Chapter 3 - THE FATHER WE NEVER KNEWMom remembered our names.
She remembered Grandma.
She remembered that Emma hated peas and I slept with one sock on because I always lost the other.
But when we asked about our father, she closed her eyes.
That was when I knew the answer was worse than silence.
Adrian did not leave.
Mom demanded it.
Grandma demanded it.
A doctor politely suggested it.
Adrian stood outside the room.
“I'll leave when Claire tells me who tried to kill her.”
Mom heard him.
“So stubborn,” she whispered.
Grandma adjusted her blanket.
“You used to like that.”
“I was young.”
“You were twenty-four.”
“Exactly.”
Emma climbed onto the chair beside Mom.
“Was Adrian our daddy?”
The room stopped.
Mom stared at Emma.
Grandma stared at the floor.
I stared at Adrian through the glass.
He couldn't hear us.
I think.
Mom reached for Emma's hand.
“No.”
Emma nodded.
“Okay.”
That was Emma.
She asked impossible questions like she was ordering breakfast.
I asked the next one.
“Who was?”
Mom looked at me.
“His name was Michael.”
“Michael what?”
“Reed.”
“Was he nice?”
Mom smiled.
It was the saddest smile I had ever seen.
“Yes.”
“Was he rich?”
“No.”
“Was he stupid?”
Mom laughed.
A tiny laugh.
“No. Michael was very smart.”
Emma asked, “Did he know about us?”
Mom's face broke.
“Yes.”
That answer hurt more.
“Then why didn't he come?”
Mom began crying.
Grandma hugged her.
I wanted to take the question back.
Children can't do that.
Words don't climb back into your mouth because you regret them.
“Michael died before you were born,” Mom whispered.
Emma squeezed my hand.
Once.
Look.
Mom continued.
“He was investigating Black Harbor.”
Adrian opened the door.
Mom immediately stiffened.
“You were listening.”
“Yes.”
“That is rude.”
“I've been called worse.”
“You need to leave.”
“Michael Reed.”
Mom's face changed.
Adrian stepped inside.
“He worked in federal financial crimes.”
Grandma stood.
“How do you know?”
“I remember him.”
Mom stared.
Adrian continued.
“He came to Vale Meridian after Claire disappeared. He asked questions about shipping accounts.”
“He was looking for me,” Mom said.
“I didn't know that.”
“No. You didn't know many things.”
Adrian accepted the insult.
“He died in a car bombing.”
Emma went pale.
Grandma said, “Not in front of the girls.”
“They deserve the truth,” Mom whispered.
I wasn't sure I wanted it anymore.
Mom looked at us.
“Michael found me after the Harbor Street fire.”
“Where?”
“Boston.”
“Were you hiding?”
“Yes.”
“From Adrian?”
Mom looked at him.
“No.”
Adrian's jaw tightened.
“From my father.”
Mom nodded.
“Your father ordered the fire.”
Adrian sat down.
For the first time, the billionaire looked small.
“My father?”
“He knew I copied the Black Harbor ledger.”
Adrian stared at her.
“You had the ledger?”
“A copy.”
“Where is it?”
Mom looked at Emma.
Then me.
My stomach hurt.
“No,” Grandma whispered.
Mom closed her eyes.
“Claire, no.”
Adrian looked between us.
“What?”
Grandma said, “Nothing.”
Adrian stood.
“What did you do?”
Mom whispered, “The pink phone.”
Emma's mouth opened.
The emergency phone.
The one Grandma gave us.
The one Emma used to call the ambulance when Adrian collapsed.
Emma pulled it from her backpack.
Adrian took one step forward.
Grandma blocked him.
“Don't.”
Mom said, “It's okay.”
Emma held the phone.
“It has games.”
Mom smiled weakly.
“Yes.”
“And Grandma's number.”
“Yes.”
“And Lucy changed the wallpaper.”
“It was ugly.”
“It was a cat.”
“It was a weird cat.”
Adrian interrupted.
“Claire.”
Mom looked at him.
“The memory card,” she said.
Emma removed the pink case.
There was a tiny black card beneath the battery cover.
Adrian stared at it.
Mom whispered, “Michael encrypted the ledger. Before he died, he gave me the only complete copy.”
“You've had it for eight years?”
“No.”
Mom looked at Grandma.
“I thought it was destroyed.”
Grandma sat down.
“I found it after your accident.”
Mom stared.
“What?”
“It was in your safe.”
“And you put it in their phone?”
“Nobody searches a child's emergency phone.”
Adrian looked almost impressed.
Grandma glared.
“Don't admire me.”
“Too late.”
Emma handed Adrian the phone.
Mom suddenly shouted.
“No!”
Adrian stopped.
“Don't connect it to anything,” she said.
“Why?”
“Because Black Harbor has been waiting twelve years for that file to come online.”
Adrian slowly lowered the phone.
Then his own phone rang.
Mara's voice came through the speaker.
“Sir, we have a problem.”
“What?”
“Daniel Rusk is dead.”
Mom closed her eyes.
Adrian asked, “How?”
“Someone reached him in police custody.”
“Who?”
“We're working on it.”
Mara paused.
“And your brother is downstairs.”
Adrian's face changed.
Mom whispered, “Julian.”
Adrian looked at her.
“You remember him.”
“I remember everything.”
Fear entered her voice.
“Do not let Julian near my daughters.”
The door opened.
A tall man stood in the hallway.
He looked like Adrian.
Not exactly.
But enough.
Julian Vale smiled at us.
“Claire,” he said warmly. “You're alive.”
May you like
Then he looked at the pink phone in Emma's hand.
And his smile disappeared.
Related Stories
