Chapter 6: The Woman Who Was Supposed to Be Dead
"Because I'm Evelyn.""
The call ended before I could answer.
I stared at my phone.
For several seconds, no one moved.
Then Daniel whispered, "What did she say?""
I looked at him.
"She's alive.""
Marcus nodded.
"I told you.""
"No.""
I shook my head.
"You said she was in Galveston.""
"I said she was closer than you thought.""
I turned toward him.
"She called me.""
His expression changed.
That surprised me.
"You spoke to her?""
"Just now.""
"From the phone?""
"Yes.""
Marcus looked at Daniel.
"Then she knows we're here.""
Daniel swore under his breath.
"She shouldn't have contacted Claire.""
I stood.
"Why?""
"Because she's scared.""
"So am I.""
"No.""
Daniel looked at me.
"You don't understand what Evelyn knows.""
"I understand enough.""
I grabbed the envelope from the desk.
"I'm going to Galveston.""
Marcus shook his head.
"Not tonight.""
I laughed.
"You've spent the last hour telling me my husband built our entire marriage around my inheritance, and now you're worried about me driving two hours?""
"I'm worried about you driving into a trap.""
"Whose trap?""
He didn't answer.
Daniel did.
"Everyone's.""
I looked at both men.
"Then come with me.""
Marcus's jaw tightened.
"I can't.""
"Why?""
"Because someone has been tracking me.""
I froze.
"Since when?""
"Six months.""
"And Ethan?""
"Longer.""
I looked at Daniel.
"You said you were watching Ethan.""
"Yes.""
"Who was watching you?""
"The same people who killed Robert Hale.""
A cold silence settled over the room.
I picked up my purse.
"I'm still going.""
Daniel sighed.
"Then I'm driving.""
Marcus stepped aside.
"Take West Bay Road.""
I stopped.
"Why?""
"Don't use the highway.""
He looked at me.
"If anyone follows you, you won't see them until it's too late.""
I hated how believable that sounded.
Five minutes later, Daniel and I were back in his sedan.
He drove without speaking.
The windshield wipers moved rhythmically through the rain.
I kept replaying Evelyn's voice.
I'm Evelyn.
Twenty-eight years of my family believing a dead woman was alive.
Twenty-eight years of secrets.
And somehow, the woman at the center of them had chosen tonight to call me.
"Daniel.""
"Yes?""
"What did my father tell you about Evelyn?""
He kept his eyes on the road.
"Not much.""
"That's not true.""
He said nothing.
"You've been carrying secrets for twenty-one years.""
"Twenty-three.""
I looked at him.
"What?""
"I met your father twenty-three years before you were born.""
I frowned.
"My father hired you before I was born?""
"Yes.""
"To protect Evelyn?""
"No.""
He hesitated.
"To protect you.""
I stared through the windshield.
"You keep saying that.""
"Because it's true.""
"From what?""
He exhaled slowly.
"From a family you never knew you belonged to.""
My skin prickled.
"What does that mean?""
"Your mother wasn't your father's first wife.""
"I know.""
"She wasn't his first great love either.""
I turned toward him.
"Evelyn?""
Daniel nodded.
"Yes.""
"And my mother knew?""
"Your mother knew everything.""
I looked down at my hands.
"Then why was nobody honest with me?""
"Because when your father chose your mother, Evelyn disappeared.""
"She ran?""
"No.""
"What happened?""
Daniel's voice lowered.
"She was forced to.""
I stared at him.
"By Margaret?""
"Among others.""
"And Ethan?""
"He was a baby.""
"Right.""
I leaned back.
"So Margaret took Evelyn's son and raised him.""
"Yes.""
"Why?""
"Because Margaret believed Ethan was her only way into the Hale family's assets.""
"What about Robert?""
Daniel's hands tightened on the wheel.
"He discovered what she was doing.""
"And then he died.""
"Yes.""
"Was he killed?""
Daniel looked at me.
"Yes.""
"By whom?""
He didn't answer.
I whispered, "Ethan?""
"No.""
Relief came too quickly.
Then Daniel added:
"Not alone.""
My stomach turned.
"You mean there were multiple people?""
"Three.""
"Who?""
He stopped at a red light.
