Chapter 6: The Church in the Redwoods
“You’re not taking Lily anywhere.””
I said it before Eleanor could reach the door.
She froze.
Marcus turned toward me.
Eleanor’s face hardened.
“What are you implying?””
I held up my phone.
Claire’s message glowed on the screen.
Do not trust Eleanor with Lily.
The blood drained from Eleanor’s face.
“Where did that come from?””
“Claire.””
Her lips parted.
“She’s alive?””
“You knew that.””
“No. Not now.””
“What does that mean?””
“I knew she survived six years ago. I didn’t know where she went afterward.””
I studied her.
“Why would Claire tell me not to trust you?””
“I don’t know.””
“Try harder.””
Marcus stepped between us.
“This gets handled at the meeting.””
Eleanor shook her head.
“I’m coming.””
“No,” Marcus said.
“You cannot keep me here.””
“No. But I can strongly suggest you remain available while detectives review forged medical records carrying your signature.””
Her attorney immediately grabbed her arm.
“Eleanor, stop talking.””
I didn’t care what happened to her next.
I went into the corridor.
Lily jumped up when she saw me.
“Are we going home?””
The question stopped me.
Home.
I didn’t even know what that word meant to her yet.
I knelt.
“You’re going somewhere safe with Dana for a few hours.””
Her face crumpled.
“No.””
“I have to meet someone.””
“Who?””
I hesitated.
“Someone who knew you when you were a baby.””
Her eyes widened.
“My mom?””
I couldn’t lie.
“Maybe.””
She grabbed me.
“Then I want to come.””
I held her tightly.
“I know.””
“Please.””
“I can’t.””
She pulled back.
“Because I’m trouble?””
“No.””
The force in my voice startled her.
I softened it.
“Never because of that.””
“Then why?””
“Because keeping you safe is my job now.””
She searched my face.
“What if you don’t come back?””
My chest tightened.
“I will.””
“You promised before.””
“And I kept it.””
She thought about that.
Then nodded.
“Okay.””
I kissed her forehead.
“Dana stays with you the whole time.””
“Can Sophie come?””
That question caught me off guard.
I hadn’t even begun figuring out how to introduce them.
“I’ll make that happen soon.””
She touched my coat.
“My picture is still in there?””
I knew she meant the drawing.
“Yes.””
“Don’t lose it.””
“I won’t.””
Three hours later, Marcus and I were driving north through dark roads lined with redwoods.
Rachel followed behind us.
Rain tapped against the windshield.
Neither of us spoke much.
Finally Marcus said, “You need to prepare yourself.””
“For what?””
“Claire may not be the person you remember.””
“I know.””
“No, I mean emotionally.””
I looked at him.
“She spent six years hiding.””
“I’m aware.””
“She believed someone powerful wanted her silenced.””
“I’m aware.””
“She may not trust anyone.””
“Would you?””
Marcus didn’t answer.
The church appeared after nine.
Small.
White.
Surrounded by towering trees.
One porch light burned above the entrance.
No other cars were visible.
Marcus parked a short distance away.
“This could be a setup.””
“For who?””
“Anyone.””
He called the local officers positioned nearby.
Then nodded.
“Clear so far.””
Rachel joined us.
“You ready?””
“No.””
“Good.””
I looked at her.
She shrugged.
“Anyone who says yes would be lying.””
We approached the church.
The door opened before we reached it.
Rebecca stood inside.
I recognized her immediately.
Older.
Thinner.
Hair cut short.
But still Rebecca.
She stared at me.
Then covered her mouth.
“Sylvester.””
My anger came back instantly.
“You had my daughter.””
Tears filled her eyes.
“I know.””
“You raised her.””
“For eleven months.””
“Then handed her to Eleanor.””
Her face collapsed.
“I thought I was saving her.””
“From what?””
“My father.””
Marcus stepped inside behind me.
Rebecca noticed him.
“He’s with me.””
She nodded.
“Claire?””
Rebecca looked toward the chapel.
“She’s here.””
My body went cold.
For seven years, Claire had existed in memory.
A laugh.
A perfume.
A hand in mine.
A gravestone without a body.
Now she was twenty yards away.
Alive.
Rebecca touched my arm.
“Before you see her, you need to understand something.””
