Chapter 6: The Woman Carrying My Mother's Bag
For a few seconds, nobody moved.
The image on Lieutenant Harris's tablet remained frozen.
A blurred figure.
A brown leather handbag.
My mother's handbag.
And beside it, according to the academy's preliminary identification, was Sandra.
My stepmother.
The woman who had told me to wash dishes the night before my graduation.
The woman who had handed Brooke my invitation without hesitation.
The woman who had watched my father shove me into the rain.
I looked at the photograph again.
“That's not possible.””
Harris lowered the tablet slightly.
“We can't make a final facial identification from this resolution.””
“But you said it was Sandra.””
“We matched height, posture, movement pattern, and clothing against available images.””
I stared at the screen.
“What clothes?””
Harris zoomed in.
The woman was wearing a dark coat.
A pale scarf.
Black gloves.
I felt my stomach tighten.
“Sandra owns that coat.””
My father turned toward me.
“You're sure?””
“Yes.””
He looked sick.
General Grant took the tablet from Harris.
“Where was this recorded?””
“West administrative corridor.””
“Access point?””
“Restricted.””
“Who has access after hours?””
Harris began listing names.
“Command staff. Security. Certain senior faculty. Administrative officers.””
“And civilian personnel?””
“Not normally.””
I looked at my father.
“My stepmother isn't civilian academy staff.””
“No,” Grant said.
“So how did she get inside?””
Nobody answered.
Dad suddenly stepped toward the door.
“I need to talk to her.””
Grant blocked him.
“Not yet.””
“That's my wife.””
“And this is an active investigation.””
“You don't understand.””
“I understand exactly enough.””
Dad's voice rose.
“If she's involved, I need to know why.””
Grant's gaze hardened.
“And if she realizes we suspect her, we may lose evidence.””
Dad stopped.
I stared at him.
“What are you not telling me?””
He looked at me.
“I don't know.””
“You said that before.””
“And I meant it.””
“Then call Sandra.””
He shook his head.
“No.””
“Why?””
“Because she won't answer honestly.””
The words stunned me.
“You don't trust your own wife?””
He looked away.
“I haven't for a long time.””
My chest tightened.
“How long?””
He didn't answer.
I stepped closer.
“How long, Dad?””
He finally whispered, “A few years.””
A bitter laugh escaped me.
“A few years?””
“I noticed things.””
“What things?””
“Unexplained trips. Phone calls she wouldn't discuss. Cash withdrawals.””
I stared at him.
“And you stayed married to her?””
“She said she was helping her family.””
“Which family?””
“I don't know.””
I shook my head.
“This is unbelievable.””
General Grant placed the tablet on the table.
“Richard, did Sandra know Evelyn?””
Dad's face changed.
“Yes.””
“How?””
“They met before I married Sandra.””
My heart stopped.
“Before?””
“Yes.””
“Where?””
Dad swallowed.
“At the academy.””
I stared at him.
“You said Sandra had nothing to do with this.””
“I didn't know she did.””
“You knew they had met.””
“I knew they had met once.””
“Once?””
He nodded.
“Your mother was already worried about people following her. She asked me not to ask questions.””
“And Sandra?””
“She approached her.””
“Why?””
“I never found out.””
I looked at the tablet again.
My mother's handbag was in Sandra's possession eleven years later.
That wasn't a coincidence.
It couldn't be.
“Dad,” I said quietly, “when did you marry Sandra?””
“Two years after your mother died.””
“You started dating her before that?””
He hesitated.
“Yes.””
I felt the room tilt.
“You were dating her while my mother was alive?””
“No.””
He answered quickly.
“We met after.””
I studied his face.
Something about his answer bothered me.
“What month?””
He frowned.
“What?””
“What month did you meet Sandra?””
He looked toward the floor.
“September.””
My throat tightened.
My mother had died in August.
One month.
I stepped backward.
“You moved on that quickly?””
“Emma—”
“Don't.””
I raised my hand.
“Please don't explain.””
He looked devastated.
But the academy had taught me something important.
People could lie with their mouths.
Their timing was harder to hide.
General Grant turned to Harris.
“Find out whether Sandra had any official connection to the academy before Evelyn's death.””
“Yes, sir.””
“And pull every visitor log from the year before.””
“Yes, sir.””
“Names, dates, vehicles, everything.””
Harris left.
Colonel Mercer remained near the door.
Dad looked at me.
“I never wanted you involved.””
I turned.
“I was already involved.””
“What?””
“The moment you let Brooke take my invitation.””
He looked confused.
I continued.
“That invitation put me inside this building.””
His face fell.
“If you had come here with me, none of this would have happened.””
“Maybe that's true.””
“But you didn't.””
He lowered his head.
For once, I didn't want an apology.
I wanted answers.
A phone rang.
Everyone looked at the sound.
It was my father's.
He stared at the screen.
“Sandra.””
Grant raised a hand.
“Speaker.””
Dad hesitated.
Then answered.
“Hello?””
Sandra's voice came through.
“Richard, where are you?””
He looked at me.
