Chapter 8: My Brother Was Standing Beside Me
The name echoed in my head.
Michael Cole.
I knew exactly who he was.
Michael was Richard's nephew—or at least, that was what everyone had always told me.
He was three years younger than me, had attended the same university, and had worked in my father's company before starting his own investment firm.
We had grown up together.
We had fought over toys, played football in the backyard, and spent summers at Richard's lake house.
He had been the best man at my wedding.
And he had disappeared from the rooftop celebration shortly after my mother fell.
I turned toward Detective Harris.
“Where is Michael?””
She looked at the officers.
“Find him.””
Richard suddenly stepped forward.
“Leave my son out of this.””
The room went silent.
I stared at him.
“Your son?””
Richard closed his eyes.
For a moment, he looked much older than I remembered.
Then he spoke.
“Michael is my biological son.””
Vanessa shook her head.
“That's not what you told me.””
Richard glared at her.
“You know nothing about this.””
“You told me Marcus was your biological son!””
I turned toward her.
“What?””
Vanessa looked frightened.
“Richard told me you were his firstborn. He said your father had taken you from him and Helen because he wanted to control the family inheritance.””
I felt sick.
“Why would you believe that?””
“Because he showed me documents.””
Detective Harris held out her hand.
“What documents?””
Vanessa hesitated.
Then she reached into her handbag and removed a small flash drive.
“Everything is on here.””
Richard lunged.
One officer caught him by the shoulder.
“Don't move!””
Vanessa dropped the flash drive into Detective Harris's hand.
“It's all there. The hospital records, the payments, the original birth certificates.””
Richard stared at her with open hatred.
“You stupid woman.””
Vanessa began crying.
“You promised me the money!””
I looked at her.
“So that's what this was about?””
She turned toward me.
“Marcus, I thought we could start over.””
I almost couldn't believe what I was hearing.
“You tried to kill my mother.””
“I made a mistake.””
“You planned to steal my father's estate.””
“I was trying to secure our future.””
“You were trying to secure yours.””
She lowered her head.
Detective Harris ordered the officers to take Richard and Vanessa downstairs.
But before Richard disappeared through the doorway, he turned toward me.
“Daniel lied to you about everything.””
I didn't answer.
He smiled.
“Ask him why he chose you.””
Then he was gone.
The next morning, Detective Harris called me to the station.
The flash drive contained more than four hundred documents.
Bank transfers.
Medical records.
Private correspondence.
And a collection of photographs.
I sat in a small interview room while Detective Harris placed three folders on the table.
“The first folder concerns your birth,” she explained.
The second contained records of the hospital where the triplets had been delivered.
The third contained financial transactions between Richard Cole, Helen Cole, and Margaret Bennett.
I opened the first folder.
My name appeared on a birth registration dated thirty years earlier.
But the original record listed Helen Cole as the mother.
The second baby was listed as Michael Cole.
The third baby was listed as Matthew Cole.
I looked up.
“Why are there three different birth certificates?””
Detective Harris leaned forward.
“Because someone deliberately altered the records.””
“Who?””
“We're still investigating. But the hospital's former administrator appears to have received payments from Richard Cole.””
I turned another page.
There was a photograph of three newborn babies.
Each wore a different bracelet.
One blue.
One white.
One yellow.
My name was written beside the blue bracelet.
Michael's beside the white.
Matthew's beside the yellow.
“Was I the baby my father brought home?””
Detective Harris nodded.
“According to the hospital discharge records, Daniel Carter took custody of Baby Blue.””
“Why?””
“That's what we're trying to establish.””
I looked at the third folder.
A letter had been attached to a financial report.
It was written by Helen.
Richard,
I cannot continue pretending the arrangement was normal. Daniel knows what happened. He has taken Marcus, and Michael remains with us.
But what happened to Matthew must never become public.
If anyone discovers what you did that night, all three families will be destroyed.
My fingers tightened around the paper.
“What happened that night?””
Detective Harris shook her head.
“We don't know yet.””
I read the letter again.
There was something strange about the wording.
Daniel had taken Marcus.
Michael remained with us.
What happened to Matthew must never become public.
It sounded as if the third child had been removed from the hospital.
“Did Matthew die?””
Detective Harris hesitated.
“We haven't found a death certificate.””
My heart began racing.
“Then he might be alive.””
“Possibly.””
I looked at the photograph of the three babies.
Two of them had been accounted for.
But the third remained missing.
My phone vibrated.
A message appeared.
*Unknown Number: Stop looking for Matthew. He doesn't want to be found.*
I showed Detective Harris.
She immediately requested the number be traced.
Then another message arrived.
This one contained a photograph.
It showed a man standing outside my father's old office building.
He was wearing a navy suit and holding a newspaper.
I recognized him.
Michael.
But the date in the corner of the photograph was yesterday.
I zoomed in.
Behind him stood a second man.
Older.
Tall.
With a familiar silver watch.
Richard's watch.
I looked at Detective Harris.
“Richard said he didn't know where Michael was.””
She examined the photograph.
“He lied.””
I called Michael.
The phone rang once.
Twice.
Then he answered.
“Marcus?””
“Where are you?””
Silence.
“Michael, I know everything.””
He exhaled.
“Then you know why I couldn't tell you.””
“Are you my brother?””
Another silence.
Then he whispered:
“Yes.””
I closed my eyes.
“Where is Matthew?””
Michael's voice dropped.
“Marcus, listen carefully. You need to stop trusting the people around you.””
“Richard is in police custody.””
“I know.””
“Then who are you afraid of?””
He hesitated.
Then he said something that made my stomach twist.
“Matthew.””
I stared at the phone.
“What?””
“Matthew has been watching you for years.””
“Why?””
“Because he believes you stole his life.””
The call ended.
I tried calling back.
The number was disconnected.
Detective Harris stood.
“Mr. Carter, we're going to need to locate your brother.””
I looked at the photograph again.
Michael was holding a newspaper.
The headline was partially visible.
*CARTER CONSTRUCTION ANNOUNCES NEW MAJORITY SHAREHOLDER.*
Beneath the headline was a photograph of the man who had apparently inherited control of my father's company.
I recognized him immediately.
Matthew.
But the name printed beneath his photograph wasn't Matthew Cole.
May you like
It was Daniel Bennett.
And he was scheduled to appear at a press conference in less than three hours.
