Chapter 7 — Arthur’s Hidden Evidence
Chapter 7 — Arthur’s Hidden Evidence
Arthur was waiting for me.
That was the first thought that entered my mind after the call ended.
Not Why had he lied?
Not How long had he known?
Not even Was Leo safe?
Only one thought.
He was waiting.
And somehow, that frightened me more than anything else.
I stood inside the storage facility with the red notebook still open in my hands.
Mason watched me carefully.
“What did he say?”
I looked at him.
“He knew.”
“Knew what?”
“That I would find out.”
Mason's expression hardened.
“About the identity?”
I nodded.
“Arthur knew he was my brother.”
Mason swore under his breath.
“Then we don't go to him alone.”
“I have to.”
“No.”
“He has Leo.”
“That is exactly why you don't go.”
I stared at him.
“He is the only person standing between my son and whoever is behind this.”
Mason shook his head.
“Sarah, if Arthur has been deceiving you this entire time, you can't assume he's protecting Leo.”
I looked down at the notebook.
A photograph of two newborn babies stared back at me.
Two infants.
Two lives.
Two names.
Sarah Reed.
Daniel Reed.
My brother.
Arthur.
Or whatever his real name was.
I closed the notebook.
“Then I'll assume nothing.”
Mason reached for his radio.
“What are you doing?”
“Calling backup.”
“No.”
He stopped.
“I need you to promise me something.”
“What?”
“If I don't come back…”
“Don't say that.”
“If I don't come back, you take this notebook to the state crime laboratory.”
He nodded.
“And you make sure Leo's DNA is tested against mine again.”
“Why?”
“Because I don't know what is true anymore.”
Mason looked at me.
“I'll do it.”
I handed him the notebook.
Then I walked toward the door.
The hospital corridor was almost empty.
Too quiet.
I moved quickly.
Every nurse I passed looked away.
Every security camera seemed to follow me.
When I reached Leo's room, the door was open.
My heart stopped.
“Leo?”
No answer.
I ran inside.
The bed was empty.
The blanket had been folded.
His stuffed rabbit was gone.
I froze.
“No.”
A nurse appeared behind me.
“Mrs. Bennett?”
“Where is my son?”
She looked confused.
“Your husband signed him out.”
I turned.
“What?”
“Mr. Vance.”
“When?”
“About twenty minutes ago.”
“Where did he take him?”
“I don't know.”
My hands started shaking.
“He can't take my son.”
The nurse looked nervous.
“He showed authorization.”
“What authorization?”
“A temporary guardianship order.”
I stared at her.
“Who issued it?”
She hesitated.
“Judge Marcus Bell.”
My blood went cold.
Marcus Bell.
The judge whose name appeared in my mother's notebook.
One of the people who had been paid.
I grabbed my phone.
Called Arthur.
Straight to voicemail.
Again.
Voicemail.
I turned to Mason.
“He took Leo.”
Mason immediately drew his phone.
“I'm contacting state police.”
“No.”
He looked at me.
“I know where he is.”
“How?”
“Arthur told me.”
“When?”
“During the call.”
“What did he say?”
I swallowed.
“He said he was waiting.”
Mason's expression changed.
“Where?”
I looked toward the hospital exit.
“At the old Vance house.”
The Vance house had been abandoned for years.
At least officially.
The gates stood open.
No guards.
No cameras.
No lights.
But there were fresh tire tracks in the snow.
Mason parked several hundred yards away.
We approached on foot.
The house was dark.
I could see one light upstairs.
Mason touched my arm.
“Stay behind me.”
I nodded.
We entered through the side door.
The air smelled of dust.
Old wood.
And something else.
Smoke.
We moved through the hallway.
Then I heard a child crying.
“Mommy!”
My heart nearly stopped.
“Leo!”
I ran toward the voice.
Mason grabbed my arm.
“Wait.”
A man's voice came from the darkness.
“Let her come.”
Arthur.
I stepped forward.
He appeared at the end of the hallway.
He was holding Leo.
My son reached toward me.
“Mommy!”
Arthur lowered him.
Leo ran into my arms.
I held him so tightly he complained.
“Mommy, you're squishing me.”
I laughed through tears.
“I'm sorry.”
I kissed his hair.
Arthur watched us.
“You're safe.”
I turned.
“Why did you take him?”
“To protect him.”
“You had no right.”
“I know.”
“You lied to me.”
“Yes.”
“You knew who I was.”
“Yes.”
“You knew you were my brother.”
