Chapter 5: The Woman Who Buried Her Children Twice
"Victoria, stop!""
She reached the bottom of the stairs and turned.
The diaper bag hung from her shoulder. Her purse was clutched beneath one arm, and her car keys were already in her hand.
"I need to take the boys somewhere safe.""
I descended the stairs slowly.
"Put the bag down.""
"James, you don't understand what's happening.""
"Then explain it.""
She glanced toward the front door.
I stepped into her path.
"You're not leaving with our children.""
Her expression hardened.
"Your children?""
The words cut deeper than I expected.
She saw it and immediately softened her voice.
"James, I didn't mean that. They're your sons. You know that.""
"Do I?""
She looked away.
For a moment, neither of us spoke.
Then she placed the diaper bag on the floor.
"Sarah is unstable," she said.
"She's been obsessed with the boys for years. She thinks she's their mother, and she'll do anything to get them back.""
"She is their mother.""
"You don't know that!""
"You just admitted you didn't give birth to them.""
Victoria's eyes filled with tears.
"I didn't carry them, but I raised them. I stayed awake when they cried. I learned how to feed them.
I changed their diapers. I sang to them when they couldn't sleep.""
"While their biological mother believed they were dead.""
She pressed her hands against her chest.
"I didn't know she was told that.""
"Did you know the babies had been taken from her?""
Victoria didn't answer.
I stepped closer.
"Did you know?""
She looked at the floor.
"Yes.""
The admission was almost inaudible.
I felt something inside me break.
"How could you?""
She began sobbing.
"Because I wanted to be a mother!""
Her voice filled the house.
"I wanted a family with you. I wanted to give you the one thing you had always wanted. And your father told me there was a way.""
"My father?""
"Richard said he knew a doctor who could help us. He told me everything would be legal. He said the biological mother had agreed to the arrangement.""
"Then why did she believe the babies were dead?""
Victoria covered her mouth.
"I didn't know that part until later.""
"Later when?""
She sat down heavily on the bottom step.
"About two weeks after we brought the boys home.""
I stared at her.
"Two weeks?""
She nodded through her tears.
"Dr. Reed called me. He said there had been a problem with the paperwork. He said Sarah had started asking questions.""
"And what did you do?""
"I asked your father to handle it.""
I felt cold all over.
"What did he do?""
"He paid the doctor. He paid the clinic's administrator. He said Sarah would be given money and told to move on.""
"Did she take it?""
"I don't know.""
"You don't know?""
Victoria shook her head.
"I wasn't involved in that part.""
I laughed without humor.
"You weren't involved? You were holding two babies you knew had been taken from their mother.""
"I thought she had signed the documents!""
"Then why didn't you tell me when you found out?""
She looked up at me.
"Because I knew you'd make me give them back.""
I stared at her for a long moment.
At least that answer was honest.
I sat opposite her on the stairs.
"Victoria, what happened to Emily today?""
She wiped her face.
"I lost control.""
"That's not an explanation.""
"She received a phone call about her son. She started begging me to leave, and I couldn't let her go.""
"Why?""
"Because I knew she would tell you what she'd overheard.""
I closed my eyes.
"So you tied her up.""
"I was frightened.""
"You assaulted a woman because you were frightened she'd tell her employer the truth.""
Victoria's face crumpled.
"I never intended to hurt her that badly.""
I stood.
"Don't say another word.""
I went into the kitchen and called the police to update them about the attempted departure and the information Sarah had given me. I also requested medical assistance for Emily.
When I returned to the staircase, Victoria was staring at the framed photograph of our wedding.
She had taken it from the wall.
Her thumb traced the edge of the glass.
"Do you remember what you told me that day?"" she asked.
I didn't answer.
"You said you'd never abandon me, no matter what happened.""
I looked at her.
"I said I'd stand by you through difficult times. I didn't promise to help you conceal a crime.""
She set the photograph down.
"Your father told me you would understand.""
"My father is dead. Stop hiding behind him.""
"He loved you.""
"And he taught me that family means protecting the people you love.""
