Chapter 5: The Woman Who Was Supposed to Be Dead
“Her name is Claire Bennett.””
Rachel’s voice came through the speaker.
I didn’t move.
I couldn’t.
Claire Bennett.
Seven years earlier, I had stood in a dark church in Manhattan while a priest spoke about her life.
Her kindness.
Her photography.
Her habit of writing notes in the margins of every book she read.
There had been no body.
Just an urn.
A closed memorial.
A story about a small plane crash in South America.
I had believed every word.
Now Rachel was telling me Claire was alive.
“Where is she?””
“She’s in Northern California.””
My hand tightened around the phone.
“Where exactly?””
“She won’t give the address yet.””
“Then how does Rebecca know where she is?””
“Because Rebecca helped her disappear.””
Across the room, Eleanor made a sound.
Not surprise.
Recognition.
I turned.
“You knew Claire was alive.””
Eleanor’s mouth opened.
Nothing came out.
That was enough.
I crossed the room.
“You watched me attend her funeral.””
“Sylvester—”
“You watched me stand beside an empty urn.””
“I didn’t know until later.””
“When?””
She looked away.
“When Lily was eight months old.””
My pulse hammered.
“You knew for more than five years.””
“I was trying to protect Lily.””
“From her own mother?””
“You don’t understand.””
“You keep saying that.””
I stepped closer.
“So explain it.””
Eleanor looked toward Marcus.
Then Dana.
Then Lily.
“She shouldn’t hear this.””
I turned to Dana.
“Can you take Lily somewhere nearby?””
Lily grabbed my sleeve.
“No.””
I crouched immediately.
“I’m not leaving you.””
“You said that before.””
“I know.””
“I want to stay.””
Her voice was small but firm.
Dana knelt beside her.
“How about we go right outside the door? You can still see your dad through the glass.””
Lily looked at me.
I nodded.
“Right there.””
She hesitated.
Then handed me her drawing.
“Keep this.””
I folded it carefully and slipped it into my coat.
“I will.””
Dana took her into the corridor.
The second the door closed, I turned back to Eleanor.
“Now talk.””
She sank into the chair.
“Claire disappeared because Vanessa Mercer’s father threatened her.””
“Why?””
“Because of you.””
My jaw tightened.
“What does that mean?””
“Before Caroline, before your marriage, Claire was the one person you were serious about.””
That was true.
Claire and I had been together for almost two years.
Quietly.
We avoided photographers.
Avoided premieres together.
She hated attention.
I loved that about her.
Then one morning, she ended it.
No explanation that made sense.
Three months later, she was supposedly dead.
I had carried that grief straight into the beginning of my relationship with Caroline.
“What did Mercer care about Claire?””
Eleanor rubbed her hands together.
“Because Vanessa wanted Adrian.””
“So?””
“Her father, Charles Mercer, wanted the Kane family connected to his.””
I frowned.
“That doesn’t involve me.””
“It did.””
“How?””
“Because Adrian was unreliable.””
A humorless laugh escaped me.
“That was obvious.””
“Charles knew it too.””
Eleanor looked directly at me.
“He wanted leverage.””
Marcus leaned against the table.
“What kind of leverage?””
“Family leverage.””
My skin went cold.
Eleanor continued.
“Charles believed that if Adrian married Vanessa, your fame and influence would benefit the Mercer family.””
“That sounds insane.””
“It was calculated.””
“And Claire?””
“Claire found evidence that Charles was funding illegal genetic screening at Jonathan Hale’s private lab.””
Marcus’s expression changed.
“What kind of screening?””
“Embryonic and neonatal testing beyond what had been authorized.””
I shook my head.
“She was a photographer.””
“She was documenting a medical ethics investigation.””
I remembered Claire traveling frequently during our final months.
She had told me it was for a magazine project.
I never knew the subject.
“She found something.””
“Yes.””
“What?””
Eleanor swallowed.
“Payments.””
“To Jonathan?””
“Yes.””
“For what?””
“To manipulate records involving wealthy families.””
Marcus straightened.
“Infant records?””
“Sometimes.””
My stomach turned.
“Why?””
“To hide paternity. Hide surrogacy. Hide children born from affairs.””
The room felt suddenly smaller.
“How many?””
“I don’t know.””
Marcus’s face hardened.
“This is bigger than your family.””
“I know.””
“No,” he said.
“I don’t think you do.””
Eleanor’s voice cracked.
“I knew enough to be afraid.””
I stared at her.
“Claire confronted Charles.””
“Yes.””
“When?””
“Shortly before she disappeared.””
“And he threatened her.””
“He threatened everyone she loved.””
Including me.
The realization landed slowly.
“She left me to protect me.””
Eleanor nodded.
“She discovered she was pregnant around the same time.””
My chest tightened.
“With Lily.””
“Yes.””
I walked toward the window.
Outside, daylight had begun fading.
For six years, my daughter had lived without me because a powerful man had decided truth was inconvenient.
“What happened to Claire?””
“She tried to disappear.””
“And the funeral?””
“Charles arranged the story.””
Marcus frowned.
“He faked her death?””
“Not personally. People around him did.””
