Chapter 7: The Woman in My Brother's Photograph
I read the sentence again.
She was in the car that night.
My brother's handwriting was unmistakable. The same handwriting he'd used on birthday cards, Christmas envelopes, and the ridiculous notes he'd leave on my windshield whenever he borrowed my car.
I looked at the photograph.
Marcus stood beside a younger Tiana outside what appeared to be a restaurant. His arm was resting against the roof of a black sedan.
Tiana was smiling.
Not the polite smile she'd given my family at our wedding.
A genuine smile.
A familiar smile.
"How long have you known about this?"" I asked Renee.
She shook her head.
"I've never seen that photograph.""
I turned toward Margaret.
"Could this be fake?""
She examined the picture carefully.
"We shouldn't assume anything. But the letter needs to be preserved and authenticated.""
I unfolded the remaining pages.
There were three.
The first described Marcus's concerns about a woman he'd met through a business associate.
The second mentioned a financial arrangement.
The third contained a name.
Tiana Brooks.
My wife's maiden name.
I felt the room spin.
"She told me she grew up in Ohio," I said.
"She told me she didn't know anybody in this city.""
Renee picked up the letter.
"Marcus lived here his entire life.""
I looked at the date.
The letter had been written twelve days before his accident.
Then I noticed something else.
At the bottom of the final page, Marcus had written:
I found the original insurance documents. The beneficiary was changed without my permission.
I looked up.
"What insurance?""
Margaret examined the paragraph.
"Possibly a life insurance policy. We need the original records.""
I continued reading.
If Tiana approaches Darius, she may try to make him believe she is helping him. Don't let her. She knows about Vanessa's inheritance, and she knows about the money Marcus left behind.
My fingers went numb.
My brother had known about Vanessa's inheritance before Vanessa and I even married.
How?
I turned the page over.
There was a handwritten phone number.
Below it:
Call Daniel. He witnessed everything.
Margaret immediately photographed the document.
"We'll contact this person through the proper channels.""
I nodded.
Then Renee called out from the other side of the storage unit.
"Darius, come look at this.""
She was standing beside the old suitcase.
It was unlocked.
Inside were several newspaper clippings, a small notebook, and a bundle of photographs held together with a rubber band.
One photograph showed Marcus standing beside a woman outside a courthouse.
The woman was Tiana.
Another showed them entering a bank.
A third was taken at a restaurant.
On the back of that one, Marcus had written:
She says she's pregnant. I don't believe her.
I stared at the words.
"Was Tiana pregnant with Micah before she married me?""
Renee looked confused.
"I don't know.""
I remembered our relationship.
Tiana had told me Micah's biological father had abandoned her during pregnancy. She had said she had never received financial support from him.
I'd never questioned it.
I'd raised Micah as my own.
I'd loved him as my own.
And I still did.
But suddenly, I was wondering whether my brother had been the man she was talking about.
I turned to Margaret.
"Can we establish Micah's biological father?""
"That would require appropriate legal procedures and, depending on the circumstances, consent or a court-authorized process.""
I nodded.
Then a small envelope slipped from the notebook.
Inside was a photograph of a newborn baby.
On the back, Marcus had written:
My son. January 2020.
My breath caught.
Micah was born in February 2020.
I looked at the photograph again.
The baby's face was partially visible.
A tiny hospital bracelet showed the date.
January 29, 2020.
Micah had been born just weeks later.
I felt my legs weaken.
"Marcus," I whispered.
Renee covered her mouth.
"No.""
I stared at the photograph.
"Was Micah my brother's son?""
Nobody answered.
Then my phone rang.
Unknown number.
I answered.
A man's voice spoke.
"Mr. Carter? My name is Daniel Reeves. I believe you found something that belonged to Marcus.""
I tightened my grip.
"How do you know?""
"Because I've been waiting ten years for someone to find it.""
"Who are you?""
"I was Marcus's business partner.""
I looked at Margaret.
She gestured for me to put the call on speaker.
Daniel continued.
"Listen carefully. Your wife knows about the storage unit.""
"How?""
"Because she was there when Marcus hid the documents.""
I felt my stomach turn.
"Was Tiana in the car with my brother?""
Daniel was silent.
Then he answered.
"Yes.""
My chest tightened.
"Did she kill him?""
"I can't prove that. But I can tell you what happened afterward.""
"What?""
"She collected money from his insurance policy.""
I looked down at the photograph of the baby.
Daniel continued.
"And there's something you need to know about Micah.""
I closed my eyes.
"Tell me.""
"Marcus believed that little boy was his son. He had a DNA test done before the accident.""
The call went silent.
I looked at Margaret.
She was already writing something down.
Then Daniel spoke again.
"Mr. Carter, I have the test results. But before I give them to you, there's a question I need answered.""
"What question?""
"Does Tiana still have access to your house?""
I hesitated.
"Yes.""
"Then don't go back there.""
"Why?""
Daniel's voice dropped.
May you like
"Because she went there twenty minutes ago with two men and a locksmith.""
The call ended.
