Chapter 7: The Sister Who Came Back from the Dead
I read Victoria's message three times.
My name is Victoria. I'm your sister. And our father was murdered.
The words blurred before my eyes.
For six years, I had believed my father died because his heart simply gave out. I had watched doctors lower their voices outside his hospital room. I had held his hand during his final hours. I had kissed his forehead after he stopped breathing.
And now a woman I had never met was telling me his death had been planned.
"Show me the message again," Daniel said.
I handed him my phone.
He studied the number.
"Can you call it?""
I shook my head.
"She said to come alone.""
"Which means we absolutely aren't going alone.""
Marcus stepped away from the window.
"We need to tell the police.""
Victoria's message was still glowing on my screen.
*UNKNOWN: My mother is alive. Eleanor knows where she is.*
I looked at Marcus.
"Why did your mother tell you Victoria was dead?""
He rubbed his jaw.
"She said Victoria had been killed in an accident. She showed me a newspaper clipping.""
"When?""
"About five years ago.""
"Did you see a death certificate?""
"No.""
"Did you see a body?""
He shook his head.
I stared at him.
"Yet you believed her.""
Marcus lowered his eyes.
"I know how that sounds.""
"It sounds like everything you believed about your family came from one woman.""
He didn't argue.
Daniel placed my phone on the table.
"We need to establish whether Victoria is telling the truth. I'll contact the police investigator handling the financial fraud case.""
I looked at the photograph again.
Margaret sat on a hospital bed, her hands folded in her lap.
Her eyes were tired.
But she was alive.
"I want to meet her.""
Daniel shook his head.
"Not without security.""
"I've spent six years having other people decide what I'm allowed to know. I'm not doing that anymore.""
He looked at me for a long moment.
Then he nodded.
"All right. But we do this carefully.""
At 6:30 that evening, we arrived at an abandoned restaurant near the river.
The building had once been a popular family diner. Its faded sign still hung above the entrance, and weeds had grown through cracks in the parking lot.
Victoria had chosen the location.
Daniel and a police investigator waited in a separate vehicle nearby.
Marcus came with me.
I hadn't wanted him there, but he had refused to leave.
"Stay behind me," I told him.
He gave a humorless smile.
"You're giving me orders now?""
"Someone needs to.""
He didn't respond.
The restaurant's side door was unlocked.
Inside, dust covered the tables. A single lamp illuminated the far corner.
A woman stood beside it.
She wore a dark coat and had her hair pulled into a loose bun.
When she turned, I stopped breathing.
She had my father's eyes.
Not similar eyes.
The exact same eyes.
The same slight downward tilt at the corners. The same deep brown color.
She looked at me for several seconds.
Then she whispered, "Nia.""
I couldn't move.
Victoria approached slowly.
"I'm sorry I contacted you this way.""
I stared at her face.
"Are you really my sister?""
She gave a sad smile.
"Unfortunately, yes.""
I almost laughed.
"Unfortunately?""
"Because our father was a complicated man, and our family has apparently become a disaster.""
Something in her expression softened.
Then she opened her arms.
I hesitated.
Six years of being told I was an only child stood between us.
But she was standing there, breathing, looking at me with my father's eyes.
I stepped forward.
She hugged me.
For one brief moment, I felt something I hadn't felt since my father died.
A connection to him.
Then Victoria pulled away.
Her eyes moved to Marcus.
"That's him?""
Marcus frowned.
"That's me.""
Victoria looked at me.
"He's the man who signed the documents?""
I nodded.
She laughed bitterly.
"Of course.""
Marcus stepped forward.
"Listen, I didn't know what my mother was doing.""
Victoria's expression hardened.
"Your mother knew exactly what she was doing.""
"She told me you were dead.""
"She told everyone that.""
"Why?""
Victoria reached into her coat and removed a photograph.
It showed her standing beside a hospital bed.
A woman lay beneath a white blanket.
Margaret.
"My mother spent the last five years being moved between private facilities," Victoria said.
"Every time she tried to contact our father, Eleanor arranged for someone to intervene.""
I looked at the photograph.
"Why didn't she go to the police?""
"Because Eleanor convinced her that my father had abandoned us and that he was paying people to keep us quiet.""
Victoria's voice cracked.
"By the time my mother realized the truth, she was too frightened to leave.""
I swallowed.
"Where is she now?""
"Safe. For the moment.""
"Why didn't you contact me sooner?""
Victoria looked away.
"Because I thought you were part of it.""
"Part of what?""
"Your father's estate. The money. The Whitmore family. Everything.""
She took a deep breath.
"After Dad died, Eleanor sent me a letter. It said he had changed his will and left everything to you. She included a copy of a document supposedly signed by him.""
I frowned.
"That's not what the trust says.""
"I know that now.""
Victoria pulled another document from her bag.
It was a photocopy of a letter.
My father's handwriting.
At least, it looked like his.
Victoria, I cannot continue supporting you. My family must come first. Please do not contact me again.
I stared at the page.
"I've never seen this.""
"Neither had I until Eleanor sent it.""
Victoria's eyes filled.
"I believed it for years.""
I reached for her hand.
"She lied to both of us.""
Victoria nodded.
"And she made sure we never had a chance to discover that.""
Marcus looked at the letter.
"Why would my mother go to such lengths?""
Victoria turned toward him.
"Because your mother didn't just want money.""
She placed another photograph on the table.
This one showed Eleanor standing outside a private banking office with Richard Cole.
Behind them stood a third person.
Marcus.
My husband stared at the picture.
"When was this taken?""
"Six years ago," Victoria answered.
"That's impossible. I never met Richard Cole.""
Victoria looked directly at him.
"You met him before your wedding. You just didn't know his real name.""
Marcus's face tightened.
"What are you talking about?""
Victoria pulled out a final document.
A hotel registration record.
The date was three months before our wedding.
The names listed were Eleanor Whitmore, Richard Cole, and Marcus Whitmore.
I looked at my husband.
He shook his head.
"I don't remember this.""
Victoria's voice became cold.
"Then perhaps you should remember what happened the night you signed your first agreement.""
Marcus stared at the paper.
Then his phone rang.
Eleanor.
He answered automatically.
"Mom?""
Her voice came through clearly.
"Marcus, get out of that building.""
He looked at Victoria.
"How do you know where I am?""
"Because I know everything you do.""
Victoria stepped toward the phone.
"Eleanor.""
Silence.
Then Eleanor laughed.
"Well. The dead girl finally decided to introduce herself.""
Victoria's face went white.
Eleanor continued.
"Tell your sister to ask her husband why he was in my office the night Thomas Carter died.""
Marcus stopped breathing.
I turned toward him.
"What night?""
He opened his mouth.
But before he could answer, Eleanor added one final sentence.
"Ask him what he carried out of that hospital.""
May you like
The call ended.
And Marcus began shaking.
