Chapter 21 - Noah’s Father
Thomas struck back before they could move.
At 7:12 the next morning, a file was emailed simultaneously to several journalists, Arden board members and federal investigators.
The subject line contained six words.
DANIEL ARDEN DOES NOT KNOW EVERYTHING.
Attached was a laboratory report.
PATERNITY EXCLUSION.
Evan Cole was allegedly not Noah’s biological father.
Daniel read the document once.
Then looked at Emily.
She laughed.
It was not amusement.
It was disbelief.
“That’s his plan?”
“Is it true?”
“No.”
The answer came instantly.
Daniel hated himself for feeling relief.
Emily leaned toward him.
“Dad, Evan was Noah’s father.”
“Biologically?”
“Yes.”
“Then what was the message at Bluebird supposed to mean?”
“His name.”
She took the old photograph.
“Evan Cole wasn’t his real identity. Jonathan Vale was.”
Marcus entered.
“The paternity report is fake.”
“How fast can you know that?”
“The clinic listed on the document closed five years before Noah was born.”
Richard smiled grimly.
“Thomas is getting sloppy.”
“No,” Emily said.
Everyone looked at her.
“He isn’t trying to convince us.”
Daniel understood.
“He wants everyone else to doubt us.”
Bellweather survived by separating people.
Husband from wife.
Father from daughter.
Brother from brother.
Trustee from beneficiary.
Thomas did not need the lie to survive forever.
He needed it to create confusion now.
Marcus handed Daniel another report.
“There’s more. We identified the man outside Bluebird.”
Emily stood.
“You did?”
“A traffic camera caught his vehicle.”
Marcus displayed a driver’s license photograph.
Lucas Vale.
Emily went white.
“You know him.”
“Yes.”
“Who is he?”
She stared at the photograph.
“Evan’s brother.”
Daniel frowned.
“You told me Evan had no family.”
“That’s what Evan told everyone.”
“Does Noah know Lucas?”
Emily nodded slowly.
“He visited us twice after Evan died. I introduced him as a friend because he begged me not to tell anyone his relationship to Evan.”
Daniel remembered Noah smiling toward the stranger.
Mommy’s friend.
“The envelope came from Lucas,” Emily said.
“Then who sent the messages?” Richard asked.
Marcus answered.
“Not necessarily the same person.”
A knock came from outside the conference room.
Two officers entered.
Between them stood a soaked, exhausted man.
Lucas Vale.
He raised both empty hands.
“I came voluntarily.”
Emily stared at him.
“You stood outside the cabin.”
“Yes.”
“You scared my son.”
“I know.”
Daniel stepped forward.
“Did you send the messages about Noah’s father?”
Lucas shook his head.
“No.”
“The envelope?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because Jonathan made me promise.”
Daniel’s jaw tightened.
“Promise what?”
May you like
Lucas looked toward Noah sleeping in the adjoining room.
“To make sure that if Bellweather ever came for him, your family finally learned why his father died.”
