Chapter 11: The Video My Mother Never Wanted Me to See
I watched the video twice.
The first time, I couldn't understand the words.
The second time, I understood every one.
My mother sat in her favorite chair, wearing the pale blue cardigan she always wore during her chemotherapy appointments.
A blanket covered her knees.
She looked directly into the camera.
“Maya, your father didn't let Lily go. He sold her.””
Then the screen went black.
I sat motionless.
Evelyn covered her mouth.
Thomas paused the video.
“Let's not jump to conclusions. Your mother may have been referring to the financial arrangement involving the trust.””
I shook my head.
“She said he sold her.””
Thomas nodded.
“I heard her.””
“Then what does that mean?””
He didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he opened the final folder recovered from the flash drive.
There were several scanned emails.
The earliest was dated eleven months before my mother's death.
It was between Daniel and an address belonging to a private guardianship agency.
The subject line read:
Charlotte Reed — Custody Arrangement.
I read the message.
The girl is becoming difficult to manage. Denise has allowed her to ask questions about her mother. I need the transfer completed before she turns eighteen.
The reply was brief.
We can arrange a placement with a family overseas. The financial contribution must be received before the paperwork is finalized.
My stomach turned.
“Was he trying to send Lily away?””
Thomas continued reading.
Another email contained a payment confirmation.
$250,000.
The recipient was a company called Westbridge Family Services.
I looked at Evelyn.
“Did you know about this?””
She shook her head.
“Denise never told me.””
I turned back to Thomas.
“Can you find the agency?””
“I'm already looking into it.””
I stood.
“Then find Lily.””
The next morning, Thomas received a call from an investigator.
The agency's offices had closed three years earlier.
Its director had been charged with falsifying adoption records, but the case had been dismissed after several witnesses withdrew their statements.
One of the former employees was still alive.
Her name was Helen Morris.
Thomas arranged a meeting.
We drove to a small apartment building on the outskirts of town.
Helen opened the door cautiously.
When Thomas showed her the photograph of Lily, her face changed.
“I remember her.””
My heart started racing.
“Where is she?””
Helen stepped aside.
“Come in.””
She led us to a dining table covered in paperwork.
“I was an administrative assistant at Westbridge. I handled the placement files.””
Thomas placed a copy of the payment confirmation in front of her.
“Do you recognize this?””
Helen nodded.
“Daniel Carter.””
“Did he arrange a placement for Charlotte Reed?””
“Yes.””
I gripped the edge of the table.
“Where did he send her?””
Helen looked at me.
“Canada.””
“Which city?””
“Toronto, I believe.””
“Who took her?””
Helen hesitated.
Then she opened a drawer and removed a file.
“The placement was supposed to be temporary. The family was told Charlotte had been abandoned by her biological relatives.””
My throat tightened.
“Was she told that?””
Helen nodded.
“She was sixteen. She was frightened. She kept asking for Denise.””
I closed my eyes.
I remembered Lily sitting on my bedroom floor the night before she disappeared.
She had hugged me longer than usual.
I'd complained that she was squeezing too tightly.
She had whispered, “Don't forget me.””
I'd promised I wouldn't.
And then she was gone.
“Did my mother know where she was?”” I asked.
Helen nodded.
“Denise called me several times. She wanted the placement reversed.””
“Why wasn't it?””
“Daniel threatened to expose the agency's involvement in the financial transfers. He had documents that could implicate everyone.””
Thomas leaned forward.
“Do you still have the placement agreement?””
Helen opened the file.
There it was.
Daniel's signature.
But there was another signature.
Vanessa Reed.
I stared at it.
“Vanessa agreed to this?””
Helen nodded.
“She signed as Charlotte's maternal guardian.””
I felt sick.
“She knew Lily was being sent away?””
“Yes.””
Thomas looked at the date.
“Was Denise aware of Vanessa's involvement?””
Helen shook her head.
“Not initially. But she discovered it.””
I looked at the woman.
“What did my mother do?””
Helen's eyes filled.
“She came here with a lawyer. She told me that if I helped her locate Charlotte, she would protect me from Daniel.””
“Did you help?””
Helen nodded.
“That's why I kept this.””
She removed a small folded paper.
It contained an address in Toronto.
And a handwritten note.
Charlotte Reed — emergency contact: Daniel Carter.
Below it was another name.
Guardian: Vanessa Reed.
I looked up.
“Why would Vanessa be her guardian if she agreed to send her away?””
Helen shook her head.
“I don't know.””
We returned to Thomas's office.
He immediately began making calls.
By late afternoon, he had located a woman matching Lily's description.
She was living in Toronto under the name Charlotte Reed.
She worked as a nurse at a rehabilitation center.
I stared at her photograph.
It was unmistakably Lily.
Older now.
Her hair was shorter, and she wore glasses.
But her smile was exactly the same.
“Can I call her?””
Thomas shook his head gently.
“Not yet. We need to make sure the contact information is current.””
I looked at the photograph.
“She thinks Mom abandoned her.””
“Your mother tried to bring her home.””
“Does Lily know that?””
“We don't know.””
I wiped my eyes.
“Then tell her.””
Thomas made the call.
A woman answered.
“Hello?””
“Charlotte Reed?””
“Yes.””
“My name is Thomas Bennett. I'm an attorney representing the estate of Denise Carter.””
Silence.
Then the woman asked:
“Is Denise dead?””
Thomas closed his eyes.
“Yes. I'm very sorry.””
There was a long pause.
Then Charlotte spoke again.
“Did she ever ask about me?””
I leaned toward the phone.
Thomas glanced at me.
I whispered, “Tell her everything.””
He explained that Denise had been searching for her and that we had found documents showing Daniel arranged her placement overseas.
Charlotte didn't speak for several seconds.
Then she asked:
“Is Maya there?””
My heart stopped.
Thomas looked at me.
I nodded.
He placed the phone on speaker.
“Lily?””
A breath caught on the other end.
“Maya?””
I started crying.
“It's me.””
She didn't answer.
Then I heard a small, broken laugh.
“I thought you forgot me.””
I covered my mouth.
“Never.””
“Why did you let them send me away?””
“I didn't know.””
“Your mother knew.””
“She tried to find you.””
Silence.
Then Lily whispered:
“I know.””
I froze.
“What?””
“She sent me letters.””
My eyes filled.
“Why didn't you tell me?””
“Because I was afraid.””
“Afraid of what?””
“That you'd hate me.””
I shook my head.
“Lily, you're my sister.””
She began crying.
Then she said something I hadn't expected.
“Maya, there's something you need to know about your mother.””
I wiped my face.
“What?””
“She came to see me three weeks before she died.””
I looked at Thomas.
He hadn't known.
Lily continued.
“She told me she was running out of time. She gave me a key and told me to keep it safe.””
“What key?””
“The key to a safety deposit box.””
My heart began pounding.
“What was inside?””
Lily's voice dropped.
“Documents proving who your biological father really is.””
The room went silent.
I stared at Thomas.
“What?””
Lily continued.
“Your mother told me that Daniel wasn't your biological father.””
I couldn't breathe.
“He knew?””
“Yes.””
“Then who is?””
Lily paused.
May you like
Then she answered.
“Rachel Reed's husband.””
