Chapter 9: continued: The Name on## Chapter 9 continued: The Name on the Medical Bracelet
Margaret stared the Medical Bracelet
Margaret stared at the bracelet.
“No,” she whispered.
Detect at the bracelet.
“No,” she whispered.
Detective Morgan placed it on the table.
“Mrs. Brooks, do you recognize this handwriting?””
Margaret shook her head.
“That's not mine.””
ive Morgan placed it on the table.
“Mrs. Brooks, do you recognize this handwriting?””
Margaret shook her head.
“That's not mine.””
Daniel picked up the bracelet.
The name was written in blue ink, followed by a short sentence.
**DO NOT RELEASE TO MDaniel picked up the bracelet.
The name was written in blue ink, followed by a short sentence.
*DO NOT RELEASE TO MARGARET BROOKS WITHOUT AUTHORIZATION.*
Daniel looked at the detective.
“Why would my father write that?””
“That's what we'reARGARET BROOKS WITHOUT AUTHORIZATION.**
Daniel looked at the detective.
“Why would my father write that?””
“That's what we're trying to establish.””
Margaret shook her head again.
“I would never hurt Christopher.””
“I believe you,” Daniel said.
But his voice lacked certainty.
Margaret noticed.
“Daniel, look at me.””
He trying to establish.””
Margaret shook her head again.
“I would never hurt Christopher.””
“I believe you,” Daniel said.
But his voice lacked certainty.
Margaret noticed.
“Daniel, look at me.””
He did.
“I loved your father. Whatever happened twelve years ago, I never stopped looking for him.””
Daniel nodded.
“I know, Mom.””
Then the detective's phone rang.
She answered did.
“I loved your father. Whatever happened twelve years ago, I never stopped looking for him.””
Daniel nodded.
“I know, Mom.””
Then the detective's phone rang.
She answered.
“Detective Morgan.””
She listened.
Her expression changed.
“Are you certain?””
Another pause.
“Don't let anyone leave the facility. We're on our way.””
She ended the call.
Daniel stepped.
“Detective Morgan.””
She listened.
Her expression changed.
“Are you certain?””
Another pause.
“Don't let anyone leave the facility. We're on our way.””
She ended the call.
Daniel stepped closer.
“What happened?””
“We found Christopher.””
Margaret's knees nearly buckled.
“Is he alive?””
“Yes.””
“Is he conscious?””
“According to the medical team, he woke closer.
“What happened?””
“We found Christopher.””
Margaret's knees nearly buckled.
“Is he alive?””
“Yes.””
“Is he conscious?””
“According to the medical team, he woke up approximately twenty minutes ago.””
Margaret began crying.
“Oh, thank God.””
But Detective Morgan wasn't smiling.
“There is a complication up approximately twenty minutes ago.””
Margaret began crying.
“Oh, thank God.””
But Detective Morgan wasn't smiling.
“There is a complication.””
Daniel's jaw tightened.
“What now?””
“The medical team says Christopher has asked to speak with his attorney before making a statement.””
“Why?””
“Because he believes someone.””
Daniel's jaw tightened.
“What now?””
“The medical team says Christopher has asked to speak with his attorney before making a statement.””
“Why?””
“Because he believes someone has been using his identity for years.””
Daniel stared.
“His identity?””
The detective nodded.
“And there's another issue. The has been using his identity for years.””
Daniel stared.
“His identity?””
The detective nodded.
“And there's another issue. The facility has a sealed medical authorization form bearing your mother's signature.””
Margaret looked confused.
“I never facility has a sealed medical authorization form bearing your mother's signature.””
Margaret looked confused.
“I never signed anything.””
“That's what we need to establish.””
Daniel took her hand.
“Mom, we'll figure it signed anything.””
“That's what we need to establish.””
Daniel took her hand.
“Mom, we'll figure it out.””
The detective continued.
“There's a chance the signature was forged. But until we examine the original, we out.””
The detective continued.
“There's a chance the signature was forged. But until we examine the original, we shouldn't assume.””
Margaret nodded slowly.
Then she looked at the teddy bear in Lily's arms.
“Lily, sweetheart, can Grandma see the camera?””
Lily handed it over.
Daniel opened the recording files shouldn't assume.””
Margaret nodded slowly.
Then she looked at the teddy bear in Lily's arms.
“Lily, sweetheart, can Grandma see the camera?””
Lily handed it over.
Daniel opened the recording files.
There were several clips he hadn't watched.
One was labeled with the previous evening's date.
He pressed play.
The footage showed Christopher sitting in.
There were several clips he hadn't watched.
One was labeled with the previous evening's date.
He pressed play.
The footage showed Christopher sitting in a chair inside the old guesthouse.
He looked older.
Thinner.
But unmistakably a chair inside the old guesthouse.
He looked older.
Thinner.
