Chapter 6: The Secret Behind My Birth
I looked at the photograph again.
The woman holding the baby had a small crescent-shaped scar above her left eyebrow.
I had the same scar.
I'd always assumed it came from a childhood accident.
My father used to tell me I had fallen against the corner of a table when I was two.
But the photograph was dated before my second birthday.
I looked at Evelyn.
“Who is she?””
“My sister.””
“What was her name?””
“Rebecca.””
I shook my head.
“I've never heard of her.””
“Your father made sure of that.””
Detective Collins stepped between us.
“Mrs. Carter, I need you to sit down.””
Evelyn ignored her.
She picked up the photograph and stared at it.
“Rebecca was twenty-one when she had you. She was unmarried. Our parents had already passed away, and she was struggling to survive.””
I listened without moving.
“She met Thomas through his construction company. He promised to help her. He promised to give you a good home.””
“Then why did he adopt me?””
“Because he wanted you.””
Her voice broke.
“He and his first wife couldn't have children. He saw an opportunity, and Rebecca trusted him.””
I stared at her.
“Are you saying my father stole me?””
“I'm saying he made a decision that destroyed our family.””
Detective Collins took out her notebook.
“Do you have documentation supporting this claim?””
Evelyn looked at her.
“Of course.””
She reached into her handbag and removed a thin envelope.
Inside were several old documents.
A hospital birth record.
A handwritten letter.
And a photograph of a young woman standing outside a hospital.
I picked up the letter.
The handwriting was unfamiliar.
Evelyn, I know you think I'm making a mistake. But Thomas has promised Marcus a safe home. I want him to have opportunities I cannot give him. Please don't hate me for this.
There was a signature at the bottom.
Rebecca.
I read it twice.
Then looked at Evelyn.
“If my biological mother wanted this, why did you spend my entire childhood pretending she didn't exist?””
Evelyn's eyes filled.
“Because your father asked me to.””
“Why?””
“He said the truth would destroy you.””
I laughed bitterly.
“Convenient.””
She stepped closer.
“Marcus, you have to understand something. Thomas wasn't the man you thought he was.””
I looked at the photograph.
“My father loved me.””
“Perhaps he did.””
“Don't.””
“He also stole money from Rebecca. He used her name to establish accounts. He promised her a future and then abandoned her.””
Detective Collins raised a hand.
“Mrs. Carter, you're making serious allegations. You'll need to provide evidence.””
Evelyn nodded.
“I can.””
She looked directly at me.
“Your father left a trust for you. Not because he loved you. Because he was afraid of what Rebecca might reveal.””
I remembered Nia's words.
The trust.
The first grandchild.
“What does the trust contain?””
Evelyn looked at me.
“An offshore account. Shares in several properties. And documents proving who really owned the construction company.””
“Why do you want it?””
“Because it belongs to my family.””
I shook my head.
“You mean you want the money.””
Her expression hardened.
“I want what was stolen from us.””
I stared at her.
“And my father?””
For a moment, Evelyn looked away.
Then she said quietly:
“Your father died because he refused to return it.””
My chest tightened.
“Did you kill him?””
She didn't answer.
Detective Collins moved closer.
“Mrs. Carter, I'm asking you directly. Were you involved in Thomas Carter's death?””
Evelyn looked at me.
Then she smiled sadly.
“I didn't drive the car, Marcus.””
The room went cold.
“You were there?””
She said nothing.
“Were you in Daniel's SUV?””
Her silence was answer enough.
I stepped closer.
“You watched him die?””
Evelyn's face crumpled.
“He wasn't supposed to die.””
“Then what was supposed to happen?””
“He was supposed to stop.””
I felt my hands curl into fists.
“You chased him?””
“Daniel was driving. I was in the passenger seat.””
She looked at the photograph.
“Thomas wouldn't pull over. He kept saying he had already sent everything to the authorities.””
I could barely breathe.
“And then?””
Evelyn closed her eyes.
“The car hit him.””
“On purpose?””
“He swerved.””
“Did you tell the police?””
“No.””
“Did you call an ambulance?””
Evelyn's voice cracked.
“I was afraid.””
I stepped backward.
Seven years.
Seven years of pretending.
Seven years of watching me visit my father's grave.
Seven years of listening to me say how much I missed him.
And she had known.
Detective Collins took out her handcuffs.
“Mrs. Carter, you're coming with us for further questioning.””
Evelyn didn't resist.
But as the detective approached, she looked at me one last time.
“Marcus, there's something you need to know about Rebecca.””
I stared at her.
“What?””
“She didn't die.””
My heart stopped.
“What?””
Evelyn nodded.
“She was alive when Thomas took you. He told everyone she had abandoned you, but she spent years looking for you.””
I shook my head.
“Where is she?””
“I don't know.””
“Don't lie to me.””
“I'm not.””
She leaned closer.
“The last time I saw her was eleven years ago.””
“Where?””