She looked up hopefully.
I continued.
"Not controlling them. Not lying to them. Not stealing children and calling it love.""
The hope disappeared from her face.
A knock sounded at the front door.
This time, I didn't hesitate.
Two uniformed officers stood on the porch. Behind them was a paramedic carrying a medical bag.
I let them in and explained what had happened. One officer went upstairs to speak with Emily, while the other asked Victoria to remain in the living room.
She stared at me as the officer took out a notepad.
"You're really doing this?""
"Yes.""
"After everything we've been through?""
I swallowed hard.
"Especially after everything we've been through.""
The officer asked her to describe the events of the afternoon.
Victoria's first response was to blame Emily. She claimed the nanny had become aggressive, that she had restrained herself in self-defense, and that the babies had been endangered.
But when the officer asked about the bruises on Emily's wrists, Victoria faltered.
Then he asked why she'd attempted to leave with the children after I called for assistance.
She had no answer.
The paramedic returned from upstairs and informed us that Emily's injuries needed treatment but did not appear immediately life-threatening. He also said she had been extremely distressed about her son.
I gave Emily permission to use my phone to call the hospital.
She spoke quietly in the kitchen, one hand pressed against her forehead.
"Yes, this is Daniel Carter's mother. I'm trying to find out if he's out of surgery.""
She listened.
Then her knees buckled.
I caught her before she hit the floor.
"Emily?""
She gripped my sleeve.
"They don't know if he'll wake up.""
Her voice was barely a whisper.
I pulled out a chair and helped her sit.
"I'm so sorry.""
She shook her head, tears streaming down her face.
"I should have gone to him.""
"You tried.""
"She wouldn't let me.""
"I know.""
Emily looked at me.
"Please don't let her get away with this.""
I glanced toward the living room, where Victoria sat beside the officer, staring straight ahead.
"She won't.""
As the paramedics prepared to take Emily to the hospital, she reached into her pocket and pulled out a small, folded piece of paper.
"I need you to see something.""
I unfolded it.
It was a handwritten note.
If you want to keep your son safe, stop asking questions about the Cole twins.
The note was unsigned.
"When did you receive this?"" I asked.
"Three days ago. I thought it was a sick joke.""
"Did you tell Victoria?""
"No. But the handwriting looked familiar.""
"Whose?""
Emily hesitated.
"Dr. Reed's.""
My stomach tightened.
"Are you sure?""
"I saw him write a note for Mrs. Cole once. The letters looked exactly like these.""
I looked at the paper again.
The handwriting was precise, slanted slightly to the right.
At the bottom, someone had written a date.
Three days before Emily received the note, Daniel's hospital had admitted him for emergency surgery.
I folded the paper and slipped it into my pocket.
Then my phone rang.
Daniel Price.
I answered.
"Where are you?""
"At the clinic," he said.
"I've found something in the archived records that changes everything.""
"What?""
"I found the original consent form.""
"Whose consent?""
"Sarah's.""
My heart pounded.
"What does it say?""
There was a pause.
"Mr. Cole, it says she agreed to a temporary guardianship arrangement. But there's something strange about the signature.""
"What?""
"It was witnessed by your father.""
I closed my eyes.
"Richard Cole?""
"Yes. But that's not the strangest part.""
I waited.
Daniel lowered his voice.
"The document was signed six weeks before Sarah gave birth.""
I stared at the wall.
"Why would that matter?""
"Because the form identifies the children by names that weren't supposed to be chosen until after their birth.""
My throat tightened.
"What names?""
Daniel hesitated.
"Noah and Liam.""
The names of my sons.
The names Victoria and I had supposedly chosen together in the hospital.
I looked toward the living room.
Victoria was watching me.
Her face had gone pale.
She knew what Daniel had just told me.
And when I ended the call, she stood slowly and whispered, "James, please don't look in your father's safe.""
I stared at her.
"What safe?""
She covered her mouth.
Then she began to cry again.
May you like
Because she had just revealed that my dead father had left behind something else.
Something she was terrified I would find.