But unmistakably alive.
He was speaking to someone outside the camera's view.
“If Margaret finds out, she'll try to alive.
He was speaking to someone outside the camera's view.
“If Margaret finds out, she'll try to take me home.””
A woman's voice answered.
“That's because she's your mother.””
Christopher shook his head.
“She signed the take me home.””
A woman's voice answered.
“That's because she's your mother.””
Christopher shook his head.
“She signed the papers.””
The woman replied:
“She was grieving. You know what Vanessa told papers.””
The woman replied:
“She was grieving. You know what Vanessa told her.””
Christopher looked down.
Then he said something that made Daniel stop breathing.
“I'm not talking about Vanessa.””
The recording ended.
Daniel replayed it.
Once.
her.””
Christopher looked down.
Then he said something that made Daniel stop breathing.
“I'm not talking about Vanessa.””
The recording ended.
Daniel replayed it.
Once.
Twice.
Margaret watched his face.
“What did he mean?””
Daniel shook his head.
“I don't know.””
Then NoahTwice.
Margaret watched his face.
“What did he mean?””
Daniel shook his head.
“I don't know.””
Then Noah spoke.
“That's not the right video.””
Everyone turned.
Daniel crouched.
“What do you mean, buddy spoke.
“That's not the right video.””
Everyone turned.
Daniel crouched.
“What do you mean, buddy?””
Noah pointed toward the teddy bear.
“Mommy told me there was another one.””
“Another recording?””
Noah nodded.
“She said if anything happened to her,?””
Noah pointed toward the teddy bear.
“Mommy told me there was another one.””
“Another recording?””
Noah nodded.
“She said if anything happened to her, I should give Lily the bear.””
Lily looked at him.
“Why didn't you tell us?””
“I forgot.””
Daniel opened the device's storage menu.
A final file appeared I should give Lily the bear.””
Lily looked at him.
“Why didn't you tell us?””
“I forgot.””
Daniel opened the device's storage menu.
A final file appeared.
It had no thumbnail.
Only a date.
Twelve years earlier.
The day Christopher supposedly died.
Daniel pressed play.
At first.
It had no thumbnail.
Only a date.
Twelve years earlier.
The day Christopher supposedly died.
Daniel pressed play.
At first, there was only static.
Then Christopher's voice emerged.
“Mom, if you're watching this, I need you to understand something.””
Margaret covered her, there was only static.
Then Christopher's voice emerged.
“Mom, if you're watching this, I need you to understand something.””
Margaret covered her mouth.
Her son's voice continued.
“I didn't disappear because I wanted to leave you. I disappeared because I discovered someone inside our family had arranged to have me killed.””
A pause mouth.
Her son's voice continued.
“I didn't disappear because I wanted to leave you. I disappeared because I discovered someone inside our family had arranged to have me killed.””
A pause.
Then:
“And the person who helped them wasn't Vanessa.””
Daniel stared at the screen.
Christopher continued.
“It was someone I trusted more than anyone.””
The camera shifted.
A woman's.
Then:
“And the person who helped them wasn't Vanessa.””
Daniel stared at the screen.
Christopher continued.
“It was someone I trusted more than anyone.””
The camera shifted.
A woman's hand appeared.
A familiar wedding ring.
Margaret gasped.
She knew that ring.
It belonged to her.
Then Christopher spoke again.
“Mom, please forgive me. I know what the papers hand appeared.
A familiar wedding ring.
Margaret gasped.
She knew that ring.
It belonged to her.
Then Christopher spoke again.
“Mom, please forgive me. I know what the papers say. But you never signed them.””
The recording ended.
Margaret stood completely still.
Daniel slowly turned toward her.
“Mom?””
She looked at the screen.
Then she whispered:
“That's impossible.””
Detective Morgan stepped closer say. But you never signed them.””
The recording ended.
Margaret stood completely still.
Daniel slowly turned toward her.
“Mom?””
She looked at the screen.
Then she whispered:
“That's impossible.””
Detective Morgan stepped closer.
“Mrs. Brooks, what is it?””
Margaret's eyes filled with tears.
“The ring.””
“What about it?””
Margaret held out her trembling hand.
“I.
“Mrs. Brooks, what is it?””
Margaret's eyes filled with tears.
“The ring.””
“What about it?””
Margaret held out her trembling hand.
“I gave that ring away twelve years ago.””
Daniel looked down.
The ring on the woman's hand in the video had a gave that ring away twelve years ago.””
Daniel looked down.
The ring on the woman's hand in the video had a distinctive oval emerald surrounded by tiny diamonds.
It was Margaret's wedding ring.
But there was distinctive oval emerald surrounded by tiny diamonds.
It was Margaret's wedding ring.
But there was something else.
The woman in the video had a small scar across her wrist.
Margaret looked at her own wrist.