“I’ve spent the entire day understanding things I should have known six years ago.””
“This is different.””
“How?””
“She didn’t abandon Lily.””
“I know.””
“She thinks she did.””
I frowned.
“What?””
“My father convinced Claire that Lily had died.””
The words hit me hard.
“She thought Lily was dead?””
“For almost a year.””
“Then how did you end up with Lily?””
Rebecca wiped her cheek.
“My father gave her to me.””
“Why?””
“Because he needed Claire to stop looking.””
My stomach twisted.
“He told Claire her daughter died and gave the baby to you?””
“Yes.””
“Why would you accept that?””
“I didn’t know she was Claire’s.””
Silence.
Rebecca continued.
“He told me Lily was Caroline’s second daughter.””
The lie.
Another layer.
“He said Caroline and you couldn’t care for a disabled infant because of Caroline’s condition.””
My jaw tightened.
“And you believed him.””
“I was terrified. I had just lost Noah.””
“You didn’t lose Noah. He was taken.””
“I know that now.””
Rebecca started crying.
“But at the time, my father told me Adrian had rejected us and arranged the adoption himself.””
I closed my eyes.
Everyone had been lied to.
Different lies.
Perfectly designed to keep each person isolated.
“How did you learn Lily was Claire’s?””
“Eight months later.””
“What happened?””
“I found one of my father’s lab reports.””
“The maternal test.””
She nodded.
“I confronted him.””
“And?””
“He told me if I told Claire, he would make sure I never saw Noah.””
“So you stayed quiet.””
“For three months.””
I looked at her.
“Then?””
“I couldn't do it anymore.””
She swallowed.
“I contacted Claire.””
My heart pounded.
“She learned Lily was alive.””
“Yes.””
“And where was Claire?””
“Hiding in Nevada.””
“What did she do?””
“She came immediately.””
I stared at Rebecca.
“Then why didn't she take Lily?””
Rebecca’s face broke.
“Because someone followed her.””
My skin chilled.
“Charles Mercer.””
“We think so.””
“She arrived at my apartment. She held Lily for maybe ten minutes.””
I pictured it.
Claire seeing her daughter alive after believing she had died.
My chest hurt.
Rebecca continued.
“Then a black sedan appeared outside.””
Marcus asked, “Did you identify anyone?””
“No.””
“What happened?””
“Claire panicked.””
Rebecca looked at me.
“She said, ‘If they see me with Lily, they’ll know she survived.’”
I closed my eyes.
“She left.””
“Yes.””
“And you gave Lily to Eleanor.””
“I thought Eleanor could hide her better than I could.””
My anger returned.
“You chose Eleanor?””
“I didn't know how involved she was.””
“Claire did.””
“Not then.””
I stared at her.
Rebecca stepped aside.
“She knows now.””
The chapel was dark except for candles near the altar.
One woman stood near the front pew.
Back toward me.
Dark hair streaked with gray.
Thin shoulders beneath a brown coat.
I knew the shape of her before she turned.
Claire.
She looked at me.
Neither of us moved.
Seven years collapsed into one breath.
Her eyes filled.
“Sly.””
Nobody had called me that way since she disappeared.
I walked toward her.
Stopped several feet away.
“You’re alive.””
She gave a broken laugh.
“So are you.””
I wanted to hug her.
I wanted to scream.
I wanted to ask a thousand questions.
Instead I said, “Lily is alive.””
Claire covered her mouth.
Her knees almost gave out.
I caught her.
She grabbed my coat.
“Say it again.””
“She’s alive.””
Claire sobbed against my chest.
For several seconds, I forgot everything else.
Then she pulled back.
“Is she safe?””
“Yes.””
“Does she know about me?””
“A little.””
Claire wiped her face.
“Does she look like you?””
I smiled despite everything.
“Mostly.””
Claire laughed through tears.
That sound nearly destroyed me.
Then Marcus approached.
“Claire, we need the recording.””
Her expression changed instantly.
Fear returned.
She reached inside her coat.
A small audio recorder.
“I’ve carried this for five years.””
“Adrian gave it to you?””
“No.””
“Then who?””
“My father.””
We stared at her.
“Jonathan?””
“Yes.””
Marcus frowned.
“Why would he give you evidence against himself?””
“Because he was scared.””
“Of Charles Mercer?””