“At a hospital.””
I frowned.
“What hospital?””
“St. Catherine's.””
Detective Collins glanced at her.
“Why was she there?””
Evelyn swallowed.
“Because she was dying.””
I felt my knees weaken.
“Dying from what?””
“She had a heart condition. The same condition that killed the woman Daniel claimed was Nia.””
I stared at her.
“What are you talking about?””
Evelyn's eyes widened.
Then she realized what she had said.
Detective Collins immediately grabbed her arm.
“Mrs. Carter, explain that statement.””
Evelyn shook her head.
“I didn't mean—”
“What woman are you referring to?””
“I said nothing.””
But I had heard her.
And I knew what it meant.
The woman Daniel had claimed died of a sudden heart attack.
The woman whose death certificate had been used to justify Nia's funeral.
Evelyn had just connected that supposed death to my biological mother.
I looked at the photograph.
Rebecca.
Then at Evelyn.
“Was my mother the woman they buried?””
Evelyn didn't answer.
Detective Collins tightened her grip.
“Mrs. Carter?””
Evelyn suddenly began struggling.
“Let me go!””
“Stop resisting.””
“You don't understand!”” she screamed.
I stepped forward.
“Tell me!””
She looked at me, tears streaming down her face.
“Rebecca was supposed to be dead!””
The words echoed through the study.
I stared at her.
“Supposed to be?””
Evelyn shook her head.
“Daniel said she was gone. He said the heart condition had finally killed her.””
“When?””
“Three days before Nia's funeral.””
I felt sick.
“Did you see her body?””
“No.””
“Did you identify her?””
“No.””
“Then how do you know?””
Evelyn looked toward the window.
“Because Daniel told me he had taken care of everything.””
Detective Collins immediately called for additional officers.
“Mrs. Carter, you're under arrest pending further investigation into the attempted murder of Nia Carter and the circumstances surrounding Thomas Carter's death.””
Evelyn began crying harder.
But I couldn't look at her.
My mind was racing.
My biological mother might have been alive.
And Daniel might have used her supposed death as part of the funeral deception.
I turned toward the desk.
“Where is the key?””
Detective Collins looked at me.
“The key she was holding?””
I nodded.
An officer handed it to me.
It was small, brass, and marked with the number 317.
The same number Nia had written on the paper.
Locker 317.
I looked at Detective Collins.
“I need to go to the railway station.””
“Not without officers.””
“Fine.””
She nodded to one of her colleagues.
“Get a team ready.””
Before we left, I opened the desk drawer.
It was unlocked.
Inside were old letters, property documents, and a small black notebook.
I picked it up.
The first page contained my father's handwriting.
*For Marcus, when he's old enough to understand.*
I turned the page.
There was a list of dates.
Names.
Account numbers.
And one sentence written in red ink.
*If anything happens to me, find Rebecca Carter. She knows the truth about the child.*
I felt my stomach tighten.
The child.
Not the money.
Not the company.
The child.
I turned another page.
A hospital wristband had been taped inside.
The name was partially faded.
But the date was clear.
Thirty-seven years earlier.
And the patient number matched the number on my birth certificate.
I pulled the document from the envelope Evelyn had left behind.
Then I noticed something.
The hospital record stated that Rebecca had given birth to twins.
I read the line again.
Twins.
I had a twin.
I looked at Evelyn.
She had stopped crying.
Instead, she was watching me with an expression I couldn't understand.
“Who was the other baby?””
Her lips trembled.
“Your sister.””
“Where is she?””
Evelyn shook her head.
“Rebecca took her.””
“Why?””
“Because Thomas only wanted one child.””
I felt my blood run cold.
Detective Collins approached.
“Marcus, we need to go.””
I looked down at the hospital record again.
There was a second name written beside mine.
*Baby B — Female.*
And beneath it, someone had written:
*Adoptive placement: Carter family.*
I stared at the words.
“My father adopted both of us?””
Evelyn whispered:
“No.””
She looked directly into my eyes.
“Your sister was adopted by someone else.””
“Who?””
Evelyn's face crumpled.
Then she spoke a name.
“Daniel Price.””
I couldn't breathe.
The man who had put my wife in a coffin.
The man who had stolen millions from our company.
The man who had been threatening my family for years.
Was my biological brother-in-law?
No.
He was something worse.
He was my twin brother.
And before I could process it, my phone rang.
A hospital number appeared on the screen.
I answered immediately.
“Hello?””
A nurse's frantic voice came through.
“Mr. Carter? You need to come back immediately.””
“What happened?””
“Your wife has disappeared.””
I froze.
“What?””
“We found her room empty. The officer outside has been attacked.””
I looked at Detective Collins.
She immediately reached for her radio.
The nurse continued, her voice shaking.
“And there's a message written on the wall.””
“What message?””
A pause.
May you like
Then she whispered:
*ASK YOUR BROTHER WHY HE WANTS YOUR BABY.*
