Chapter 10 - The Fifth Chair
By noon, Claire understood the trap.
The five lawyers were not merely legal advisers.
They were witnesses.
Each one had been present at a different stage of the Parker family's secret history.
The first had handled the original inheritance.
The second had handled the company shares.
The third had handled Daniel's disappearance.
The fourth had handled the false death certificate.
The fifth had handled something no one wanted to discuss.
A private adoption.
Claire stared at the documents.
"Who was adopted?"
Howard looked away.
Claire slammed the file shut.
"Who?"
Howard whispered, "A child."
"Whose child?"
Nobody answered.
Then Patricia spoke.
"Daniel's."
Claire froze.
"Daniel had a child?"
Patricia nodded.
"Before he disappeared."
"Where is the child?"
Patricia looked at the fifth lawyer.
The woman lawyer finally stood.
"My name is Margaret Ellis."
Claire looked at her.
Margaret's voice was steady.
"I was the fifth attorney."
Claire's breath caught.
"Why did you hide it?"
"Because Daniel asked me to."
"Where is his child?"
Margaret looked directly at Claire.
"Closer than you think."
Claire stared.
"Who?"
Margaret reached into her bag.
She removed an old birth certificate.
The mother's name was Patricia Parker.
Claire's eyes widened.
"You?"
Patricia began crying.
"I was not the mother."
Claire looked again.
The document listed Patricia as guardian.
The father's name was Daniel Parker.
The child's name was blacked out.
Claire looked at Margaret.
"Why?"
"Because the child was placed under another identity."
"Whose?"
Margaret said nothing.
Claire's mind raced.
Then Tyler spoke.
"Mom."
Patricia looked at him.
"What?"
Tyler's face was pale.
"Is that why you always treated Claire differently?"
Patricia stared.
Claire slowly turned toward Tyler.
"What are you saying?"
Tyler shook his head.
"I don't know."
Margaret interrupted.
"Claire."
Claire looked at her.
"The child is not Tyler."
Claire exhaled.
Margaret continued.
"And the child is not you."
Claire frowned.
"Then who?"
Margaret placed another document on the table.
The name had been partially covered.
Only the first letter remained.
E.
Claire looked at Evelyn.
Evelyn had entered the room silently.
Everyone turned.
Evelyn stared at the document.
Margaret said quietly.
"She knows."
Claire looked at Evelyn.
"Evelyn?"
Evelyn said nothing.
Claire stepped toward her.
"Who are you?"
Evelyn's eyes filled with tears.
"I was hoping you would never ask."
Margaret closed the door.
Then she locked it.
"Because if Claire knows who Evelyn really is, the entire inheritance changes."
Claire stared at Evelyn.
"Tell me."
Evelyn finally whispered.
"My real name isn't Evelyn Cross."
The room fell silent.
"My name is Elizabeth Parker."
May you like
Claire stepped backward.
Daniel's daughter.
