Chapter 8: The Man Who Disappeared
Daniel couldn't move.
The phone remained pressed against his ear.
Michael stepped closer.
“Who is it?””
Daniel stared straight ahead.
The auditorium waited.
The voice on the phone spoke again.
“Daniel?””
Daniel finally found his voice.
“Marcus?””
Laura's knees nearly gave out.
Chloe covered her mouth.
Michael's eyes widened.
The voice laughed softly.
“You still recognize me.””
Daniel stumbled backward.
“That isn't possible.””
“It is.””
“You died.””
“No.””
Daniel's hand shook harder.
“The funeral…”
“I wasn't in that coffin.””
A collective gasp swept through the auditorium.
Michael looked at Laura.
She was crying.
“I don't understand,” he whispered.
Marcus's voice came through the phone.
“You're about to.””
Daniel swallowed.
“Where are you?””
“Not far.””
“Why did you let me believe you were dead?””
“Because someone needed me gone.””
Daniel's eyes moved toward Chloe.
She looked away.
Michael reached for the phone.
“Give me that.””
Daniel handed it to him.
Michael pressed it to his ear.
“Marcus?””
A pause.
Then:
“Michael.””
The young man's face crumpled.
“You know my name?””
“I've known your name since before you were born.””
Michael's voice shook.
“Are you my father?””
Silence.
Then Marcus said, “No.””
Michael closed his eyes.
“But I know who is.””
Daniel whispered, “Stop.””
Marcus continued.
“You were right to question everything.””
Michael looked at his father.
“Who is my father?””
Marcus said, “Your mother never betrayed Daniel.””
Laura began crying harder.
Michael's breathing became uneven.
“Then why did you disappear?””
“Because Chloe found out what I knew.””
Chloe shook her head.
“I didn't know.””
Marcus's voice sharpened.
“You knew enough.””
Daniel stared at her.
“What did you know?””
Marcus answered before she could.
“She knew Laura was innocent.””
Chloe whispered, “I was scared.””
“Of what?””
“You.””
Marcus laughed.
“You should have been scared of the truth.””
Michael gripped the phone.
“What truth?””
Marcus went silent for a moment.
Then he said, “The paternity test.””
Michael looked down at the photocopy.
“What happened?””
“The first test was altered.””
Daniel's face tightened.
“Altered by who?””
Marcus said, “Chloe.””
Chloe shook her head.
“No.””
Michael looked at her.
“Did you alter it?””
“I didn't.””
Marcus continued.
“She didn't alter the original result.””
Daniel frowned.
“What does that mean?””
“She replaced the sample.””
Silence.
Laura whispered, “What?””
Marcus said, “The test wasn't performed on Daniel's sample.””
Daniel's face went pale.
“Whose was it?””
Marcus hesitated.
“Mine.””
Michael stared at the phone.
“What?””
“I wanted to know whether I could be your father.””
Laura shook her head.
“But you said you weren't.””
“I wasn't.””
Daniel's eyes narrowed.
“Then why?””
“Because someone wanted you to believe you weren't.””
Michael's mind raced.
“So the test was between Marcus and me?””
“Yes.””
“And it showed what?””
Marcus said quietly:
“That I was not your father.””
Michael looked at Daniel.
“Then why did Chloe need it?””
“Because she needed leverage.””
“Against who?””
“Your father.””
Daniel stepped forward.
“Marcus, what aren't you telling us?””
The line went silent.
Then Marcus said, “I have the original report.””
Daniel's breath caught.
“Where?””
“I'll bring it.””
“When?””
“Tonight.””
Michael shook his head.
“No.””
Everyone looked at him.
“I want it now.””
Marcus laughed softly.
“You sound like your mother.””
Michael's eyes filled.
“Then come here.””
A pause.
“I will.””
The call ended.
Michael lowered the phone.
Daniel stared at him.
“Why didn't you ask where he was?””
“I don't care where he is.””
Michael looked at his father.
“I care about why everybody lied.””
Chloe suddenly sat down.
She looked exhausted.
Laura approached her.
“You knew Marcus was alive.””
Chloe didn't look up.
“Yes.””
“For twenty-two years?””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
Chloe's eyes lifted.
“Because he made me promise.””
Laura stared.
“What promise?””
“That I would never tell Daniel.””
Daniel laughed bitterly.
“You've been keeping secrets from me for twenty-two years, and now you're blaming Marcus?””
“I was protecting you.””
“No.””
Daniel's voice was quiet.
“You were protecting yourself.””
Chloe looked away.
Michael opened his mouth.
Before he could speak, a man in a dark university security jacket approached the stage.
“Excuse me.””
Michael turned.
“Yes?””
The guard glanced at Daniel.
“Mr. Bennett?””
Daniel nodded.
“This was left at the security desk for you.””
He held out a small brown envelope.
Daniel didn't take it.
“Who left it?””
“A man.””
“What man?””
“He didn't give a name.””
Michael stepped forward.
“Did he say anything?””
The guard nodded.
“He said to tell you, ‘Twenty-two years is long enough.’”
Laura's heart pounded.
Michael took the envelope.
There was no name.
No return address.
Only a photograph taped to the front.
Michael peeled it off.
His eyes widened.
It showed three people.
Laura.
Daniel.
Marcus.
They were standing together outside a hospital.
And Laura was pregnant.
Daniel stared at the photograph.
“I've never seen this.””
Laura touched the edge.
“I have.””
Michael looked at her.
“When?””
Laura shook her head.
“I don't remember.””
Chloe suddenly whispered, “That's impossible.””
Michael turned.
“Why?””
Chloe's eyes were locked on the photograph.
“Because Marcus took that picture.””
Daniel looked at her.
“How do you know?””
“I was there.””
Laura stared.
“You were there?””
Chloe nodded.
“That was the last day before everything changed.””
Michael flipped the photograph over.
There was writing on the back.
His eyes moved across the words.
He read them aloud.
“‘Laura doesn't know yet. Daniel can't know. If Chloe finds this, she will make sure the child disappears from both of you.’”
Daniel's face went pale.
Michael looked at Chloe.
“What child?””
Chloe said nothing.
Laura suddenly remembered something.
A conversation.
Twenty-two years ago.
Marcus standing in the hospital parking lot.
His hands in his jacket pockets.
His face serious.
Laura, there is something you need to know about your pregnancy.
She had never heard the rest.
Because Daniel had arrived.
And Marcus had walked away.
Laura's hand flew to her mouth.
“Marcus knew.””
Michael looked at her.
“Knew what?””
Laura stared at the photograph.
“He tried to tell me.””
Daniel whispered, “Tell you what?””
Laura turned toward him.
“That the baby wasn't safe.””
The auditorium doors opened.
A man entered.
Older now.
Gray at his temples.
But unmistakable.
Michael stopped breathing.
Daniel whispered one word.
“Marcus.””
The man looked across the auditorium.
His eyes found Laura first.
Then Michael.
He slowly walked down the aisle.
And when he reached them, he didn't look at Daniel.
He looked at Michael.
“I owe you twenty-two years of answers.””
May you like
Then he turned to Laura.
“And your son needs to know what happened the night he was born.””