Chapter 4: The Doctor Who Was Supposed to Be Dead
The emergency lights flickered red as the jet dropped through the clouds, and for one terrible moment, I thought my daughter would die before I learned the truth about her.
“Brace for impact!”” Captain Harris shouted over the intercom.
Rebecca threw herself into a seat and fastened her belt. I reached for Maya, who was crouched on the floor with Lily pressed against her chest.
“Give me the baby!”” I shouted.
“No!”” Maya screamed.
“She needs to stay against me!””
Another violent shudder threw us sideways. A suitcase broke free from an overhead compartment and crashed against the opposite wall.
I grabbed the seat beside Maya and wrapped one arm around both children.
“Hold on to me!””
“I am!”” Maya cried.
The engines roared.
Then, just as suddenly, the plane leveled.
The emergency lights stopped flickering. A moment later, the cabin lights returned, revealing a pale-faced Rebecca gripping the armrests.
Captain Harris's voice came through the speakers.
“We've regained partial control. We're diverting to Bangor International Airport. Estimated landing in twelve minutes.””
I exhaled shakily.
Twelve minutes.
Twelve minutes until we reached the ground, where I could call my security team, find a secure location, and begin untangling the nightmare my brother had created.
But first, I had to understand what Maya had just told me.
“Adrian Cross,” I said, crouching beside her.
“Why did Eleanor mention him?””
Maya looked down at Lily.
“Because he helped her when she was pregnant.””
“I know he was her doctor. I paid the bills myself.””
“No,” Maya whispered.
“You paid the bills for the doctor you thought she was seeing.””
I stared at her.
“What does that mean?””
Maya hesitated, then reached into the pocket of her hoodie and produced a folded piece of paper.
It was a photocopy of a medical appointment card.
The name at the top read:
*Adrian Cross, MD — Whitmore Family Reproductive Institute.*
Below it was a date from nearly two years earlier, months before Lily's conception.
I recognized the address.
My family had funded that institute as part of a charitable medical research initiative. Richard had personally overseen the foundation's finances, while I had concentrated on expanding my technology business.
I had attended its opening ceremony, shaken Dr. Cross's hand, and given a speech about how medical innovation could change lives.
I'd never known Eleanor had been treated there.
"Where did you get this?"" I asked.
"Eleanor kept it in a box under her bed.""
"Did she tell you what happened?""
Maya nodded.
"She said Dr. Cross told her there was a problem with her medical records. She thought it was a mistake at first. Then he showed her two different versions of the same document.""
"Two versions of what?""
"Her treatment.""
I looked at the appointment card again.
"Did she explain what had been changed?""
"She said the original paperwork had one name on it. The other paperwork had another.""
"Whose name?""
Maya's eyes filled with tears.
"She wouldn't tell me. She said she needed to show you the notebook first.""
Frustration rose in my chest.
Every answer seemed to create three more questions.
"Why didn't she just tell me herself?""
Maya looked at me with an expression that was almost pity.
"She tried.""
I froze.
"What?""
"She said she called you several times after she left the hospital. But every time she called, someone told her you were busy or that you didn't want to speak to her.""
The words struck with the force of a physical blow.
"I never received those calls.""
"I know.""
"How can you know?""
"Because she showed me the call log.""
My mind raced backward through the months following Eleanor's disappearance. I remembered the constant stream of calls from lawyers, investors, reporters, and investigators. I remembered Richard insisting that my personal assistant screen everything.
He had told me Eleanor's number had been disconnected.
He had told me there was no point listening to messages from unknown callers.
I had believed him.
I stood abruptly and called my executive assistant, Natalie.
She answered immediately.
"Daniel? Is everything okay? I heard there was an issue with the aircraft.""
"Who handled my calls during the first month after Eleanor disappeared?""
"Richard's office coordinated most of your personal communications.""
"Did anyone forward calls from Eleanor's number?""
Silence.
"Natalie?""
"I need to check the archived logs.""
"Check them now.""
"Daniel, it's been eight months. Some of those records—"
"Now!""
She went quiet.
Then she said, "I'll call you back.""
I ended the call and looked at Maya.
"If Eleanor tried to contact me, I'll find out what happened.""