“Yes.”
My voice shook.
“How long?”
“Since I was sixteen.”
I stared.
“Sixteen?”
“My father told me.”
“What did he tell you?”
“That I had a sister.”
“Me.”
“Yes.”
“And?”
“That you were dangerous.”
I laughed bitterly.
“I'm dangerous?”
“No.”
Arthur looked at me.
“He was.”
I tightened my arms around Leo.
“What evidence do you have?”
Arthur looked toward the staircase.
“Come with me.”
“No.”
“Sarah.”
“I'm not going anywhere with you.”
He nodded.
“Then I'll bring it down.”
He disappeared upstairs.
Five minutes later, he returned carrying a metal case.
He placed it on the floor.
Opened it.
Inside were files.
Photographs.
Hard drives.
Audio recordings.
And a small envelope.
“What is all this?”
“Everything my father didn't want you to see.”
Mason stepped closer.
Arthur looked at him.
“You can record this.”
Mason turned on his body camera.
Arthur nodded.
Then he opened the first file.
The first photograph showed Edmund Vance meeting Victoria.
The date was three years before Leo's birth.
I stared.
“They knew each other.”
Arthur nodded.
“Before you ever met Victoria.”
Another photograph.
Edmund handing Victoria an envelope.
Another.
Victoria entering the hospital.
Another.
Victoria leaving with a newborn.
My stomach tightened.
“That was Leo.”
“Yes.”
“But that's the day he disappeared.”
“No.”
Arthur shook his head.
“That was the day he was moved.”
I looked at him.
“Moved where?”
“To another hospital.”
“Why?”
“To fake his death.”
My heart stopped.
“Who ordered it?”
Arthur handed me a document.
The signature belonged to Edmund.
I stared.
“So Edmund planned everything.”
“Not everything.”
“What did he not plan?”
Arthur's face changed.
“Your mother's escape.”
I frowned.
“My mother escaped?”
“She was supposed to die.”
“When?”
“The night you were born.”
I stared at him.
“What?”
“Edmund sent someone to kill her.”
“Who?”
“Victoria.”
I looked down at Leo.
“Why?”
“Because your mother had the ledger.”
“The Reed ledger.”
“Yes.”
“And she hid it.”
“Yes.”
“Where?”
Arthur looked at Leo.
“Inside his hospital bracelet.”
I froze.
“What?”
“The original bracelet.”
“Where is it?”
Arthur opened another envelope.
“Your mother kept it.”
I stared.
“Where?”
Arthur handed me a key.
“Locker 22.”
“Where?”
“Grand Central Station.”
Mason took photographs of every document.
Then he asked:
“What about the DNA test?”
Arthur looked at him.
“What DNA test?”
“The one proving Sarah is Leo's biological mother.”
Arthur went still.
I looked at him.
“What?”
He swallowed.
“That test was manipulated.”
My heart stopped.
“By whom?”
“My father.”
“How?”
“He substituted the reference sample.”
I stared.
“For whose?”
Arthur didn't answer.
Mason stepped closer.
“Whose DNA was used?”
Arthur looked at me.
“Amelia Reed's.”
I felt dizzy.
“That means…”
“The test showed you were related to Leo.”
“But not necessarily his mother.”
“No.”
I closed my eyes.
Everything made sense.
The DNA test had been real.
The laboratory had been real.
The genetic relationship had been real.
But the conclusion had been manipulated.
Because Amelia was my biological mother.
And Leo was related to her.
The test had been designed to make me believe something that wasn't true.
I looked at Arthur.
“Who is Leo's biological mother?”
He was silent.
“Arthur.”
“I don't know.”
“You're lying.”
“I swear.”
“Then why did you say the test was manipulated?”
“Because my father confessed.”
“When?”
“Two weeks ago.”
“Why didn't you tell me?”
“Because I didn't know who to trust.”
I laughed bitterly.
“You could have trusted me.”
“I didn't know if you were being watched.”
“I was.”
“Yes.”
“By whom?”
Arthur looked at Mason.
Then back at me.
“By everyone.”
A sound came from upstairs.
We all froze.
Mason raised his weapon.
Arthur stepped in front of me.
“Stay here.”
A door slammed.
Then footsteps.
Someone was running.
Mason chased them.
Arthur stayed with us.
A second later, a gunshot echoed through the house.
Leo screamed.
I covered his ears.
“Mommy.”
“It's okay.”
Another shot.
Then silence.
Mason returned alone.
“Gone.”
