Chapter 11 - The Woman Named Emily
Daniel was not arrested that afternoon.
Not immediately.
That disappointed some of the guests.
Claire did not care.
Justice did not need to arrive dramatically to be real.
Daniel's legal problems were already substantial.
Forgery.
Fraudulent access to trust records.
Unlawful confinement after locking Claire in the bedroom.
Conspiracy issues depending on what prosecutors could prove.
His knowledge of Margaret's actions after the fall created additional questions.
He left the house under police instruction and moved into a hotel.
Claire changed the locks that evening.
Watching the locksmith replace the cylinder in the front door gave her more satisfaction than she expected.
Margaret's key would never work again.
Vanessa remained at the house after everyone left.
Claire almost told her to go.
Then Vanessa sat on the floor among torn wrapping paper and began crying.
Not delicate tears.
Ugly, frightened crying.
Claire watched from the sofa.
"What do you want?"
Vanessa wiped her face.
"I didn't know about the stairs."
Claire believed her.
That did not make her innocent.
"You knew about the trust."
"Some of it."
"You brought the documents."
"Mom said it was temporary."
Claire laughed.
"An irrevocable assignment?"
"I didn't read everything."
"Your husband is stealing from Bennett accounts."
Vanessa stopped crying.
Claire saw the fear.
"You know."
Vanessa whispered, "Who told you?"
"So you do know."
Vanessa looked toward Rebecca, who remained across the room speaking with Walter.
"She found it."
"Yes."
"How much does she know?"
"Enough."
Vanessa pressed both hands to her stomach.
"Eric said he'd put it back."
"Three million dollars?"
"He made bad investments."
"And you were going to cover them with my trust."
"I was trying to save my baby."
Claire's expression hardened.
"Don't use your baby as an excuse to steal from mine."
Vanessa flinched.
Claire continued.
"You put a pen in a gift box and made me crawl to a document while I had two broken legs."
"I was angry."
"You were cruel."
"I know."
"No, Vanessa. I don't think you do."
Vanessa looked down.
Claire waited for an apology.
None came.
Only fear.
"What happens to me?" Vanessa asked.
Claire understood then.
Vanessa was not sorry.
She was afraid of consequences.
"That's between you and the investigators."
Vanessa stood.
"Claire."
"Leave."
"Please."
"Leave my house."
Vanessa walked out.
Rebecca approached.
"You okay?"
"No."
"Good answer."
Claire looked at the black envelope.
"Where is Emily?"
"About ninety minutes away."
"Can I see her?"
"She asked the same thing."
Claire's heart shifted.
"When?"
"This morning."
"She knew today was happening?"
"She knew I might contact you."
Claire looked at her.
"Call her."
Rebecca hesitated.
"You're exhausted."
"I've waited thirty years without knowing. I'm not waiting another night."
Two hours later, Emily Carter arrived.
She was thirty-four.
Four years older than Claire.
Dark-brown hair.
Simple jeans.
Gray sweater.
No dramatic resemblance at first.
Then Emily smiled nervously.
Claire saw her father.
Not in the face.
In the way one corner of the mouth lifted before the other.
Thomas used to smile like that in photographs.
Emily stopped inside the doorway.
"Hi."
Claire's eyes filled instantly.
"Hi."
Neither woman knew what to do.
Rebecca stood behind Emily.
June waited in the kitchen.
Walter had gone.
The house was quiet for the first time all day.
Emily took one step closer.
"I brought cookies."
Claire laughed through her tears.
"Why?"
"I didn't know what people bring when they meet a secret sister."
Claire laughed harder.
Emily began crying too.
She placed the cookie box on the table.
Then they hugged.
Awkwardly because of Claire's belly.
Carefully because of the casts.
But they hugged.
For several minutes neither spoke.
Eventually Emily sat beside her.
"My mother told me Thomas knew about me right before he died."
Claire nodded.
"Did you know who he was?"
"Not until I was twenty-seven."
"Why so late?"
"My mother was ashamed."
"Of him?"
"Of herself. He was dating someone else when they were together. She found out she was pregnant after they ended things."
"My mother?"
"No. Before your mother."
Claire breathed out.
"So he didn't cheat on her."
"No."
That mattered more than Claire expected.
Emily continued.
"My mother kept the pregnancy from him. Years later, she contacted him because I needed surgery and doctors wanted family medical history."
"His heart condition."
Emily nodded.
"He met me twice."
"You remember?"
"I was sixteen."
Claire's heart hurt.
"I was twelve."
Emily looked at her.
"He talked about you constantly."
Claire began crying again.
"What did he say?"
"That you hated peas."
Claire laughed.
"Still do."
"That you could beat him at checkers because you cheated."
"I did."
"That you wanted a horse."
"I was allergic to horses."
"He said that too."
They sat together for hours.
Emily had a husband named Marcus and a ten-year-old daughter.
Claire had a niece.
The thought seemed impossible.
Emily had spent most of her life believing Thomas was simply the biological father who appeared briefly before his death.
She knew nothing about the trust until Rebecca contacted her.
"I don't want your money," Emily said.
"It's yours too."
"I've been fine without it."
"That doesn't mean it isn't yours."
Emily looked at Claire.
"Do you want it?"
Claire thought about the thirty-eight million.
"I want the truth more."
Emily smiled.
"Then maybe we really are sisters."
Later, after Emily left, Claire received a message from Daniel.
Please let me come home.
Claire stared at it.
Then another.
I know I failed you.
Another.
I never wanted you hurt.
Claire typed a response.
You knew your mother caused my fall and stayed silent.
Three dots appeared.
Disappeared.
Returned.
I was scared.
Claire replied.
So was I.
He answered.
Can we talk for our son?
Claire looked at her belly.
The baby kicked.
She typed.
May you like
My attorney will contact yours.
Then she blocked his number.