She didn't answer.
Instead, she watched Lily sleeping against her shoulder.
"What?"" I asked.
Maya rubbed the baby's back.
"She said you would promise to help. She said you would mean it, too.""
"Then why do you look so worried?""
"Because she said promises weren't the same as doing something.""
I had no answer.
For most of my adult life, I had believed money could solve almost anything. If a person was missing, I hired investigators. If a company was threatened, I hired lawyers. If my family was in danger, I hired security.
I had built an entire life around the belief that protection could be purchased.
Yet my wife had been alone somewhere in Maine, trying to reach me while the people I paid to protect me apparently kept her away.
The plane began its descent.
Through the window, I saw the scattered lights of Bangor appearing beneath the clouds.
My phone vibrated.
A message from Thomas.
Do not use the airport's private security entrance. The security company managing the facility has personnel on site. Police have been notified, but I cannot confirm who received the alert.
Another message followed.
We located Dr. Cross's death certificate. The vehicle involved in the accident was registered to a subsidiary of Whitmore Holdings.
I stared at the screen.
A subsidiary controlled by my family.
"Mr. Whitmore?"" Rebecca asked quietly.
"Would you like me to take Lily while you prepare for landing?""
"No.""
Maya looked up.
"Can I keep holding her?""
I studied her face.
She had spent hours traveling with a secret that frightened her. She had trusted me enough to hand over Eleanor's photograph, yet she still seemed terrified that I would separate her from Lily.
"Yes," I said.
"You can keep holding her.""
Her shoulders relaxed.
Then she whispered, "There's something else you should know.""
I crouched beside her.
"What is it?""
"Dr. Cross isn't dead.""
The words barely made a sound.
"What?""
"Eleanor saw him two nights ago.""
I grabbed the seat to steady myself.
"Where?""
"Outside the house.""
"Are you certain?""
Maya nodded quickly.
"He was standing across the road. He looked at Eleanor, and she started shaking. Mom asked who he was, and Eleanor said he was supposed to be dead.""
I stared at her.
"Did she speak to him?""
"No. She locked the doors and made us stay away from the windows.""
"Then how do you know it was him?""
Maya reached into her backpack and pulled out another photograph.
This one showed a man standing beside a dark sedan beneath a streetlamp.
His face was partially shadowed, but I recognized the narrow jaw and the distinctive scar running from his left temple toward his eyebrow.
Dr. Adrian Cross.
I had seen that face at the institute's opening ceremony.
And in the photograph, the doctor was wearing a silver ring with a black stone.
The same ring Maya had described.
My phone rang again.
This time, the number was blocked.
I answered.
A man's voice spoke calmly.
"Mr. Whitmore. I believe we need to discuss your daughter.""
"Who is this?""
"Someone who knows what happened at the institute.""
"Dr. Cross?""
A pause.
Then a quiet laugh.
"Your wife always said you were clever when you stopped listening to your brother.""
My fingers tightened around the phone.
"Where is Eleanor?""
"Alive. For now.""
"Tell me where she is.""
"Not until you understand what your family has done.""
"My family?""
"Your brother has spent years hiding behind your name. You gave him access to everything, Daniel. Your company.
Your foundation. Your family's medical records.""
"Why?""
"Because your father left something unfinished, and Richard believes your daughter is the key to completing it.""
I glanced at Maya.
She was watching me with wide eyes.
"What does he want with Lily?""
The man's voice became cold.
"Ask your brother why he needed a child born under your name.""
The line went dead.
Outside the window, the runway lights rushed toward us.
As the plane touched down, I made a decision.
I would find the red notebook.
I would find Eleanor.
And if Richard had used my name to build something monstrous, I would tear down every part of the empire that protected him.
But as I looked at the photograph of Adrian Cross, I noticed something I hadn't seen before.
The doctor was standing beside a car.
A familiar black sedan.
The same model Richard had driven to Eleanor's memorial.
And on the windshield was a parking permit bearing the logo of my family's private medical institute.
The date printed on it was yesterday.
Dr. Cross wasn't simply alive.
May you like
He was working with my brother.
And whatever they had planned for Lily, they were running out of time.
