Chapter 8: Behind the Wall
We left for home before sunrise.
Dad drove.
Lena sat in the passenger seat.
Maya and I sat in the back.
Nobody slept.
The road wound down from the mountains while the sky slowly turned gray.
I kept looking at Lena.
She was real.
After all these years, she was sitting only a few feet away from me.
My sister's sister.
My biological mother's daughter.
A ghost my family had buried without a body.
Finally, I asked, “Why did you come back now?””
Lena looked at me through the mirror.
“Because your mother ran out of time.””
“What does that mean?””
“She knows I have evidence.””
“What evidence?””
“Enough to put her in prison.””
Dad tightened his grip on the steering wheel.
“Then why hasn't she been arrested?””
“Because the most important evidence is still missing.””
“The original records,” Dad said.
Lena nodded.
“Yes.””
Maya leaned forward.
“What exactly is in those records?””
“Your adoption.””
“And Devin's birth?””
“And Lena's disappearance.””
Dad glanced at her.
“Your disappearance?””
“Yes.””
“You were declared dead.””
“I know.””
“Who signed the death certificate?””
Lena looked at him.
“Your wife.””
Dad's knuckles turned white.
“How?””
“She told the doctor she was my legal guardian.””
“She wasn't.””
“I know.””
The silence returned.
Then Lena said, “She also told him you were the father.””
Dad's head snapped toward her.
“What?””
“You weren't.””
“I know.””
“No.””
Lena looked at him.
“You don't understand.””
She reached into her bag.
Pulled out another document.
“Your wife told everyone you were Lena's biological father.””
Dad stared.
“She wanted you to believe that.””
“Why?””
“Because if you believed Lena was yours, you'd never question why she needed to be protected.””
Dad looked at her.
“You manipulated me.””
“I was a child.””
Her voice was sharp.
“You were an adult.””
Dad went silent.
Lena turned toward the window.
“You loved me because you thought I was yours.””
Dad whispered, “I loved you because you were a child who needed me.””
Lena looked at him.
For a second, her anger disappeared.
Then she said, “I needed you.””
Dad looked away.
“I know.””
We reached our neighborhood just after seven.
Police cars were parked two streets away.
Dad immediately slowed.
“What happened?””
Lena looked ahead.
“She's already started.””
Our house stood at the end of the street.
The curtains were open.
The front door was closed.
But smoke drifted from the roof.
Maya gasped.
“No.””
Dad pulled over.
Police officers ran toward us.
One officer shouted, “Stay in the vehicle!””
Dad ignored him.
“That's my house!””
“We know!””
He stopped.
The officer approached.
“There was a fire in the garage. It's contained.””
“Is anyone inside?””
“No.””
Dad looked relieved.
Then he turned toward Lena.
She was staring at the house.
“She knew.””
“What?””
“She knew we'd come.””
The officer frowned.
“What does she mean?””
Lena looked at him.
“My mother.””
The officer's expression changed.
“Your mother?””
“She started the fire.””
The officer immediately called another officer over.
Dad took my arm.
“Stay with me.””
We entered only after the firefighters cleared the structure.
The smell of smoke was overwhelming.
The garage was blackened.
The kitchen was soaked from the sprinklers.
But upstairs, strangely, the damage was minimal.
We walked toward my old bedroom.
The room looked exactly as I remembered.
My childhood bed.
The bookshelf.
The desk.
The small dents in the wall from years of throwing things when I was angry.
I stared at the room.
“Why here?””
Lena walked to the closet.
“Because she wanted you to think this was your room.””
I frowned.
“What?””
She touched the back wall.
“This was built over the original closet.””
Dad came closer.
“You're saying there's something behind it?””
Lena nodded.
“She told me once.””
Maya looked at her.
“Why?””
“Because she was drunk.””
Lena ran her fingers along the wall.
“She said the best place to hide something was somewhere the person would never question.””
Dad found a loose panel.
He pulled.
Nothing.
Then he noticed a tiny screw beneath the shelf.
He removed it.
The panel shifted.
Behind it was a narrow metal door.
My heart pounded.
Dad opened it.
Inside was a black box.
He lifted it out.
There was a lock.
Lena handed him a key.
He stared at it.
“Where did you get this?””
“Your wife's desk.””
He unlocked the box.
Inside were documents.
Original birth certificates.