“Why would Claire agree?””
“She thought it was the only way to disappear completely.””
I laughed bitterly.
“And yet she ended up giving birth in the same hospital as Caroline.””
Eleanor closed her eyes.
“That was not supposed to happen.””
“How did it?””
“She came back to Los Angeles because Rebecca had contacted her.””
“Why?””
“Rebecca had found copies of Jonathan’s payment records.””
My mind raced.
“So Rebecca knew about the corruption.””
“Yes.””
“And Claire wanted evidence.””
“Yes.””
“But she was pregnant.””
“She was nearly full term.””
“Then she went into labor.””
“Exactly.””
Marcus stepped closer.
“And Jonathan found out she was there.””
“Yes.””
“Did Charles Mercer?””
Eleanor hesitated.
“I think so.””
“You think?””
“I saw one of his security men in the hospital.””
My hands went cold.
“Why didn't you tell anyone?””
“Because by then everything was collapsing.””
I looked at her.
“That is not an answer.””
“No. It’s cowardice.””
For once, she said something I agreed with.
She wiped her eyes.
“Claire delivered Lily in a private surgical room under a false name.””
“And Caroline delivered Sophie.””
“And another infant.””
I frowned.
“What?””
Eleanor went still.
I stared at her.
“You said Caroline carried twins.””
“I believed she had.””
“But?””
“Jonathan manipulated the prenatal records.””
Marcus stepped forward.
“Why?””
Eleanor shook her head.
“I don’t know.””
A horrible thought formed.
“How many babies did Caroline actually deliver?””
Eleanor whispered, “One.””
Everything stopped.
I stared at her.
“Sophie?””
“Yes.””
“Only Sophie?””
“Yes.””
“Then why were there twin records?””
“To create space for Lily inside your family file.””
I felt physically sick.
Jonathan had not just hidden children.
He had built entire false pregnancies on paper.
“So Claire gave birth to Lily.””
“Yes.””
“Caroline gave birth to Sophie.””
“Yes.””
“Rebecca gave birth to Noah.””
“Yes.””
“Three women.””
“Three babies.””
“All in one night.””
Eleanor nodded.
I paced once across the room.
Then stopped.
“Why put Lily under my name?””
“Because Claire insisted.””
My voice cracked.
“She wanted me to know.””
“She wanted you to find Lily if anything happened to her.””
That hurt more than anything else.
“She thought ahead.””
“Yes.””
“And you still hid her.””
Eleanor lowered her head.
“Because Charles threatened to destroy everyone connected to the evidence.””
“Did he threaten Lily?””
“Yes.””
Silence.
“What exactly did he say?””
Eleanor looked up.
“That accidents happen to children whose parents ask dangerous questions.””
My fists clenched.
Marcus noticed.
“Sylvester.””
I forced myself to breathe.
“Is Charles Mercer alive?””
“Yes.””
“Where?””
“Palm Springs, mostly.””
Marcus said, “You are not contacting him.””
“I didn’t say I was.””
“You’re thinking it.””
I didn’t answer.
My phone rang again.
Rachel.
I answered immediately.
“What happened?””
“I spoke to Rebecca.””
“And?””
“She convinced Claire to meet.””
My heart stopped.
“When?””
“Tonight.””
“Where?””
“A church outside Santa Rosa.””
I looked at the clock.
Hours away.
“I’m going.””
Marcus shook his head.
“You’re not going alone.””
“Fine.””
Rachel continued.
“There’s a condition.””
“What?””
“Claire says Lily cannot come.””
I looked through the glass.
Lily was sitting beside Dana, feet swinging above the floor.
“Why?””
Rachel went quiet.
“Because Claire believes Charles still has people watching her.””
My skin prickled.
Marcus grabbed his jacket.
Then Rachel said, “There’s one more thing.””
“Of course there is.””
“Claire told Rebecca she has proof.””
“Proof of what?””
“That Charles paid Jonathan.””
Marcus stepped closer.
“What kind?””
“A recording.””
My pulse jumped.
“Of Jonathan?””
“No.””
“Then who?””
Rachel exhaled.
“Adrian.””
I stared at the phone.
“My brother?””
“Yes.””
“What does he say?””
“I don’t know.””
“Rebecca does.””
Another pause.
“And she says that after Sylvester hears it, he’ll understand why Adrian died.””
The air vanished from my lungs.
“What are you saying?””
“I’m saying Rebecca no longer believes Adrian’s car crash was an accident.””
Across the room, Eleanor whispered, “Oh God.””
I looked at her.
She had gone pale.
“You knew?””
“No.””
But fear had already answered for her.
Marcus opened the conference-room door.
“We move now.””
I started toward Lily.
Then my phone buzzed with a text from Rachel.
A photograph.
An old digital audio recorder.
Beside it lay a handwritten note.
Claire’s handwriting.
I remembered those letters instantly.
The note said:
*Sylvester, if you are hearing this, they have already found one of us.*
Underneath was a second line.
*Do not trust Eleanor with Lily.*
I looked up.
May you like
Eleanor was standing ten feet away.
And for the first time, I wondered whether her fear had ever really been about protecting my daughter.
