Chapter 5: The Mother Who Never Stopped Looking
The hospital smelled of antiseptic and burnt coffee.
Lily sat on an examination bed wearing a yellow blanket over her shoulders. A nurse had given her a small teddy bear, which she was holding tightly.
Emma was in the next room.
The doctors were checking her weight, hydration, and several marks on her arms.
I stood between the two rooms, feeling as though I'd been split in half.
Two little girls.
Both frightened.
Both looking at me as if I was supposed to know how to make everything right.
But I hadn't even known Emma existed.
A doctor approached me.
"Mr. Carter?""
I immediately stood.
"How are they?""
"We're still conducting tests. Lily appears undernourished, and we'll need to assess her nutritional history. Emma is dehydrated and has lost weight, but she's stable.""
I closed my eyes.
"Are they going to be okay?""
"We'll continue monitoring them. The important thing is that they're safe now.""
Safe.
The word felt unfamiliar.
A nurse came out of Emma's room.
"Emma has been asking for you.""
I walked inside.
She was sitting upright, holding a cup of water.
The moment she saw me, her expression brightened.
"You're still here.""
I pulled a chair beside her.
"Of course.""
"Are you going home?""
"Not without you.""
She studied my face.
Then she asked:
"Can I call you Daddy?""
I swallowed.
"If you want to.""
She nodded.
"Okay, Daddy.""
I turned my face away for a moment.
I wasn't ready for the weight of that word.
But I knew I would never reject it.
A few minutes later, Lily appeared at the doorway with the nurse.
She looked at Emma.
"Are you my sister?""
Emma nodded shyly.
"I think so.""
Lily looked at me.
"Really?""
I smiled weakly.
"Yes, sweetheart. Emma is your sister.""
Lily considered this.
Then she climbed onto the bed.
"Do you like strawberries?""
Emma nodded.
"Yes.""
"I like strawberries too.""
She held out the teddy bear.
"You can have him.""
Emma smiled.
The two girls sat together, sharing the small stuffed animal between them.
I watched them and felt something inside me crack.
My daughters.
They should have been playing together in the backyard.
They should have been fighting over toys and asking for ice cream.
Instead, one had been hungry in her own home, and the other had been hidden behind a locked door.
My phone rang.
Unknown number.
I answered.
"Hello?""
A woman's voice came through.
"Daniel?""
I froze.
It was a voice I recognized immediately.
"Sarah?""
There was a long silence.
Then she began crying.
"Is Emma with you?""
I gripped the phone.
"Yes. She's at the hospital.""
"Oh, thank God.""
"Sarah, where are you?""
"I'm at St. Mary's Medical Center. I've been here for four days.""
My stomach tightened.
"Why?""
"I had surgery. I developed an infection after a procedure, and they admitted me.""
"Why didn't you call me?""
"I did!""
Her voice broke.
"Daniel, I called you dozens of times. Vanessa kept telling me you didn't want to speak to me.""
I looked through the glass at Emma.
"Sarah, what happened?""
"I trusted her.""
"What?""
"She came to the hospital when I was admitted. She said she would take Emma for a few days. She promised she'd bring her to visit.""
I felt sick.
"She told me you asked her to take care of Emma.""
"I did ask her to help, but I never agreed to any of this.""
Sarah began sobbing.
"She stopped answering my calls. Then I received a message saying Emma was doing fine and didn't want to speak to me.""
I closed my eyes.
"She told you that?""
"Yes.""
"Sarah, did you know Vanessa had locked her in a room?""
There was a terrible silence.
"What?""
"She kept Emma in a locked bedroom.""
Sarah made a sound I will never forget.
"No.""
"Sarah...""
"No, Daniel. She promised me.""
I pressed my free hand against the wall.
"Did you ever meet Vanessa before?""
"Once.""
"When?""
"About a year ago. She contacted me through social media.""
I frowned.
"Why?""
"She wanted to know whether you and I had stayed in contact.""
My heart began racing.
"What did you tell her?""
"That we hadn't spoken in years. She asked whether Emma knew about you.""