Rain ran down the windshield.
"Margaret.""
I swallowed.
"Who else?""
"Marcus.""
My heart dropped.
"And the third?""
Daniel looked straight ahead.
"Your father.""
I stared at him.
"What?""
"He was there.""
I shook my head.
"No.""
"He didn't kill Robert.""
"Then why was he there?""
"He arrived afterward.""
"How do you know?""
"Because he told me.""
I stared at Daniel.
"And you believed him?""
"I was there.""
My throat tightened.
"You saw my father?""
"Standing over Robert's body.""
I felt dizzy.
"What happened?""
"He was holding a revolver.""
I closed my eyes.
"My father killed him?""
"No.""
Daniel's answer was immediate.
"He had just taken it away from Robert's killer.""
I opened my eyes.
"Then who pulled the trigger?""
Daniel said nothing.
"Tell me.""
"The third person.""
"Who?""
Before he could answer, his phone rang.
He checked the screen.
His expression changed.
"Who is it?""
"My attorney.""
"Answer.""
He did.
"Yes?""
A woman's voice was faint over the speaker.
Daniel listened.
Then his face went pale.
"What?""
The voice continued.
"No. Don't touch anything.""
He hung up.
I looked at him.
"What happened?""
"Ethan isn't at the house.""
I frowned.
"I thought he was.""
"He's gone.""
"Where?""
Daniel shook his head.
"The police found his car abandoned near the harbor.""
My pulse accelerated.
"Was there blood?""
"Yes.""
"How much?""
"Enough to suggest he was injured.""
I turned toward the rain-streaked window.
"Marcus shot him.""
"That's what we thought.""
"Then what's the problem?""
Daniel looked at me.
"The blood isn't Ethan's.""
I stared.
"What?""
"The blood belongs to another person.""
My heartbeat started racing.
"Who?""
"We don't know yet.""
We drove another twenty minutes in silence.
Then my phone buzzed.
Unknown number.
A photo appeared.
Ethan.
He was sitting in a chair.
His hands were tied.
Blood covered the sleeve of his shirt.
His eyes were open.
Alive.
Under the photograph were six words:
*Ask your wife what she remembers.*
I nearly dropped the phone.
Daniel glanced over.
"What is it?""
I showed him.
He cursed.
Then my phone rang.
This time, it was Evelyn.
I answered instantly.
"Evelyn?""
Her voice was barely a whisper.
"You saw the photograph.""
"Yes.""
"They have Ethan.""
"Who?""
"Margaret.""
I froze.
"Why would she kidnap her own son?""
"Because he betrayed her.""
"Where is he?""
"Not far from you.""
"Tell me.""
She breathed shakily.
"I can't.""
"Then why call?""
"Because I need you to understand something.""
"What?""
"Ethan wasn't the one who changed the locks.""
I went still.
"What?""
"He thought you were coming home tomorrow.""
I frowned.
"Then who changed them?""
Silence.
"Evelyn?""
Her voice cracked.
"Someone else.""
"Who?""
"You have to listen carefully.""
I leaned closer to the phone.
"The woman who has been controlling Margaret is not Margaret.""
My skin went cold.
"Then who is it?""
Evelyn whispered:
"Your mother.""
I stopped breathing.
"My mother died.""
"No.""
Her voice trembled.
"Your mother disappeared.""
I felt the world tilt.
"But I saw her body.""
"You saw someone else's body.""
My fingers went numb.
I couldn't speak.
Daniel was staring at me.
Evelyn continued.
"Your father spent his final years searching for her.""
"Why?""
"Because she took something from him.""
"What?""
"The original trust.""
My voice came out as a whisper.
"What did she do with it?""
Evelyn breathed once.
Then said:
"She put it in Ethan's name.""
The call ended.
I stared at the dark phone screen.
Daniel pulled the car onto the shoulder.
"What did she say?""
I looked at him.
"My mother is alive.""
He went completely still.
"And she has the original trust.""
Neither of us spoke.
Then the phone buzzed one more time.
A final message appeared.
No number.
No photograph.
Just seven words.
*Come to Galveston alone, Claire.*
Underneath it was a location.
May you like
And I recognized the address.
It was my childhood home.