Chapter 8: The Woman Behind the Newspaper
Richard stared at the photograph.
The woman behind Claire was almost completely hidden.
Only one side of her face showed beneath the edge of the newspaper.
But Caleb had recognized her.
Richard turned around.
“Buddy, look at me.””
Caleb met his eyes.
“Are you sure?””
The boy nodded.
“She was outside my classroom.””
“When?””
“Yesterday.””
“What did she do?””
“She didn't talk to me.””
Caleb looked down at his hands.
“She just watched.””
Richard felt a cold pressure build in his chest.
Olivia studied the photograph.
“Could you recognize her if you saw her again?””
Caleb nodded.
“Yes.””
Margaret suddenly spoke.
“She has Emily's necklace.””
Richard looked at the image.
The woman was wearing a thin silver chain.
A tiny crescent moon pendant rested against her throat.
Richard knew it.
Emily had owned that necklace since college.
But Richard remembered something else.
His wife had lost it the week before she died.
He had searched their entire house for it.
He had never found it.
“How did she get Emily's necklace?””
Margaret whispered,
“She took it from the hospital.””
Richard turned sharply.
“You know who she is.””
Margaret shook her head.
“I know who she looks like.””
“Who?””
“Lena.””
Olivia's eyes narrowed.
“Emily's half-sister.””
Margaret nodded.
“The resemblance was always frightening.””
Richard looked at the woman again.
“Then Lena is alive.””
“Yes.””
Daniel suddenly grabbed the photograph.
“Turn it over.””
Richard did.
At the bottom, beneath the station number, was a line of handwritten ink.
*11:14 — WEST PLATFORM*
Daniel's expression changed.
“It's a meeting point.””
Richard started the engine.
Olivia stopped him.
“Richard, the message said come alone.””
“No.””
“It could be a trap.””
“My daughter is there.””
“And they expect you to act emotionally.””
Richard looked at her.
“I'm not going alone.””
Daniel nodded.
“Neither am I.””
Margaret climbed out of the car.
Richard frowned.
“Where are you going?””
“To end this.””
“You're coming with us.””
She shook her head.
“No.””
“Mom.””
Margaret looked at Caleb.
“I've already done enough.””
Richard stared at her.
“You're not walking away.””
“I've spent six years running from what I did.””
Her eyes filled.
“Tonight, I stop.””
She stepped toward him and pressed a key into his palm.
“What's this?””
“Your father's safety deposit box.””
Richard looked down.
“I thought his accounts were gone.””
“They weren't.””
“What’s inside?””
“The original DNA report.””
Olivia's head snapped toward her.
“You had it?””
Margaret nodded.
“And something else.””
“What?””
Margaret looked toward the dark road.
“The truth about Emily's death.””
Richard froze.
“Where?””
“The old bank near Riverside.””
Daniel swore softly.
“There's no time.””
Richard gripped the key.
“You're coming.””
Margaret shook her head.
“I can't.””
“Why?””
“Because someone has been waiting for me to open that box.””
A black SUV appeared at the far end of the road.
Daniel looked at it.
“That's them.””
Richard's body went rigid.
The SUV accelerated.
“Get in!””
Margaret grabbed Caleb's hand.
They rushed into the Mercedes.
Richard turned the wheel.
The SUV followed.
Daniel looked behind them.
“Two vehicles.””
Olivia checked her phone.
“No signal.””
Richard pressed the accelerator.
The Mercedes flew through the wet streets.
Caleb held onto his seat.
“Dad!””
“I've got you.””
The first SUV tried to overtake them.
Richard swerved.
Its headlights flashed across the windows.
Daniel rolled down his window.
“Left!””
Richard turned hard into a narrow industrial road.
The SUV slammed into a parked truck and spun sideways.
The second vehicle kept coming.
Richard drove toward Riverside.
After several minutes, the headlights disappeared.
Daniel exhaled.
“Think we lost them.””
Richard shook his head.
“No.””
He glanced at the clock.
10:47 p.m.
“West platform.””
Olivia looked at the photograph.
“The station is twelve minutes away.””
Margaret suddenly spoke.
“Richard.””
He looked at her in the mirror.
“The woman at the station isn't Lena.””
Richard frowned.
“You just said—”
“She looks like Lena.””
“Then who is she?””
Margaret's face turned pale.
“I don't know.””
“But you recognized the necklace.””
“Yes.””
Margaret stared at the rain-soaked streets.
“Because Emily gave it to someone.””
Richard felt his stomach drop.
“Who?””
Margaret whispered,
“Claire.””
The car went silent.
“She gave Claire the necklace?””
“On the day she died.””
“How?””
“I don't know.””
Richard's voice hardened.
“You were there.””
“Yes.””
“Then tell me.””
Margaret looked at Caleb.
“I found Claire after Emily was gone.””
Richard's hands tightened around the steering wheel.
