Chapter 12 - the road north
Claire's photograph contained no location data.
Whoever sent it had disabled metadata.
Daniel examined the road.
"New England."
Ryan looked at him.
"That's a lot of road."
"Pine, stone wall, narrow shoulder. Could be Massachusetts, Vermont, Maine."
Margaret suddenly said, "Maine."
Everyone turned.
"Edward."
Daniel understood.
"If Claire was investigating Diane, she might have gone looking for him."
Ryan called Claire again.
No answer.
Sophie paced.
"What if Diane is following her?"
Emily touched Sophie's arm.
"The police have Diane."
"For now."
That was true.
Diane hadn't been formally charged with anything beyond the Thanksgiving incident.
Investigators were still reviewing evidence.
Her attorney had already arrived.
Ryan knew his mother.
She would not stay contained by guilt or fear.
Those emotions required admitting responsibility.
Diane believed responsibility belonged to other people.
Daniel's contact found Edward Holloway in less than two hours.
He lived outside Camden, Maine.
A seventy year old retired contractor.
When Daniel called, Edward hung up the moment he heard Diane's name.
That was answer enough.
Ryan insisted on going.
Emily stopped him in Lauren's hallway.
"No."
"I need to find Claire."
"You have a son."
Ryan looked toward Noah's room.
"I know."
"Do you?"
The question hurt.
Emily continued.
"Yesterday your mother hurt him. Today you've spent twelve hours chasing family secrets."
"I'm trying to stop her."
"From what?"
He couldn't answer.
Emily lowered her voice.
"Ryan, you can't fix twenty years tonight."
"If Claire is in danger."
"Then call the police."
"I did."
"And?"
"They're contacting Maine authorities."
"Then let them."
Ryan stared at her.
"I lost my sister once."
Emily softened.
"You were a kid."
"I don't want to lose her again because I waited."
"And I don't want Noah to lose his father because his father thinks redemption means running into every fire Diane started."
The words stopped him.
Emily took his hand.
"Stay tonight."
Ryan looked toward the bedroom.
Noah was asleep.
Finally he nodded.
"Okay."
It was the first major decision in two days that had nothing to do with Diane.
At midnight, Ryan lay awake on Lauren's sofa.
His phone vibrated.
Unknown number.
He answered quietly.
"Hello?"
"Ryan."
Claire.
He sat up.
"Where are you?"
"Safe."
"Are you in Maine?"
Silence.
"You went to see Edward."
"Who told you about him?"
"Margaret."
Claire laughed bitterly.
"Of course."
"Claire, what is going on?"
"I found him."
"Edward?"
"Yes."
"Did he sign Sophie's adoption papers?"
A long pause.
"Yes."
Ryan closed his eyes.
"Did Mom make him?"
"No."
Ryan hadn't expected that.
"What?"
"She paid him."
"How much?"
"Fifty thousand."
"For one signature?"
"For several."
Ryan felt cold.
"What else?"
"Trust transfers. Property documents. Insurance forms."
"Jesus."
"There's more."
Ryan looked toward the dark hallway.
"Tell me."
"Edward kept copies."
"Why?"
"Insurance."
"Against Diane?"
"Against everyone."
"What did you find?"
"Enough to prove she forged signatures."
Ryan exhaled.
Finally.
Evidence.
Real evidence.
"Where are the documents?"
"With me."
"Bring them to police."
"I will."
"Then come home."
Claire went quiet.
"Claire."
"I don't know where home is."
Ryan looked at the ceiling.
"Start with me."
Her breath caught.
He continued.
"I believed her."
"I know."
"I believed you left because you didn't love us."
"I know."
"I'm sorry."
"You were sixteen."
"Then I was seventeen. Eighteen. Twenty five. Thirty."
"You had no way to know."
"I could've looked."
"So could Dad."
Silence.
Ryan whispered, "Come back anyway."
Claire cried quietly.
Then she said, "There's something you need to know before I do."
Ryan's stomach tightened.
"What?"
"Edward says Diane never wanted Sophie's adoption to be permanent."
"What does that mean?"
"She planned to take Sophie herself."
Ryan sat upright.
"Why?"
"She couldn't."
"Why would she want Claire's daughter?"
"Control. Punishment. Maybe both."
"No. There's more."
Claire remained silent.
"Claire."
"Edward says Diane believed Sophie had a claim to something."
"Money?"
"I don't know."
"Property?"
"I don't know."
Ryan remembered Grace Holloway's will.
The house.
Trusts.
Secret beneficiaries.
"What kind of claim?"
"Edward wouldn't tell me unless I paid him."
"How much?"
"Two hundred thousand."
Ryan almost laughed.
"That family trait apparently extends beyond Mom."
Claire continued.
"But I found something in his files."
"What?"
"A birth certificate."
"Sophie's?"
"No."
"Whose?"
Claire paused.
"Yours."
Ryan froze.
"I already have my birth certificate."
"Not this one."
His mouth went dry.
"What does it say?"
"It has a different father's name."
The room seemed to tilt.
Ryan gripped the phone.
"Who?"
Before Claire could answer, someone knocked on her end of the line.
She went silent.
"Claire?"
Another knock.
"Claire, don't open it."
She whispered, "Nobody knows I'm here."
"Call the police."
A man's voice sounded faintly in the background.
"Claire Holloway?"
Ryan stood.
"Claire."
The line rustled.
Then she whispered:
May you like
"Oh my God."
The call ended.
