immediately grabbed his coat.
“Take me there.””
Helen, who had been reviewing the documents, stepped between him and the door.
“Absolutely not.””
“That's my mother.””
“And someone has just threatened her. You cannot walk into that facility without a plan.””
Andrew slammed his hand against the table.
“She's been missing for twenty-five years!””
“I understand that.””
“No, you don't!””
His voice cracked.
“You don't understand what it's like to spend your entire childhood believing your mother chose to leave you.””
The room went quiet.
I reached for his hand.
“Andrew.””
He looked at me.
“She's still alive. That's what matters now.””
Helen took out her phone.
“I'm contacting the authorities. We'll request an immediate welfare check and arrange legal access to her records.””
Andrew reluctantly sat down.
While Helen made the call, I examined the photograph again.
Something bothered me.
The woman was sitting beside a window, wearing a blue cardigan. Behind her was a small table with a glass vase.
There was a clock on the wall.
The time displayed was 3:15.
But the photograph's digital details showed it had been taken at 9:42 that morning.
I pointed it out.
“Look at this.””
Andrew leaned over.
“What?””
“The clock. It's showing the wrong time.””
Margaret examined the image.
“Maybe it's broken.””
“Possibly.””
I enlarged the photograph.
There was something else.
A small whiteboard behind the woman's chair.
Three words were written on it.
*ROOM 214. EAST.*
Andrew stood immediately.
“That's her room number.””
Helen ended her call.
“The police are sending someone to check the facility. We're not going anywhere until they arrive.””
Andrew paced across the storage unit.
I looked through the remaining documents from Box 17.
At the bottom was a folded invoice.
Silver Pines Residential Care.
Monthly payment: $8,500.
The account holder was D&R Capital.
The most recent payment had been made two days earlier.
I handed it to Helen.
“Someone is still paying for her room.””
Helen examined the invoice.
“That's useful.””
Then she noticed the account number.
“Wait.””
She pulled out her laptop and compared it with the financial statements.
“This account was established using funds from Bennett Family Holdings.””
I looked at her.
“So my grandmother's money has been paying for Catherine's care?””
“Apparently.””
Andrew stared at the paper.
“My mother was being kept alive with money stolen from her own family.””
Nobody spoke.
An hour later, two officers arrived.
They reviewed the threatening message, photographed the documents, and asked Andrew several questions.
One officer, a woman named Detective Harris, examined the photograph.
“Have you contacted anyone at Silver Pines?””
“No,” Andrew answered.
“Good. We don't want to alert whoever sent this message.””
She turned to Helen.
“We're arranging a discreet welfare check. But I need to be clear. If the woman is being held against her will, we need enough evidence to act.””
Andrew nodded.
“Tell me what you need.””
Detective Harris looked at the documents.
“Everything.””
Helen handed over copies.
While they worked, my phone vibrated.
A message from Derek.
I know where you are. Come home before this becomes something neither of us can fix.
I stared at it.
Then another message appeared.
And bring the ledger.
I showed Helen.
She read it carefully.
“Do not respond.””
But I couldn't help asking.
“Can he actually take the company?””
“Not legally without your authorization. But he can create enough confusion to delay the transfer. That's probably why he's trying to establish that you're mentally unfit.””
Margaret looked furious.
“He's trying to have his own wife declared incompetent after she gave birth?””
Helen nodded.
“And if he succeeds in obtaining an emergency order before Friday, he may gain temporary control over the estate.””
I looked down at my daughter, who was sleeping in her carrier.
“He won't.””
Helen met my eyes.
“Then we need to move quickly.””
Detective Harris returned from the hallway.
“We've reached Silver Pines.””
Andrew stood.
“And?””
The detective paused.
“The facility confirms that a woman matching the photograph is registered there under the name Catherine Reed.””
Andrew's face crumpled.
“Reed?””
“Apparently, she's been there for twenty-four years.””
“Can I see her?””
“Not yet. The facility claims she has no listed relatives and that her medical guardian has restricted visitors.””
Andrew looked at the detective.
“Who is the guardian?””
She checked her notes.
Then she raised her eyes.
“Richard Bennett.””
Margaret stumbled backward.
“That isn't possible.””
Andrew's fists clenched.
“He stole my childhood. Now he's keeping my mother.””
Detective Harris continued.
“There's another problem. The facility reports that a private medical transport collected Mrs. Reed approximately twenty minutes ago.””
Andrew went completely still.
“Where did they take her?””
“They say the guardian authorized a transfer.””
“Where?””
The detective looked down at her phone.
“We're trying to establish that now.””
Then Andrew's phone rang.
Unknown number.
He answered.
A man's voice came through.
Richard.
“Hello, son.””
Andrew closed his eyes.
Richard chuckled.
“You should have left that box alone.””
Andrew's voice shook.
“Where is my mother?””
“You've been a difficult child, Andrew. Even after all these years.””
“WHERE IS SHE?””
Richard sighed.
“Your mother is safe, provided everyone behaves.””
Then he added:
“Tell Claire to bring me the original ledger. I'll trade it for Catherine.””
The call ended.
Andrew looked at me.
And for the first time since meeting him, I saw something worse than anger in his eyes.
May you like
Fear.
Because Richard had just made it clear that he was willing to hurt his own family to protect his secrets.
