Chapter 12 - Marjorie
Police traced Evelyn's phone to a motel outside Briarwood.
By the time officers arrived, the room was empty.
No blood.
No signs of struggle.
One broken lamp.
Evelyn's purse remained on the bed.
Her phone was gone.
Daniel wanted to drive there.
Brennan refused.
"You're becoming personally involved in an active investigation."
"She's my mother."
"Exactly."
"She may be in danger."
"And running around looking for her may put your wife and child in danger."
That stopped him.
At home, Clara fed Noah while Daniel paced.
"I hate this."
"I know."
"I spent two days wanting her out of our lives."
Clara watched him.
"That doesn't mean you want her hurt."
Daniel looked at his son.
"She hurt you."
"Yes."
He looked at Clara.
The honesty mattered.
No excuses.
No softening.
Yes.
"Can you forgive her?" he asked.
Clara was quiet.
"I don't know."
Daniel nodded.
"That's fair."
"But I want her found."
He looked at her.
"Why?"
"Because whatever she did to me, somebody else may have been using her too."
Rebecca arrived with new records.
Anna Carter's legal identity connected to Margaret Anna Reynolds.
Marjorie's daughter.
Born under the surname Reynolds.
Father unknown.
At age four, Margaret's records suddenly stopped.
One month later, Anna Carter appeared.
Daniel stared.
"Why change her identity?"
Rebecca placed another document on the table.
"Because Marjorie was involved in a custody dispute."
"With who?"
"Margaret's biological father."
"Name?"
"Leonard Pike."
Daniel frowned.
"Alive?"
Rebecca shook her head.
"Died in prison."
"For?"
"Kidnapping."
Clara tightened her arms around Noah.
Rebecca continued.
"He abducted Margaret when she was three."
"Marjorie got her back?"
"Yes."
"Then why hide her?"
"Because Pike had relatives who continued threatening the family."
Daniel understood part of it.
"So they made Margaret become Anna."
"Temporarily, according to Evelyn."
"But then what?"
"That's where records disappear."
Daniel picked up the photograph of Thomas and Rebecca.
"My father found out."
"Yes."
"What did he want?"
"To undo the fraudulent trust filings."
"Why would hiding Margaret affect the trust?"
Rebecca exhaled.
"Because Evelyn and Marjorie discovered something after they changed Margaret's identity."
"What?"
"Your grandfather's trust did not require children to be biological."
Daniel stared.
"Legal children counted."
"Yes."
"So by registering Margaret as Anna Carter..."
"She became Thomas and Evelyn's legal daughter in certain financial records."
Daniel stood.
"And gained a vested interest."
"Correct."
"Who controlled that money?"
"Her guardians."
"Evelyn and my father."
"Initially."
Daniel's mind raced.
"What happened to Margaret?"
Rebecca looked grim.
"That's what Thomas spent his final months trying to learn."
Clara asked, "You think she's alive."
Rebecca nodded.
"I do."
Daniel's phone buzzed.
Unknown number.
A photograph appeared.
Evelyn sitting in a chair.
Alive.
Terrified.
Behind her was a stone wall.
Daniel stared.
Another message.
Bring Thomas's key to the Briarwood property at 11 p.m.
No police.
No Rebecca.
No Clara.
Or your mother finally learns what happened to Anna.
Daniel looked up.
Clara immediately knew.
"What?"
He showed her.
Her face hardened.
"You're not going."
"My mother is there."
"That's exactly why they expect you to go."
Daniel looked toward Noah.
"I can't leave her."
Clara's eyes filled.
"And you can't leave us."
The words struck him.
Daniel sat.
For years his mother had demanded that he choose her.
Now someone else was engineering the same choice.
He looked at Clara.
"No."
She frowned.
May you like
"No what?"
"I'm not doing this their way."