I looked at the hospital floor.
"Did you tell her Emma was mine?""
"Yes. I sent her the birth certificate because she said you wanted proof.""
I remembered the folder.
The letter.
The photocopy.
Sarah continued.
"Daniel, there's something else.""
I waited.
"Vanessa asked me for money.""
My stomach dropped.
"What?""
"She said she would help Emma get settled into your family, but she needed money for childcare and expenses.""
"How much?""
"She asked for $15,000.""
I stared at the wall.
"Did you pay her?""
"I sent $5,000 first. Then she demanded another $10,000.""
I closed my eyes.
"Did you send it?""
"No. I told her I needed to speak with you first.""
That explained the sudden appearance of Emma.
That explained why Vanessa had kept the birth certificate.
But it didn't explain the locked room.
"Sarah, listen to me. The police are investigating. I need you to tell them everything.""
"I will.""
"Are you well enough to speak to them?""
"I'll speak to anyone. I just want my baby back.""
I looked through the glass.
Emma was smiling at Lily.
For the first time that day, she looked like an ordinary little girl.
"Sarah, she's safe.""
Sarah began crying harder.
"Thank you.""
I hesitated.
"There's something I need to ask.""
"What?""
"Why didn't you contact my parents?""
"I did. Your mother answered one of my letters. She told me she had no idea you were aware of Emma, and she said she would try to reach you.""
I frowned.
"My mother?""
"Yes.""
I stared at my phone.
"My mother never told me.""
Sarah sighed.
"Maybe she never received the message from me. I don't know.""
I didn't know what to believe anymore.
Before I could ask another question, a nurse approached.
"Mr. Carter, the detective is here.""
"I'll call you back.""
"Daniel?""
"Yes?""
"Please don't let Vanessa near Emma again.""
"I won't.""
I ended the call.
The detective introduced herself as Detective Morgan.
She was in her early forties, with short brown hair and a serious expression.
"Mr. Carter, I need to ask you some questions about your wife.""
I nodded.
"Anything.""
She opened a notebook.
"Did Vanessa have access to your bank accounts?""
"She had access to our household account.""
"Did she make any unusual withdrawals?""
I thought about the money I'd transferred for the birthday party.
Then I remembered something else.
Three months earlier, Vanessa had asked me to increase her monthly allowance.
She claimed the children needed more activities.
I had agreed.
"Possibly.""
Detective Morgan looked up.
"Why do you say that?""
"She recently received several thousand dollars for household expenses.""
"Do you know where the money went?""
"No.""
The detective wrote something down.
"Did your wife ever mention Emma before today?""
"No.""
"Did she ever ask you to sign any documents relating to a child?""
I hesitated.
Then I remembered an envelope Vanessa had left on my desk several months earlier.
She had told me it was an insurance update.
I'd signed it without reading carefully because I was rushing to a meeting.
"Actually...""
The detective looked up.
"What?""
"I might have signed something.""
"What kind of document?""
"I'm not sure.""
She closed her notebook.
"Mr. Carter, I'd like you to review your financial records and any paperwork Vanessa has asked you to sign.""
"Why?""
She paused.
"Because we found something else in the locked room.""
She handed me a photograph.
It showed a stack of documents on the bottom shelf of a cabinet.
One page had my signature.
Below it was a heading:
*Temporary Guardianship and Financial Authorization.*
I stared at the image.
My signature was real.
But the document wasn't something I remembered agreeing to.
Detective Morgan continued.
"Your wife appears to have been preparing to become Emma's legal guardian.""
I swallowed.
"Why would she need that?""
"That's what we're trying to determine.""
Then the detective turned another page.
"There's a second document.""
I looked down.
It was an application for a life insurance policy.
My name was listed as the insured person.
The beneficiary was Vanessa.
The policy amount was $2 million.
And the application date was six weeks earlier.
I looked up.
"I never applied for this.""
Detective Morgan held my gaze.
"Are you certain?""
"Absolutely.""
May you like
She nodded.
"Then I think we need to talk about what your wife was planning.""
