Chapter 11 - The Mother of the Maid of Honor)
Rachel refused to believe it.
Claire did not blame her.
Marianne Mercer had spent the wedding morning helping arrange flowers.
She had hugged Claire.
She had cried when Claire came downstairs in her gown.
She had known Claire since college.
But corporate records were clear.
Marianne owned Mercer Strategic Protection.
Rachel stared at the documents in Detective Ortiz's office.
"This is impossible."
Stephen sat beside her.
His face had turned gray.
"You knew?" Rachel asked him.
Stephen shook his head.
"Your mother told me the company was sold after my father died."
Marianne was not answering her phone.
Her car had left Whitmore Hall shortly after Claire departed for Bellwater.
No one knew where she had gone.
Evelyn sat across from Claire.
They had not had a single private moment.
Claire wanted to ask thousands of questions.
What food did Evelyn like now?
Where had she lived?
Had she ever celebrated Claire's birthday?
Did she know Claire went to college?
Did she know about Daniel?
Had she ever seen photographs?
Instead, they were discussing private security firms and dead psychiatric doctors.
Claire hated the people who had stolen even this reunion from them.
Rachel looked at Evelyn.
"Did my mother hurt you?"
Evelyn hesitated.
"I don't know."
Rachel began crying.
"Please."
"I met Marianne once before."
"When?"
"Two years ago."
Rachel stared.
"Where?"
"At the blue house."
Claire leaned forward.
"Why?"
"She came looking for her father's papers."
"Did she know you were alive?"
"Yes."
"Did she threaten you?"
"No."
That surprised everyone.
Evelyn continued.
"She apologized."
Rachel looked confused.
"For what?"
"For Henry."
"My grandfather."
Evelyn nodded.
"Marianne said she had discovered files after his death. She learned he had participated in false commitments."
"Then why would her company attack us?"
"I don't know."
Detective Ortiz entered.
"We found Marianne."
Rachel stood.
"Where?"
"She turned herself in."
An hour later Marianne sat in an interview room.
She looked exhausted but not frightened.
Claire watched through the glass with Rachel, Stephen, Daniel and Evelyn.
Ortiz asked the questions.
"Did you send men to the blue house?"
"No."
"Did Mercer Strategic Protection?"
"Yes."
Marianne closed her eyes.
"But not under my authority."
"Who has operational control?"
"My brother."
Stephen went rigid.
Rachel turned toward him.
"You have an uncle?"
Stephen whispered, "I had an uncle."
Claire looked at him.
"What does that mean?"
"He died."
Marianne's voice came through the speaker.
"My brother Michael was declared dead in 2004."
Ortiz asked, "Declared?"
"No body was recovered."
Claire felt a familiar chill.
Another death without certainty.
Marianne continued.
"Michael worked with our father at St. Orison."
Evelyn whispered, "Michael."
Claire turned.
"You know him?"
Evelyn's face had gone pale.
"He was one of the administrators."
Ortiz asked Marianne, "Why do you believe he controls the company now?"
"Because six months ago someone began issuing old authorization codes."
"Codes only he knew?"
"Codes he created."
"Why didn't you report it?"
"I did."
"To whom?"
"Marcus Reed."
Daniel shut his eyes.
Of course.
Marianne continued.
"Marcus believed someone was using Michael's identity to frighten us."
"Us?"
"Families connected to St. Orison."
"What happened after Anna Hale died?"
Marianne began crying.
"I realized it wasn't intimidation."
"What was it?"
"Cleanup."
Claire's hand tightened around Daniel's.
Marianne looked directly toward the one-way glass, as if she somehow knew Claire was there.
"Anna found a list."
Ortiz leaned forward.
"What list?"
"Children."
Claire felt cold.
Rachel whispered, "What children?"
Marianne continued.
"St. Orison had a maternity wing for six years."
Evelyn stood suddenly.
Claire looked at her.
"Mom?"
Evelyn shook her head.
"No."
"What?"
Evelyn's breathing became shallow.
"No."
Claire caught her shoulders.
"What is it?"
Evelyn whispered, "There were babies."
Claire stared.
"What babies?"
But Evelyn had begun to cry.
"Women came in pregnant."
The room went silent.
Evelyn looked at Claire with horror.
"Some left without their children."
Claire felt as though the investigation had just opened beneath them.
"Mom, were you pregnant?"
Evelyn shook her head immediately.
"No."
Then she stopped.
Her face changed.
Claire saw uncertainty.
"Mom?"
"I don't know."
Claire's heart began pounding.
"What do you mean you don't know?"
"The drugs."
Evelyn pressed both hands to her temples.
"There are months I can't remember."
Daniel stepped closer.
Claire whispered, "Could you have had another child?"
Evelyn stared at her.
Then Marianne's voice came through the speaker.
"There is one surviving patient file that Michael was desperate to recover."
Ortiz asked, "Whose?"
May you like
Marianne answered.
"Evelyn Whitmore."