“Who?”
“I didn't get a good look.”
Arthur looked at the staircase.
“They came for the evidence.”
I looked at the metal case.
“Then they know we have it.”
“Yes.”
“Who?”
Arthur's face hardened.
“Victoria.”
I stared.
“She couldn't have.”
“She has contacts.”
“She is in custody.”
“She won't stay there.”
We returned to the hospital under heavy security.
Leo slept.
I sat beside his bed.
Arthur stood by the window.
For the first time, neither of us knew what to say.
Finally, I asked:
“What was your real name?”
He turned.
“Daniel.”
“Daniel Reed.”
“Yes.”
“Why did you become Arthur Vance?”
“My father changed my identity.”
“Why?”
“To make me useful.”
“How?”
“He trained me.”
“For what?”
“To protect the family.”
“You were a child.”
“I know.”
“Did he know you were my brother?”
“Yes.”
“Why didn't he tell me?”
“Because he wanted to control you.”
I looked at Leo.
“And me?”
Arthur nodded.
“You were the leverage.”
“For what?”
“To force your mother to surrender the ledger.”
I felt sick.
“My mother gave you up?”
“No.”
“She gave me up?”
“No.”
Arthur's voice softened.
“She fought.”
“Then why did she let me be adopted?”
“Because it was the only way to keep you alive.”
I closed my eyes.
Twenty-nine years of lies.
And yet beneath them, there had been love.
My mother had lied because she was protecting me.
Arthur had lied because he had been afraid.
But Edmund had lied because he wanted power.
I could understand fear.
I could understand love.
I could never understand greed.
At midnight, my phone rang.
Unknown number.
I answered.
Victoria's voice whispered:
“You found Daniel.”
I froze.
“How are you calling me?”
“That's not important.”
“Where are you?”
“Not where you think.”
“What do you want?”
“To warn you.”
“About what?”
“Your son.”
My stomach tightened.
“Leave Leo alone.”
“I never wanted to hurt him.”
“You stole him.”
“To save him.”
“You expect me to believe that?”
“No.”
She paused.
“That's why I'm sending you proof.”
A message arrived.
One video.
I opened it.
The footage showed a hospital room.
A newborn baby.
A nurse.
Victoria.
And another woman.
I recognized her immediately.
My mother.
But she wasn't holding Leo.
She was holding another baby.
A little girl.
I stared.
“What is this?”
Victoria whispered:
“Your mother didn't have one child.”
My heart stopped.
“She had two.”
I looked at Arthur.
He had heard.
Victoria continued.
“Sarah…”
“What?”
“You have a sister.”
The call ended.
I stared at the video.
My mother holding a baby girl.
A child I had never known existed.
Then another message appeared.
Her name is Elena.
And beneath it:
She is alive.
I couldn't breathe.
Arthur looked at me.
“What happened?”
I turned the phone toward him.
His face went pale.
“No.”
“What?”
He shook his head.
“That's impossible.”
“Why?”
“Because Elena died.”
I stared at him.
“When?”
“The same night you were born.”
I looked back at the screen.
The baby was alive.
The video was dated three days after my birth.
I whispered:
“Then someone lied.”
Arthur stared at the screen.
“Yes.”
“Who?”
He didn't answer.
Because the video ended with my mother's face turning toward the camera.
Her lips moved.
The sound was too faint.
I increased the volume.
One sentence emerged.
“Find Elena before Edmund does.”
The screen went black.
I looked at Arthur.
Then at Leo.
Then at the empty doorway.
My entire life had been built on missing people.
A missing mother.
A missing brother.
A missing sister.
A missing child.
And now I understood the terrible pattern.
Edmund Vance had never been interested in stealing one child.
He had been collecting heirs.
And somewhere in the city, my sister Elena was alive.
Unprotected.
Unaware.
And probably being hunted.
I stood.
“I'm going to find her.”
Arthur nodded.
“I'll help.”
I looked at him.
“This time, no secrets.”
“No secrets.”
“Not one.”
He hesitated.
Then said:
“There is one thing you need to know.”
“What?”
He looked toward Leo.
“Edmund already found Elena.”
My blood froze.
“When?”
“Yesterday.”
I stared at him.
“Where is she?”
Arthur's voice broke.
“I don't know.”
Then my phone vibrated again.
One new message.
A photograph.
My sister Elena.
Alive.
Bound to a chair.
And standing behind her was Edmund Vance.
May you like
Under the photograph were four words:
Bring me Sarah.
