Chapter 7: The Truth About Emily
Sarah sank into the chair.
I couldn't take my eyes off her.
“Tell me.””
She shook her head.
“Daniel…”
“Tell me.””
Maya stepped between us.
“Sarah, now.””
Sarah covered her face.
“When Emily was born, I was told she wouldn't survive.””
My heart clenched.
“What?””
“She was sick.””
“No.””
“The doctors said she was stable.””
“They lied.””
I stared at her.
“You're saying our daughter wasn't born here?””
Sarah whispered, “She was.””
“Then what?””
“They switched her records.””
Maya crouched beside her.
“With whose records?””
Sarah looked at me.
“Another baby.””
My skin went cold.
“Why?””
“Because someone wanted Emily to disappear.””
“Who?””
“Hale.””
I took a slow breath.
“Why would he care about a baby?””
“Because Emily wasn't supposed to stay in the hospital.””
Maya asked, “What was supposed to happen?””
“She was supposed to be transferred.””
“To where?””
“I don't know.””
“Who stopped it?””
Sarah looked at me.
“Your father.””
I froze.
“My father was dead.””
“Not then.””
“You're saying he was alive when Emily was born?””
“Yes.””
That was impossible.
My father had died twelve years before Emily was born.
Unless—
No.
I shook my head.
“You're lying.””
Sarah cried harder.
“I know how it sounds.””
“It sounds insane.””
“It is.””
Maya stood.
“Let's stay with facts.””
Sarah nodded.
“Your father had a hidden network of people helping him expose Blackwell.””
“Jason was one.””
“Yes.””
“Who else?””
Sarah swallowed.
“Doctors. Nurses. Accountants. A judge.””
Maya stared.
“A judge?””
“Judge Reynolds.””
My breath caught.
“The judge hearing my case?””
“Yes.””
I turned away.
“That can't be coincidence.””
“It isn't.””
Sarah reached for my arm.
I pulled away.
“You knew all of them.””
“I knew some.””
“And you still accused me.””
“I needed Hale to believe I was cooperating.””
“You put me in prison.””
“I know.””
“Emily thought I hurt her.””
“I told her to say it.””
The confession cut through me.
“You told our daughter to lie?””
“I thought it would keep her alive.””
“She was five.””
“I know!””
Sarah's voice cracked.
Then she whispered:
“They threatened to kill her.””
Silence filled the room.
She continued.
“They showed me photographs. Families. Children. People who disappeared.””
Maya asked, “Why Daniel?””
Sarah looked at me.
“Because Hale needed you to look guilty.””
“Why?””
“Because you were the only person left who could expose the ledger.””
I stared.
“What ledger?””
Sarah's mouth trembled.
“The one your father hid inside your marriage.””
“What does that mean?””
She reached into her pocket and pulled out a keycard.
“You've been carrying it for years.””
I looked at the card.
It had my name printed on it.
But the photo wasn't mine.
It was Jason's.
“What is this?””
“Access card.””
“To where?””
“The courthouse archive.””
Maya frowned.
“Why would his brother's card have Daniel's name?””
Sarah shook her head.
“It doesn't.””
We looked again.
The card read:
*DANIEL CARTER — SURVIVOR ACCESS*
Not employee.
Not attorney.
Survivor.
I stared.
“What am I surviving?””
Sarah looked at me.
“You're not the father they were trying to remove.””
She paused.
“Daniel, you're one of the children.””
My mind went blank.
“What?””
“Your father found you when you were five.””
I shook my head.
“My father raised me.””
“Yes.””
“That's what he was.””
Sarah's eyes filled.
“He adopted you.””
I stepped backward.
“No.””
“He took you out of the program.””
Maya looked stunned.
“A program?””
Sarah nodded.
“Children were placed with selected families. Their records were altered. Names changed. Histories erased.””
I looked at Emily's photograph.
“No.””
Sarah whispered, “Jason found your original records.””
“And that's why Hale took him.””
“Yes.””
“Where are they?””
She pointed toward the courthouse.
“The archive.””
A sound came from Maya's phone.
She looked at it.
“That's not possible.””
“What?””
“Someone just opened the archive.””
“Who?””
She turned the screen.
A security alert showed one name.
*Daniel Carter.*
I stared.
“But I'm standing here.””
Maya's phone rang.
She answered.
A security officer was shouting.
“Your access card was just used downstairs.””
Maya looked at me.
“Someone has your identity.””
Then another alert appeared.
A camera image loaded.
A man walked through the courthouse security door.
His face was turned toward the camera.
I recognized him immediately.
Jason.
May you like
But underneath his photograph was a message.
*Subject has been declared deceased for three years.*
