Chapter 10: The Sister My Father Erased
“My father had another daughter?””
The question came out so quietly that I barely recognized my own voice.
My mother sat at the dining table, her hands wrapped around the photograph Vanessa had left behind. Maya had gone upstairs with her rabbit, though I could hear her bedroom door opening and closing as she moved around.
I wanted to follow her. I wanted to tell her that everything was fine.
But nothing was fine.
Evelyn looked at me with red, exhausted eyes.
“Her name is Claire.””
“How old is she?””
“Thirty-six.””
I stared at her.
I was thirty-four.
My sister was older than me by two years, and I had spent my entire life believing I was my father's only child.
“Where is she?””
“I don't know.””
“You just told me she was the only person who knew what happened the night Dad died. How can you not know where she is?””
My mother flinched.
“Because she disappeared before his death.””
I pushed my chair backward.
“No. Stop doing that.””
“Doing what?””
“Giving me one piece of information, then hiding three more behind it. You knew about Claire. You knew about the house.
You knew Arthur had threatened you. And every time I ask a question, I discover another secret.””
My mother lowered her head.
“I know.””
“Then start at the beginning.””
She drew a shaky breath.
“Your father met Claire's mother, Helen, before he met me. They were young. They were engaged for a short time, but their relationship ended before Claire was born.””
“Did Dad know about the pregnancy?””
“Yes.””
“Did he support her?””
“Yes. Financially, at least.””
“At least?””
My mother rubbed her forehead.
“He visited Claire when she was little. He paid for her education. He even bought the house where she and Helen lived for a time.””
I looked at the photograph.
“So he had a second family.””
“No,” she said quickly.
“Not in the way you're imagining. He loved me. He loved you. But he also felt responsible for Claire, and he never wanted her to believe she had been abandoned.””
“Then why didn't he tell me?””
“Because Claire asked him not to.””
I stared at her.
“That makes no sense.””
“She was afraid the family would reject her. When you were born, your father tried to introduce the two of you. Claire refused.””
“Why?””
“Because she believed he had chosen us over her.””
My mother looked at the photograph again.
“Your father thought time would heal that wound. He was wrong.””
I paced toward the window.
“Then what happened to her?””
“Claire moved into the house outside the city when she was twenty-three. Your father arranged for her to work with a small accounting firm. She was good with numbers. Very good.””
I stopped.
“Accounting?””
My mother nodded.
“She helped your father review some of his business records. She discovered irregularities involving Arthur's company.””
The pieces began to shift.
“That's why she knew about the original agreement.””
“Yes.””
“Was she the person who found the altered transfer?””
“She was one of the first people to question it.””
“Then why didn't she go to the police?””
“Your father told her to wait until he had gathered enough evidence. He was afraid Arthur would retaliate.””
I remembered Richard's account of that night.
My father had gone to the front door.
Arthur had arrived.
Someone else had been in the hallway.
You too?
You should have listened to me.
“Mom, did Claire visit Dad the night he died?””
Evelyn closed her eyes.
“Yes.””
The room seemed to tilt.
“Why didn't you tell the police?””
“Because she was gone by the time I arrived.””
“Gone where?””
“I don't know.””
I struck the table with my palm.
“Mom!””
She jumped.
“I swear I don't know! When I got home, Richard was at the hospital. Your father was already gone. There was a message on the answering machine from Claire, saying she needed to speak to me.””
“What did she say?””
“She told me not to trust Arthur. She said she'd found something in the accounts that could destroy him.””
I swallowed.
“Did you call her back?””
“Yes. Her number had been disconnected.””
“And you never searched for her?””
“I did. I contacted Helen. I called the accounting firm. I even hired someone to look for her.””
“What happened?””
My mother looked at me.
“Helen told me Claire had left the country.””
I shook my head.
“That's it? You accepted that?””
“No. But I had no proof she was in danger, and I didn't know where to look.””
I leaned against the counter.
“Why did Vanessa know about her?””
My mother looked startled.
“What?””
“Vanessa knew about the property. She knew about the box. She knew about the original agreement. If Claire was involved in the investigation, Vanessa might have known about her too.””
Evelyn went quiet.
Then she said, “Your father once told me that Arthur had a source inside the accounting firm.””
“Could it have been Claire?””
“No. He trusted Claire.””
“Trust isn't evidence.””
“I know.””
My phone rang.
Daniel.
I answered immediately.
“Marcus, I've reviewed the documents you sent. The house is registered to a company controlled by Vanessa, but the original acquisition records suggest the property was purchased using funds connected to your father's estate.””
“Can you prove it?””
“We're working on it. There's another development. The woman in the photograph has been identified.””
I gripped the phone.
“Claire?””
“Yes. We found an old employment record at the accounting firm. Claire Hale worked there under her mother's surname for several years.””
“Where is she now?””
“That's what we're trying to establish. But there's something you should know.””
“What?””
“Claire filed a formal complaint about financial irregularities three weeks before your father's death. The complaint was withdrawn two days later.””
“By whom?””
Daniel paused.
“According to the file, Claire signed the withdrawal.””
I looked at my mother.
She was listening, her face pale.
“That's impossible,” I said.
“She was trying to expose Arthur.””
“Perhaps she changed her mind. Or perhaps someone pressured her. We can't determine that yet.””
“Who received the complaint?””
“A solicitor named Peter Lang.””
I wrote the name down.
“Is he still practicing?””
“No. He died six years ago.””
Another dead man.
Another missing document.
Another person who might have known the truth.
Daniel continued, “Marcus, don't contact Claire or attempt to locate her yourself. If she's connected to the financial investigation, we need to establish the facts carefully.””
“I understand.””
After the call, I searched the name Peter Lang on my laptop. Daniel had already sent me a copy of the complaint.
The first page described suspected unauthorized transfers from my father's company.
The second listed the names of the companies involved.
Cole Property Services.
My father's investment company.
And a third company I had never seen before.
Hale Family Holdings.
I looked at my mother.
“Do you know this company?””
She stared at the screen.
Then she covered her mouth.
“Yes.””
“What is it?””
“Your father created it to hold investments for the family.””
“Who controlled it?””
“He did.””
I scrolled to the final page.
There was a list of account signatories.
My father's name.
Richard Shaw's name.
And Claire's.
Beneath them was a fourth name.
*Vanessa Cole.*
I stared at it.
“Why would Vanessa have access to Dad's investment company?””
My mother shook her head.
“I don't know.””
I called Daniel back and sent him the page.
He responded within minutes.
This is significant. Don't draw conclusions yet.
Then another message arrived.
The records indicate Vanessa was added as an authorized representative six months before your father's death.
I read the sentence repeatedly.
Six months before my father died, Vanessa had access to his investment company.
But I hadn't met Vanessa until years later.
Unless—
I looked at the photograph again.
At the woman standing beside my father and Arthur.
I enlarged the image on my laptop.
The woman was Claire.
The man beside her was Arthur.
And standing slightly behind them, almost hidden by the doorway, was a young woman with dark hair.
A woman who looked remarkably like Vanessa.
My phone vibrated.
An unknown number.
If you want the truth about your father, stop asking Evelyn.
A second message followed.
Meet me at the house tomorrow. Come alone.
Then a final message arrived.
Claire.
I stared at the screen.
May you like
My sister was alive.
And she knew I was looking for her.