Then at the detective.
“I've never something else.
The woman in the video had a small scar across her wrist.
Margaret looked at her own wrist.
Then at the detective.
“I've never had that scar.””
Daniel felt a chill move through him.
“Then whose hand was it?””
Margaret looked toward the staircase.
had that scar.””
Daniel felt a chill move through him.
“Then whose hand was it?””
Margaret looked toward the staircase.
And suddenly she remembered something.
A woman who had visited the family the morning after Christopher's accident.
A woman who had borrowed herAnd suddenly she remembered something.
A woman who had visited the family the morning after Christopher's accident.
A woman who had borrowed her coat.
A woman who had sat beside her in the hospital waiting room and told her that everything would be okay.
Her younger sister.
Evelyn's mother.
*Patricia Carter.*
Margaret slowly whispered the coat.
A woman who had sat beside her in the hospital waiting room and told her that everything would be okay.
Her younger sister.
Evelyn's mother.
*Patricia Carter.*
Margaret slowly whispered the name.
Detective Morgan immediately wrote it down.
“Who is Patricia Carter?””
Margaret looked at her.
“The woman who disappeared twelve years ago.””
Then name.
Detective Morgan immediately wrote it down.
“Who is Patricia Carter?””
Margaret looked at her.
“The woman who disappeared twelve years ago.””
Then her phone rang.
An unknown number.
Daniel answered on speaker.
A woman's voice emerged.
Older.
Calm.
And unmistakably familiar.
“Margaret, darling. I see you've finally her phone rang.
An unknown number.
Daniel answered on speaker.
A woman's voice emerged.
Older.
Calm.
And unmistakably familiar.
“Margaret, darling. I see you've finally found my little secret.””
Margaret stopped breathing.
“Patricia?””
A quiet laugh came through the speaker.
“Yes.””
Daniel looked at his mother.
Patricia found my little secret.””
Margaret stopped breathing.
“Patricia?””
A quiet laugh came through the speaker.
“Yes.””
Daniel looked at his mother.
Patricia continued.
“Tell Daniel to stop searching. Christopher is alive, and he is going to tell you everything.””
Margaret gripped the edge of the table.
“Why did you do this?””
The woman continued.
“Tell Daniel to stop searching. Christopher is alive, and he is going to tell you everything.””
Margaret gripped the edge of the table.
“Why did you do this?””
The woman sighed.
“Because your son made a terrible mistake.””
“What mistake?””
“He trusted the wrong people.””
Margaret's voice trembled.
“Where are you sighed.
“Because your son made a terrible mistake.””
“What mistake?””
“He trusted the wrong people.””
Margaret's voice trembled.
“Where are you?””
Another quiet laugh.
Then Patricia delivered the final blow.
“I'm at Christopher's bedside, Margaret.””
Daniel?””
Another quiet laugh.
Then Patricia delivered the final blow.
“I'm at Christopher's bedside, Margaret.””
Daniel grabbed the phone.
“Don't touch my father!””
Patricia ignored him.
“There's one thing you should know before you arrive.””
grabbed the phone.
“Don't touch my father!””
Patricia ignored him.
“There's one thing you should know before you arrive.””
“What?””
“Christopher didn't survive the accident alone.””
The call disconnected.
Daniel stared at the phone.
Detective Morgan immediately ordered officers to the recovery center.
Margaret looked“What?””
“Christopher didn't survive the accident alone.””
The call disconnected.
Daniel stared at the phone.
Detective Morgan immediately ordered officers to the recovery center.
Margaret looked toward Noah and Lily.
Then she looked at her son on the frozen teddy-bear recording.
Twelve years of lies.
A missing inheritance.
A secret child.
A woman pretending to be dead toward Noah and Lily.
Then she looked at her son on the frozen teddy-bear recording.
Twelve years of lies.
A missing inheritance.
A secret child.
A woman pretending to be dead.
And now the person who had apparently helped Christopher survive was waiting beside his hospital bed.
Margaret wiped her tears.
“Detective.
And now the person who had apparently helped Christopher survive was waiting beside his hospital bed.
Margaret wiped her tears.
“Detective, take me to my son.””
Morgan nodded.
But Daniel's phone vibrated again.
A message had arrived from an unknown number.
It contained a photograph of Christopher lying, take me to my son.””
Morgan nodded.
But Daniel's phone vibrated again.
A message had arrived from an unknown number.
It contained a photograph of Christopher lying in a hospital bed.
His eyes were open.
Beside him stood Patricia.
And underneath the photograph were seven words:
*ASK YOUR MOTHER WHO REALLY SIGNED THE WILL.* in a hospital bed.
His eyes were open.
Beside him stood Patricia.
May you like
And underneath the photograph were seven words:
*ASK YOUR MOTHER WHO REALLY SIGNED THE WILL.*