“And?””
“She was alive.””
“Where?””
“At the hospital.””
“Then what happened?””
Margaret's eyes filled.
“I took her.””
Richard nearly stopped the car.
“You took my daughter?””
“I was trying to save her.””
“From whom?””
“Everyone.””
Richard shook his head.
“You don't get to use that excuse anymore.””
Margaret swallowed.
“Victor wanted her. Your father wanted her hidden. Someone inside the hospital wanted her dead.””
“So you took her.””
“Yes.””
“Where?””
Margaret closed her eyes.
“To a woman I trusted.””
Richard waited.
“Who?””
“Lena.””
Daniel turned.
“You gave Claire to Lena?””
Margaret nodded.
“She was the only person who looked enough like Emily to make people believe Claire was still connected to her.””
Richard stared.
“That doesn't make sense.””
“It did then.””
“Why?””
“Because if Victor believed Claire was with Emily, he'd keep looking in the wrong place.””
Richard's voice broke.
“And you never told me.””
“You were already being watched.””
“So you let me mourn my daughter.””
Margaret nodded.
“I thought you were safer believing she was dead.””
Richard said nothing.
A minute later, the abandoned station appeared ahead.
Broken lamps.
Rusting signs.
Wet tracks disappearing into the darkness.
Richard stopped near the entrance.
11:02.
He looked at Caleb.
“Stay in the car.””
Caleb shook his head.
“No.””
“Buddy—”
“I want to find Claire.””
Richard stared at him.
Olivia touched his shoulder.
“Let him stay with us.””
Richard nodded reluctantly.
They entered the station.
The air smelled of rust and rain.
Every footstep echoed.
Daniel carried a flashlight.
Margaret stayed close behind.
They reached the west platform.
A clock hung above the tracks.
Its hands were frozen at 11:14.
Richard looked around.
“Claire!””
His voice echoed.
No answer.
He tried again.
“Claire!””
A train whistle sounded in the distance.
Caleb grabbed his hand.
“Dad.””
Richard looked down.
Caleb was pointing toward a bench.
There was a stuffed rabbit sitting on it.
The same kind Claire had been holding in the photograph.
Richard approached slowly.
Under the rabbit was an envelope.
His name was written across it.
*RICHARD.*
He opened it.
Inside was a child's drawing.
Two stick figures holding hands.
A little girl.
A little boy.
Above them was the word:
*TWINS.*
Richard's eyes filled.
At the bottom of the page was another sentence.
*Daddy, I know you.*
Richard couldn't breathe.
“She knows me.””
Olivia gently took the paper.
“There may be a microphone.””
Daniel looked around.
A speaker crackled above them.
Then a woman's voice came through.
“Richard.””
He froze.
The voice sounded like Emily.
Not similar.
Not close.
Exactly like her.
“Richard, please listen.””
Richard stumbled backward.
“No.””
Margaret whispered,
“It's her.””
“Emily?””
“No.””
Margaret's face was white.
“Lena.””
The voice continued.
“You have the children.””
Richard looked around.
“What children?””
A pause.
Then:
“Both of them.””
Richard pulled Caleb behind him.
A second speaker crackled.
“You've spent six years trying to save the wrong child.””
Olivia looked at the ceiling.
“Who are you?””
Lena laughed softly.
“The woman you've never met.””
Richard shouted,
“Where's Claire?””
No answer.
“Where is my daughter?””
A door at the end of the platform slowly opened.
A little girl stepped out.
Blue coat.
Dark hair.
Stuffed rabbit in her arms.
Richard's breath stopped.
“Claire?””
The girl looked at him.
Her eyes widened.
“Daddy?””
Richard took one step forward.
Margaret grabbed his arm.
“Wait.””
Richard turned.
“Why?””
Margaret was staring at the girl in horror.
“That isn't Claire.””
Richard looked back.
The little girl smiled.
Then another little girl stepped out from behind her.
Same face.
Same dark hair.
Same blue coat.
Same eyes.
Caleb whispered,
“Dad…”
Richard couldn't move.
Two identical six-year-old girls stood beneath the broken station light.
One was holding the rabbit.
The other was wearing Emily's crescent necklace.
And from the darkness behind them, Lena's voice whispered:
“Now you can finally see what your mother has been hiding.””
The girl wearing the necklace stepped forward.
“Daddy?””
Richard stared at her.
Then the other girl spoke.
“Don't listen to her.””
Their voices were identical.
Olivia whispered,
“They're both Claire.””
Richard looked at Margaret.
His mother was crying.
“No,” she said.
“There are two girls.””
Daniel slowly backed away.
“That's impossible.””
Margaret shook her head.
“It isn't.””
Richard's heart pounded.
“How?””
Margaret finally said the words she had spent six years burying.
“The hospital didn't lose one baby that night.””
May you like
She looked at the two girls.
“It lost two.””
