Chapter 9: The Woman in the Photograph
I couldn't move.
Your mother is not dead.
The sentence replayed in my head.
Again.
Again.
Again.
One of the officers ran past me.
"Sir, stay inside!""
I barely heard him.
Dad was shouting from the living room.
"Michael!""
I turned.
He was gripping the wheelchair, his face drained of color.
I hurried back.
"Dad.""
He looked at me.
"What did he say?""
I couldn't answer.
Lisa stood behind him.
She had heard.
Her face was frozen.
Damon came running in.
"He got away.""
I looked at him.
"Did you hear what he said?""
Damon nodded.
"About Grandma?""
I stared at Lisa.
She whispered, "He's lying.""
"How do you know?""
"Because Mom is dead.""
"You told me Raymond was dead.""
She stopped.
I stepped closer.
"You were wrong about Raymond.""
"I thought he was dead.""
"Then you can be wrong about Mom.""
Lisa shook her head.
"No.""
Dad suddenly spoke.
"Michael.""
I turned.
His eyes were wet.
"Your mother is dead.""
"How do you know?""
"I buried her.""
"That isn't an answer.""
"I saw her body.""
"Did you?""
Dad went silent.
My heart pounded.
"What aren't you telling me?""
He looked toward the photograph we'd found earlier.
"She died.""
"When?""
"The night of the accident.""
"Did you see her?""
Dad closed his eyes.
"I saw her after.""
"After what?""
He whispered, "After the fire.""
I felt cold.
"What fire?""
Dad looked at me.
"The car caught fire.""
Lisa sat down.
"I didn't know that.""
Dad shook his head.
"Nobody did.""
I stared at him.
"Then how did the police identify her?""
Dad's voice cracked.
"They didn't.""
The room went silent.
I looked at Lisa.
She looked as shocked as I was.
"What?""
Dad continued.
"The body was badly burned.""
My stomach twisted.
"Then how did they know it was Mom?""
"They found her wedding ring.""
I stared at him.
"That was it?""
Dad nodded.
"That was enough for the police.""
"But not for you.""
"No.""
I sat down.
"Why didn't you tell me?""
"Because I was afraid.""
"Afraid of what?""
"That she was still alive.""
The words hung in the room.
Damon whispered, "Grandpa...""
Dad looked at him.
"Your grandmother had enemies.""
"Raymond.""
"Yes.""
"Who else?""
Dad looked toward Lisa.
"People we never knew existed.""
Lisa suddenly stood.
"I have something.""
I looked at her.
"What?""
She hurried upstairs.
A minute later, she returned carrying an old shoebox.
She set it on the table.
"I found this in Mom's things years ago.""
"Why didn't you show me?""
"Because I was ashamed.""
"Of what?""
She opened the box.
Inside were photographs.
Letters.
A passport.
And several newspaper clippings.
I picked up the passport.
The photograph was Mom.
The name was different.
*Eleanor Brooks.*
I stared.
"What is this?""
Lisa shook her head.
"I don't know.""
Dad looked at it.
His face changed.
"Where did you get that?""
"In Mom's closet.""
Dad whispered, "She told me she changed her name once.""
"When?""
"Before she met me.""
I looked at the passport again.
"Why?""
"I never asked.""
I picked up a photograph.
Mom was younger.
Standing beside a man I'd never seen.
On the back was a date.
Three years before I was born.
And a name.
*Samuel Reed.*
I looked at Dad.
"Who is Samuel Reed?""
Dad didn't answer.
Lisa did.
"I've seen that name.""
"Where?""
"In Raymond's files.""
My pulse quickened.
"What files?""
"The ones I stole.""
"You stole files from Raymond?""
"Yes.""
"When?""
"Last month.""
"Where are they?""
She looked toward the shoebox.
"Here.""
I opened another folder.
There were bank records.
Company registrations.
Photographs.
And a list of names.
At the bottom was:
*Samuel Reed — deceased.*
Beside it was another name.
*Eleanor Reed — status unknown.*
I stopped breathing.
"Lisa.""
She looked at the page.
"What?""
I pointed.
"Read it.""
She did.
Her eyes widened.
"No.""
Dad looked over.
"What?""
