Chapter 4: The Man Who Died Twice
My father didn't move after Richard told him Marcus Hale was dead.
He simply stood beside his desk, holding the phone against his ear, staring at the photocopy Vanessa had left behind.
"How long ago?"" Dad finally asked.
He listened.
"Where?""
Another pause.
"Richard, I need the original police report. Not a summary. Everything.""
He ended the call and lowered himself into his chair.
I had never seen him look so old.
"Who was Marcus Hale?"" I asked.
Dad rubbed both hands over his face.
"I don't know.""
"But Vanessa knew him.""
"Apparently.""
"She said he was the last person to see Mom alive.""
Dad looked up sharply.
"Your mother died in the hospital, Maya. I was with her.""
"I know.""
"I held her hand. I spoke to her. I watched the doctors try to save her.""
His voice cracked.
"I was there when she died.""
I sat beside him.
"I'm not saying you weren't.""
He looked down at the photograph from the safe.
"Your mother was admitted on a Tuesday evening. She had complained about dizziness that morning. By midnight, her condition had deteriorated.""
"What happened before that?""
"She said she had an appointment.""
"With whom?""
"I thought it was her accountant.""
I looked at the name on the document.
"Marcus?""
Dad nodded slowly.
"I remember seeing a man in the driveway that afternoon. Your mother introduced him as someone helping with her inheritance paperwork.""
"Did you know his name?""
"No. I wasn't interested in her financial arrangements. She handled most of those things herself.""
He looked toward the window.
"After she died, I found some paperwork missing. I assumed the attorney had taken it.""
"Which paperwork?""
"The original trust documents.""
My stomach tightened.
"Did you ever report them missing?""
"No. Vanessa said she had spoken to the attorney and everything was settled.""
I stared at him.
"Vanessa handled Mom's estate?""
Dad looked ashamed.
"She offered to help. I was barely functioning after your mother died. I had to organize the funeral, deal with the hospital, and somehow keep going to work.""
He swallowed.
"Vanessa said she could take some things off my shoulders.""
I thought about the empty bedroom upstairs.
The missing photographs.
The jewelry box.
The letter in the safe.
How many things had Vanessa taken while Dad was grieving?
My phone vibrated.
Lauren.
Did Dad tell you about Marcus?
I typed back.
Richard says he's dead.
Her reply came immediately.
That's what Mom wants everyone to believe.
I stared at the screen.
What do you mean?
A minute passed.
Then my phone rang.
I answered.
"Lauren?""
"Listen carefully," she whispered.
"I found something in Mom's filing cabinet.""
"What?""
"A photograph.""
"Of Marcus?""
"Yes. But that's not the important part.""
I heard a door close on her end.
"There's a second photograph. It's from a hospital.""
My heart began beating faster.
"What hospital?""
"St. Catherine's. The same hospital where your mother died.""
I stood.
"Lauren, what are you trying to tell me?""
"Marcus wasn't dead when Mom said he was.""
Dad turned toward me.
I put the call on speaker.
"Explain," he demanded.
Lauren went quiet.
Then she said, "I found a newspaper clipping. Marcus Hale supposedly died in a boating accident eleven years ago.""
Dad looked at me.
"That was before Evelyn died.""
"Yes," Lauren said.
"But the hospital photograph is dated eight years ago. Three days after Aunt Evelyn's funeral.""
I felt a chill run through me.
"Who is in the photograph?""
"Marcus.""
"Are you sure?""
"I compared it with the picture Mom kept in her bedroom. It's him.""
Dad stood so quickly his chair scraped backward.
"Where did you get this?""
"From Mom's filing cabinet.""
"Bring it here.""
"I can't.""
"Why not?""
"Because Mom is home.""
I heard footsteps on her end.
Then Lauren whispered, "She's been asking where I put the documents.""
The call ended.
Dad immediately dialed her number again.
No answer.
He grabbed his car keys.
"I'm going to her house.""
I followed him downstairs.
Vanessa was sitting in the living room, scrolling through her phone.
She looked up as we entered.
"Where are you going?""
"To see Lauren.""
Her expression changed.
"Why?""
"Because she has information about Marcus.""
Vanessa put down her phone.
"Daniel, don't involve Lauren in this.""
"She's already involved.""
"She's confused.""
"Then she can explain herself to me.""
Vanessa stood.
"You're making a terrible mistake.""
Dad stopped near the front door.
"No, Vanessa. My mistake was trusting you with anything that belonged to Evelyn.""
For a moment, I thought she might cry.
Instead, she picked up her phone and began typing.
Dad opened the door.
Before we stepped outside, Vanessa spoke again.
"Daniel, if you leave now, don't expect me to be here when you come back.""
He turned.
"That might be the first sensible thing you've said tonight.""
We drove to Lauren's apartment in silence.
The rain had stopped, but the roads were still wet. Streetlights stretched across the windshield in long yellow lines.
When we arrived, Lauren was waiting outside.
She wore a gray sweatshirt and jeans. Her hair was tied back, and she kept looking over her shoulder.
She climbed into the back seat.
"Did Mom see you leave?"" Dad asked.
"I told her I was getting groceries.""
"Show me the photograph.""
Lauren pulled a small envelope from her pocket.
Inside was a photograph of a man standing outside St. Catherine's Hospital.
His face was older than the man in the picture from Dad's safe, but the resemblance was unmistakable.
On the back, someone had written:
Marcus Hale. October 18. Confirmed alive.
Dad stared at it.
"Who wrote this?""
"Mom.""
I turned the photograph over again.
Beneath the date was a second handwritten sentence.
Daniel must never find out.
Dad's breathing became uneven.
"There's more," Lauren said.
She pulled out a folded document.
It was a hospital visitor log.
The name Marcus Hale appeared beside my mother's room number.
But there was something else.
Someone had written a note beside his name.
*Visitor requested that patient be transferred before family notification.*
Dad looked at the page.
"Transferred where?""
Lauren shook her head.
"I don't know.""
I took the paper from him.
The date was familiar.
It was the same night my mother had supposedly been moved to intensive care.
The same night the hospital had called Dad to tell him her condition was critical.
I looked at my father.
"Did Mom ever get transferred?""
He shook his head.
"Not that I was told.""
Then Lauren pointed to the bottom of the page.
There was a signature authorizing the visitor's access.
It belonged to someone we all knew.
*Vanessa.*
Dad's face went completely white.
And just as he opened his mouth, my phone lit up with a message from an unknown number.
Stop looking into Marcus Hale.
May you like
A second message followed.
Your mother wasn't the only person who disappeared that night.