“At the academy.””
There was a pause.
“Why?””
“I need you to come here.””
Another pause.
“Why would I?””
His voice tightened.
“Because Emma found something.””
Silence.
Then Sandra asked, “What did she find?””
I felt every muscle in my body tense.
Dad looked at me.
“The truth.””
Sandra laughed softly.
Not nervously.
Not confused.
Softly.
“You have no idea what you're talking about.””
General Grant stepped closer.
Dad put the phone on speaker.
“Where are you, Sandra?””
“At home.””
“Stay there.””
Her voice changed.
“Why?””
“Because the academy wants to speak with you.””
Silence.
Then—
“No.””
My father frowned.
“What?””
“I said no.””
Grant took the phone.
“This is Major General Michael Grant.””
Another long silence.
Then Sandra said something that made the room freeze.
“I know who you are.””
Grant's expression hardened.
“How?””
“I've known for years.””
The call disconnected.
Dad stared at the phone.
“She never talks like that.””
I looked at Grant.
“What does she mean?””
He didn't answer.
Instead, he turned toward Colonel Mercer.
“Send a team to the Lawson residence.””
Dad stepped forward.
“Wait.””
Grant looked at him.
“What?””
“My daughter is still there?””
“No.””
“Brooke is.””
Everyone stopped.
Dad's voice trembled.
“She's at home.””
I immediately thought of Brooke's face that morning.
The way she had looked at my invitation.
The way she had gone quiet when my speech began.
The way she had watched me after the commandant announced my name.
I pulled out my phone.
No messages.
No missed calls.
Then the screen lit up.
A text.
From Brooke.
I opened it.
*Emma, please don't let them come to the house.*
A second message appeared before I could answer.
*Sandra is packing.*
I stared at the words.
Then another.
*I found something in her room.*
My heart began racing.
I called Brooke.
She answered immediately.
“Emma?””
“Where are you?””
“My room.””
“Is Sandra there?””
“No.””
“Lock your door.””
“I already did.””
“What did you find?””
Her breathing was uneven.
“I wasn't looking for anything.””
“Brooke.””
“I went into her closet because I wanted a suitcase.””
“Why?””
“She told me to pack.””
“For what?””
“I don't know.””
My pulse hammered.
“What did you find?””
There was a long pause.
Then Brooke whispered, “A box.””
“What kind of box?””
“Metal.””
I looked at General Grant.
He was listening.
“Open it?””
“I did.””
“What was inside?””
Brooke started crying.
“Pictures.””
“Of what?””
“Mom.””
My throat tightened.
“How many?””
“A lot.””
“From when?””
“Before she died.””
I closed my eyes.
“Brooke, what else?””
“Documents.””
“What kind?””
“I don't know.””
“Read the top of one.””
She was silent for several seconds.
Then she whispered,
“It's an academy personnel report.””
My heart stopped.
“Whose name is on it?””
“I don't know.””
“Brooke.””
Her voice became shaky.
“There are two names.””
“Which ones?””
She inhaled sharply.
“Evelyn Lawson.””
I gripped the phone.
“And the second?””
Silence.
Then Brooke said the name.
“Richard Lawson.””
My father's face went white.
I slowly turned toward him.
He had heard every word.
“What?””
I asked.
Brooke's voice cracked.
“There are notes written all over the file.””
“What do they say?””
“I don't know.””
“Read them.””
She sniffed.
“Okay.””
Paper rustled.
Then she whispered,
“It says... ‘Subject: Evelyn Lawson. Secondary contact: Richard Lawson.’”
My father sat down heavily.
I stared at him.
“What does secondary contact mean?””
He couldn't answer.
Brooke suddenly gasped.
“Emma.””
“What?””
“I found another photograph.””
“What photograph?””
“It's dated three days before Mom died.””
My breathing stopped.
“Who is in it?””
She hesitated.
Then said,
“You.””
I frowned.
“What?””
“You're in the photograph.””
I couldn't speak.
“I was twelve.””
“I know.””
“Where was it taken?””
Brooke's voice dropped.
“Outside the academy.””
A cold silence spread through me.
I had never remembered being there.
Never.
But Brooke was still looking at the picture.
Then she whispered the words that made the blood drain from my face.
“Emma... you're standing beside Mom.””
I closed my eyes.
“That can't be.””
“Yes, it can.””
“Are you sure?””
“Yes.””
Her voice trembled.
“And someone wrote on the back.””
“What does it say?””
Brooke read it slowly.
“‘If anything happens to me, the girl must never know who her father really works for.’”
I looked at Dad.
His face had gone completely blank.
“Dad?””
He didn't answer.
“Who did you work for?””
Still nothing.
General Grant stepped closer.
“Richard.””
My father finally looked up.
And for the first time since I could remember, he looked genuinely afraid of me learning the truth.
He whispered,
“Emma, your mother never died because of the academy.””
I stared at him.
“Then why did she die?””
He closed his eyes.
May you like
“She died because of me.””
And at that exact moment, somewhere inside the academy, every security alarm began screaming.