Lisa whispered, "Eleanor Reed.""
Dad's face went completely blank.
I turned toward him.
"Mom's maiden name was Brooks.""
Dad shook his head.
"No.""
"What?""
"Your mother told me her name was Eleanor Brooks.""
"Then why does this say Eleanor Reed?""
Dad stared at the paper.
"I don't know.""
I flipped through the files.
There was a photograph.
A woman standing beside Samuel Reed.
She was wearing a dark coat.
Her hair was longer.
But I knew that face.
It was Mom.
Older than the passport photograph.
Younger than the mother I remembered.
Still unmistakably her.
On the back was a date.
*October 2025.*
My hands began shaking.
"That's last year.""
Lisa stared at the photograph.
"Michael...""
Dad couldn't speak.
Damon took the picture.
"That's Grandma.""
I nodded.
He turned it over.
"Who is this man?""
I pointed at Samuel Reed's name.
"I don't know.""
Lisa picked up another photograph.
Her face changed.
"What?""
She turned the photograph toward me.
It showed Raymond.
Standing beside Samuel Reed.
And beside them was Lisa.
My sister.
The photograph was dated six months ago.
I looked at her.
"You said you barely knew Raymond.""
"I didn't.""
"You met him.""
"Yes.""
"You knew Samuel Reed.""
"No.""
"You're in the photograph.""
"I don't remember this.""
"You don't remember standing beside him?""
Lisa began shaking.
"I was drugged.""
Dad looked at her.
"What?""
She nodded.
"I remember going to a meeting.""
"With Raymond?""
"Yes.""
"Then what?""
"I drank something.""
Her voice broke.
"I woke up in a hotel.""
I stared at the photograph.
"When was this?""
"Six months ago.""
"The same month the property transfer was filed.""
She nodded.
I looked at Dad.
"Why would they drug Lisa?""
Dad stared at the picture.
"To get her signature.""
"But the transfer used Mom's signature.""
Dad whispered, "Maybe not.""
I looked at him.
"What?""
He pointed to the photograph.
"Look at the woman's hand.""
I examined it.
The woman beside Samuel Reed wore a silver ring.
My mother's ring.
The same ring Dad said had been recovered from the burned car.
I felt the air leave my lungs.
"That can't be.""
Dad reached for the photograph.
His fingers trembled.
"Your mother gave me that ring the day we married.""
"Then it wasn't in the car.""
"No.""
I looked at Lisa.
"Someone planted it.""
She nodded slowly.
"Which means...""
"Mom could have survived.""
Nobody spoke.
Then my phone buzzed.
Unknown number.
I answered.
"Hello?""
No one spoke.
Then I heard a woman's breathing.
Soft.
Close.
Familiar.
My knees nearly gave out.
"Mom?""
Static.
Then a whisper.
"Michael.""
I covered my mouth.
Dad looked at me.
"What?""
I couldn't speak.
The woman's voice came again.
"You have to listen carefully.""
I whispered, "Where are you?""
"Don't trust Lisa.""
Lisa froze.
I looked at her.
The voice continued.
"She doesn't know what she did.""
Lisa's face crumpled.
"Mom?""
The line went silent.
I looked at the phone.
"Mom!""
Nothing.
Then a text arrived.
A location.
And one final message.
*Come alone.*
I stared at it.
Dad reached for my hand.
"Don't go.""
I looked at him.
"It's Mom.""
"I know.""
"Then I have to.""
Dad shook his head.
"No.""
"Why?""
He looked at the photograph.
Then at the message.
"Because your mother would never ask you to come alone.""
The front door suddenly opened.
One of the officers stepped inside.
"Mr. Carter?""
I turned.
"What?""
He looked confused.
"We found the man's car.""
"Where?""
"Two streets away.""
"Did you find him?""
"No.""
He hesitated.
"But we found something else.""
"What?""
The officer held up a sealed evidence bag.
Inside was a photograph.
I could see only the back.
Then he turned it over.
My mother's face stared back at me.
And beneath the photograph was a handwritten note.
The officer read it aloud.
"*Tell Michael the truth before she gets to him first.*"
I looked at Lisa.
She was trembling.
May you like
Then Dad whispered:
"Michael... I know where your mother has been hiding.""