Adoption papers.
Bank statements.
Photographs.
And a cassette tape.
Dad picked up the first birth certificate.
He read it.
Then handed it to me.
I looked down.
My biological mother's name was there.
Mara Bennett.
Father: unknown.
My birth had been recorded six months before my parents' wedding.
I looked at Dad.
“You knew Mom wasn't pregnant.””
“I didn't.””
“How?””
He pointed to another document.
“Because she told me she gave birth.””
Maya picked it up.
“There's no hospital record.””
Lena shook her head.
“There is.””
She pointed to the cassette.
“It's on that.””
Dad looked confused.
“What is that?””
“Your wife's voice.””
He stared.
“When did you record her?””
“I didn't.””
Lena's expression darkened.
“She recorded herself.””
Dad looked at the tape.
“Why?””
“Because she was planning to use it as leverage.””
We found an old cassette player in the basement.
Dad brought it upstairs.
The tape hissed when he pressed play.
Then my mother's voice filled the room.
Young.
Calm.
Cold.
“I don't care what happens to Mara.””
Dad froze.
Maya gripped my hand.
Mom continued.
“The boy stays with me.””
A man's voice replied.
“He isn't yours.””
“I know.””
“Then why?””
“Because Andre will give me anything if he thinks the child is his.””
Dad closed his eyes.
The tape continued.
“And the girl?””
“She stays with her father.””
“No.””
“Why not?””
“Because girls grow up and ask questions.””
There was a pause.
Then Mom said:
“Lena already asks too many.””
The tape clicked.
Another recording began.
This time, Mom sounded panicked.
“She saw the papers.””
The man's voice asked, “What are you going to do?””
“I'll make sure she doesn't talk.””
I felt sick.
Dad reached for the player.
“Stop.””
Lena grabbed his wrist.
“No.””
The tape continued.
Mom's voice trembled.
“I'm taking her tonight.””
The man said something too softly to hear.
Then Mom answered:
“She'll be gone before Andre knows.””
Maya covered her mouth.
Dad looked at Lena.
“You heard this?””
“Years ago.””
“Why didn't you give it to me?””
“Because I didn't have the tape.””
“Then how?””
“Your wife sent it to someone.””
Dad looked confused.
“To who?””
Lena pointed to the final document.
It was a letter.
Dad opened it.
His eyes widened.
The signature belonged to Mom.
At the bottom was a name.
*Daniel Reed.*
Dad looked at Daniel.
Daniel had followed us into the room.
“You knew?””
Daniel nodded.
“She sent it to me.””
“Why?””
“Because she thought I would be afraid.””
Dad stared.
“Afraid of what?””
Daniel looked at me.
“She wasn't worried about losing the children.””
He paused.
“She was worried about losing the money.””
I looked at the box.
“There has to be more.””
Lena nodded.
“There is.””
She picked up another folder.
“This is why she wanted Maya gone.””
Inside was a trust agreement.
Maya's name was highlighted.
Dad read the first page.
Then the second.
His expression changed.
“What?””
He looked at Maya.
“You were the controlling beneficiary.””
Maya frowned.
“What does that mean?””
Lena answered.
“Your trust controls the money.””
“How much?””
Dad didn't respond.
Daniel did.
“Enough to make your mother's entire plan pointless.””
Maya stared at him.
“So she couldn't get my money.””
“Not legally.””
“Then she wanted me gone.””
“Yes.””
Maya's face hardened.
“What about Devin?””
Lena looked at me.
“Your trust was different.””
“How?””
“You inherited the company shares.””
Dad looked at her.
“What?””
Lena nodded.
“Your biological grandfather left Devin controlling interest in the company.””
I stared at my father.
“I don't even know what company you're talking about.””
Dad did.
His face went pale.
“The company I built.””
Lena shook her head.
“No.””
She pointed to the documents.
“The company your biological grandfather built.””
Dad slowly sat down.
“That's impossible.””
Lena looked at me.
“Your mother didn't marry your father for his money.””
She paused.
“She married him because she thought his family would lead her to yours.””
Suddenly, the lights went out.
Every room went black.
Maya grabbed my arm.
Dad stood.
“Everyone stay together.””
Then we heard a sound from downstairs.
A door opening.
Someone had entered the house.
May you like
And a woman's voice floated up the staircase.
“You should have stayed in Denver.””