Claire nodded.
“The night Adrian died, my father called me.””
She handed me the recorder.
“He said Adrian had confronted Charles.””
My pulse quickened.
“What happened?””
“Adrian had proof Charles paid for the record changes.””
“And?””
“Charles threatened him.””
Marcus asked, “Was that recorded?””
“Yes.””
I looked at the device in my hand.
Claire whispered, “Play it.””
I pressed the button.
Static.
Then Adrian’s voice.
Older than I remembered.
Angry.
“You don't get to decide where my son lives.””
A second man answered.
Calm.
Controlled.
Charles Mercer.
“You gave up the right to decide when you endangered my daughter.””
Adrian laughed.
“You mean Vanessa.””
“I mean my family.””
“Your family has nothing to do with Noah.””
“It has everything to do with him.””
A pause.
Then Adrian said something that made every person in the church freeze.
“You're afraid Noah proves Vanessa can’t marry into my family.””
Charles answered.
“No.””
Another pause.
“I’m afraid he proves what Jonathan did to the embryos.””
I looked at Claire.
She was crying.
The recording continued.
Adrian’s voice changed.
“What embryos?””
Charles said nothing.
Then Adrian shouted.
“What did you do?””
The audio crackled.
Charles finally replied.
“Sophie Kane was not conceived the way your brother believes.””
I stopped breathing.
Claire grabbed my arm.
“Keep playing.””
My thumb pressed the button again.
Adrian whispered, “What are you saying?””
Charles laughed softly.
Then came the sentence that made my knees weak.
“I’m saying Sylvester has been protecting the wrong secret for six years.””
The recording ended.
I stared at Claire.
“What does that mean?””
She shook her head.
“I don’t know.””
Marcus took the recorder.
“Is there more?””
“Yes.””
“Where?””
Claire pointed toward the battery compartment.
Marcus opened it.
Inside was a tiny memory card.
He pulled it free.
Rebecca whispered, “Adrian hid a second recording.””
Marcus inserted it into a small reader from his bag.
Another file appeared.
Dated two days before Adrian’s death.
He pressed play.
Adrian’s voice came first.
Breathing hard.
“If you’re hearing this, something happened to me.””
My stomach tightened.
“I found Jonathan’s original records.””
Paper rustled.
“There were fertility procedures connected to Caroline’s pregnancy.””
I stared at Claire.
Adrian continued.
“Sophie’s genetic report was altered.””
My vision blurred.
“No.””
Then Adrian said:
“Sylvester is her biological father.””
Relief lasted less than a second.
“But Caroline is not her biological mother.””
Silence.
My heart stopped.
Adrian continued.
“And Lily’s mother is Claire.””
I already knew that.
Then came another line.
“The embryos were created in the same clinic.””
Claire gripped the pew.
Adrian’s breathing became uneven.
“And according to the original laboratory log, both girls came from eggs taken from the same woman.””
Claire whispered, “What?””
I stared at her.
That meant—
No.
Adrian’s final words played through the church.
“If these records are real, Sophie and Lily are not just sisters through Sylvester.””
A long pause.
“They are full biological sisters.””
Claire’s face went white.
I felt the floor tilt.
Caroline had carried Sophie.
Claire had given birth to Lily.
But genetically—
Both girls belonged to me and Claire.
Then the church door slammed open behind us.
A man shouted.
“Police! Nobody move!””
Marcus spun around.
Three officers entered.
Behind them stood another man.
Gray suit.
White hair.
Expensive cane.
I recognized him from photographs.
Charles Mercer.
He looked at Claire.
Then at me.
And smiled.
“You finally found the recording.””
Claire backed away.
Marcus moved in front of us.
Charles tapped his cane against the floor.
“But Adrian never found the last page.””
I stared at him.
“What last page?””
His smile disappeared.
“The page that explains why Caroline agreed to carry Sophie.””
Claire whispered, “She knew?””
Charles looked directly at me.
“Oh, she knew everything.””
Then he reached into his coat.
The officers reacted instantly.
“Hands!””
Charles slowly removed a sealed envelope.
Nothing more.
He held it up.
Caroline’s name was written across the front.
May you like
And beneath it, in handwriting I recognized as my late wife’s, were six words:
*Sylvester must never know the truth.*
