Chapter 12 - Rebecca's Version
Rebecca Hale had been living under her married name for fourteen years.
Rebecca Ellis.
Sixty-four.
Retired pediatric nurse.
Widowed.
Living in Vermont.
When Daniel called, she cried before he finished saying Natalie’s name.
She agreed to fly in.
They met at a private room in Daniel's office.
Natalie recognized her immediately.
The woman holding infant Natalie in the old photograph.
Rebecca reached toward her.
Then stopped herself.
"May I?"
Natalie nodded.
Rebecca hugged her.
For almost a minute neither spoke.
Then Rebecca whispered:
"I looked for you."
Natalie's throat tightened.
"Why didn't you find me?"
"I did."
Natalie pulled back.
"What?"
"I knew where you were."
Confusion replaced emotion.
"Then why didn't you come?"
Rebecca sat.
"Because Margaret threatened me."
Natalie felt anger returning.
"With what?"
"My children."
Rebecca wiped her face.
"I was in the middle of a custody dispute after my divorce. Margaret had Franklin Voss send me documents suggesting they would testify I was involved in Evelyn's drinking and drug use."
"Were you?"
"No."
"But it could have ruined you."
"Yes."
Natalie stared.
"So everyone was afraid of her."
Rebecca gave a sad smile.
"Margaret learned early that people are easier to control when she knows what they are afraid to lose."
Natalie thought of Thomas.
Derek.
Claire.
Herself.
"What happened to Evelyn?"
Rebecca's face changed.
"I don't know who cut the brakes."
"But you suspect someone."
"Richard."
"Why?"
"He called me the night she died."
Natalie leaned forward.
"What did he say?"
"He was crying."
Rebecca closed her eyes.
"He said, 'I only wanted to scare her.'"
Natalie's pulse accelerated.
"Did you tell police?"
"Yes."
"What happened?"
"The detective who interviewed me called two days later and said Richard had an alibi."
"Did he?"
"I never believed it."
"Who gave the alibi?"
Rebecca looked at her.
"Margaret."
Silence.
Natalie felt nausea.
"Margaret told police Richard was with her?"
"For most of that evening."
"But was he?"
"I don't know."
Rebecca opened her purse.
"I kept something."
She removed a sealed plastic sleeve.
Inside was an old motel receipt.
"Richard stayed at the Pine Crest Motor Lodge the night Evelyn died."
Natalie stared.
"How do you have this?"
"Evelyn had found it in his truck days earlier. She thought he was meeting someone."
The receipt had a room number.
214.
Two guests.
Richard Hale.
M. Brooks.
Natalie's blood went cold.
"M."
Rebecca nodded.
"I don't know whether it was Margaret."
Natalie did.
Or thought she did.
Daniel contacted the cold case detectives.
The motel no longer existed.
But county tax archives preserved registration copies.
By evening, investigators confirmed the second guest name.
Margaret Brooks.
Derek called Natalie at midnight.
His voice shook.
"Police are here."
Natalie sat upright.
"Why?"
"They're taking Mom."
"For questioning?"
"I don't know."
She drove to Worthington.
Margaret stood on the porch with two detectives.
Thomas watched from inside.
Claire was crying.
Margaret saw Natalie.
For a moment, both women simply stared at each other.
Then Margaret said:
"You think you understand."
Natalie walked closer.
"I know you lied about Richard's alibi."
Margaret's face changed.
"Who told you?"
"Rebecca."
Margaret whispered a curse.
"Was Richard with you at the motel?"
"Yes."
Natalie felt the world narrow.
"Why?"
Margaret looked at the detectives.
Then at Natalie.
"Because I was trying to stop him."
"From what?"
Margaret's composure cracked.
"From telling Evelyn the truth about her daughter."
Natalie frowned.
"What truth?"
Margaret closed her eyes.
"Alexander Vale wasn't your father."
Nobody spoke.
May you like
Margaret looked directly at Natalie.
"He only believed he was."
