Chapter 12: The Daughter Nobody Knew Existed
I didn't speak for several seconds.
Lucy had given birth to twins.
Noah was one of them.
And the little girl had disappeared.
I looked at Daniel.
"Do you understand what this means?""
He nodded slowly.
"Vanessa may have raised the wrong child while the real daughter was hidden somewhere else.""
Detective Foster immediately called Patricia back.
The number was disconnected.
"She's frightened," the detective said.
"We need to locate her.""
I looked at the microfilm.
"Can we find out where the girl went?""
Detective Foster studied the transfer authorization.
"There's a guardian's signature here.""
She enlarged the document.
The name was partially obscured by a stamp.
But I could read the first letters.
*R. HARRISON.*
Daniel frowned.
"That could be anyone.""
I looked at the date.
Fourteen years earlier.
Then I remembered something Emily had once told me.
She had a close friend named Rebecca Harrison.
Rebecca had worked as a nurse at St. Anne's before moving away.
I searched my old emails.
There it was.
A message from Emily, sent eleven years earlier.
Rebecca finally got settled. She says the little girl is doing well. She still asks about her brother.
I stared at the screen.
"Daniel.""
He leaned over.
I showed him the email.
His expression changed.
"Marcus, do you know where Rebecca lives?""
I shook my head.
"Not anymore.""
Detective Foster took a photograph of the email.
"We'll find her.""
Meanwhile, Lucy and Noah were waiting at the secure location.
I went to see them.
Lucy looked up when I entered.
"Have you found something?""
I sat across from her.
"There's something you need to know.""
I explained the microfilm, the transfer records, and Patricia's confession.
Lucy covered her mouth.
"Twins?""
I nodded.
She began crying.
"Noah had a sister?""
"Yes.""
Lucy stood abruptly.
"Where is she?""
"We don't know yet.""
She pressed both hands against the table.
"I remember them telling me there was only one baby. I remember asking the nurse whether my daughter had survived.""
Her voice broke.
"She told me I had imagined hearing two cries.""
Noah stared at his mother.
"Mom...""
Lucy looked at him.
"They stole your sister.""
He stood and wrapped his arms around her.
"Then we'll find her.""
I looked at the boy.
Fourteen years of lies had already taken enough from him.
Now he had discovered he had a sister he had never known.
I promised him we would find her.
But I didn't know how much more the truth would cost us.
Detective Foster called two hours later.
"We found Rebecca Harrison.""
"Where?""
"She lives in Ohio.""
"Is she willing to speak?""
"She says she has information about Emily Reed.""
My stomach tightened.
"Can we speak to her?""
"She wants to talk to you first.""
"Why?""
The detective hesitated.
"She says Emily made her promise never to reveal the girl's identity unless Vanessa tried to take Maya's inheritance.""
I looked at Daniel.
Then I asked:
"What girl's identity?""
The detective answered:
"She wouldn't tell me.""
Rebecca agreed to a video call that evening.
She appeared on screen wearing glasses and a blue cardigan.
She looked to be in her late fifties.
When she saw me, she began crying.
"Marcus.""
"Rebecca?""
She nodded.
"I am so sorry.""
"Did you know Emily?""
"I was her closest friend during the last year of her life.""
"Did you take Lucy's daughter?""
Rebecca shook her head.
"No. I protected her.""
"Where is she?""
Rebecca looked away.
"Emily brought her to me when she was six weeks old. She told me the baby would never be safe if Richard found her.""
"Why?""
"Because Richard believed the child was the only person who could challenge the original inheritance.""
I leaned forward.
"Who is she?""
Rebecca closed her eyes.
"Her name is Hannah.""
I stared.
"Where is she now?""
"She's twenty minutes away from you.""
I felt my chest tighten.
"What?""
Rebecca nodded.
"She's grown up believing her parents died in an accident. Emily arranged for her to be raised by a couple who couldn't have children.""
"Did they know the truth?""
"They knew she was adopted. They didn't know about the hospital.""
I swallowed.
"Does she know she has a twin brother?""
Rebecca shook her head.
"No.""
"Then why are you telling me now?""
Rebecca looked directly into the camera.
"Because Vanessa found out.""
My stomach dropped.
"How?""
"Richard tracked me down last month. He demanded the original adoption papers. I refused.""
"Where are they?""
Rebecca reached off-screen and returned with a thick envelope.
"Emily left them with me.""
She held up the first page.
The name at the top was Hannah Hart.
The biological mother was Lucy Hart.
The biological father was listed as unknown.
But the legal guardian was someone I recognized.
Emily Reed.
I stared at the document.
"Emily was her guardian?""
"Yes. She arranged everything before she died.""
I looked toward Daniel.
He was reading the document carefully.
Then Rebecca said something that made my blood run cold.
"Marcus, there's another reason Emily hid Hannah.""
"What?""
Rebecca hesitated.
"Because Hannah was born with a rare blood condition. Emily believed the medical records could prove that someone had deliberately altered the newborn identities.""
I frowned.
"What does that have to do with Vanessa?""
Rebecca leaned closer.
"Vanessa's daughter died at birth. But the baby the hospital recorded as dead wasn't hers.""
I felt the room tilt.
Rebecca continued.
"Vanessa's biological daughter was actually born healthy. Richard arranged for her to be transferred under another identity.""
I stared at the screen.
"Then whose baby died?""
Rebecca's voice dropped.
"Nobody's.""
Silence.
"Marcus, the hospital recorded a death that never happened. It was part of a scheme to move the children without triggering an investigation.""
Daniel stood abruptly.
"That's enough. We need the original medical records.""
Rebecca nodded.
"There's one more document.""
She held up a sealed envelope.
Emily's handwriting was across the front.
*FOR MAYA AND HANNAH — WHEN THEY ARE BOTH OLD ENOUGH.*
Rebecca opened it carefully.
Inside was a photograph.
It showed two newborn girls lying side by side in hospital bassinets.
One had a tiny crescent-shaped birthmark behind her left ear.
The other had the same mark.
Rebecca turned the photograph over.
Emily had written:
*ONE OF THESE GIRLS IS LUCY'S DAUGHTER. THE OTHER IS VANESSA'S. ONLY ONE WAS ALLOWED TO GO HOME.*
I stared at the photograph.
Then Rebecca read the final line.
*AND MARCUS, THE CHILD YOU HAVE RAISED AS MAYA MAY NOT BE EITHER ONE.*
My phone slipped from my hand.
For fourteen years, I had believed Maya was my daughter.
Emily had raised her.
I had loved her.
I had watched her take her first steps, lose her first tooth, and fall asleep holding her mother's music box.
Nothing could change that.
But the documents suggested someone had switched the babies again.
And the person who knew the truth was still out there.
Rebecca looked straight into the camera.
"Marcus, there's something Emily never told you about Maya's biological father.""
I couldn't breathe.
"Who?""
May you like
Rebecca swallowed.
"Richard Cole.""
