Chapter 4: The Secret Victoria Had Buried
“Give me the key, Thomas.””
Victoria's voice came through the phone with terrifying calmness.
Thomas stood frozen beside the living room window, staring at the woman across the street.
The tall man beside her was holding a metal case.
Rebecca had moved behind the couch, clutching her handbag against her chest.
I stood beside Thomas, my little fingers wrapped around the antique brass key.
“Uncle Thomas,” I whispered, “why does Aunt Victoria want my key?””
He didn't answer.
Instead, he raised the phone.
“Victoria, what did you mean when you said you'd tell Lily about her mother?””
A brief silence followed.
Then Victoria laughed.
“Don't pretend you haven't wondered yourself.””
Thomas clenched his jaw.
“Daniel trusted you.””
“Daniel was a fool.””
“Watch your mouth.””
“Or what? You'll do what your brother couldn't?””
Thomas ended the call.
For several seconds, nobody spoke.
Then Rebecca hurried toward him.
“We need to leave.””
Thomas turned.
“Not without answers.””
“Thomas, listen to me. Victoria didn't come here to negotiate.””
He glanced outside again.
The tall man had opened the metal case.
Inside, something silver reflected the afternoon sunlight.
“What is that?”” Thomas asked.
Rebecca shook her head.
“I don't know. But we cannot let her get that key.””
I looked at Rebecca.
“Does Aunt Victoria hate me?””
Her expression softened.
“No, sweetheart.””
“But she wants my key.””
Rebecca crouched in front of me.
“Sometimes people want something so badly that they forget they're hurting everyone around them.””
“Daddy wouldn't hurt me.””
“No,” she whispered.
“He wouldn't.””
A sudden knock rattled the front door.
Thomas immediately stepped in front of us.
“Stay behind me.””
Another knock.
Then Victoria's voice.
“Thomas! Open this door!””
He didn't move.
She knocked again.
“I know you're inside!””
Thomas approached the door but didn't unlock it.
“What do you want?””
“To finish what Daniel started.””
“Daniel is dead.””
“And that's why we need to talk.””
Thomas looked at Rebecca.
She shook her head.
He returned his attention to the door.
“Leave.””
Victoria sighed.
“You really think you're protecting Lily?””
“I'm trying.””
“Then you should know that the woman standing inside your house isn't the person you think she is.””
Rebecca's face went white.
Thomas turned toward her.
“What is she talking about?””
Rebecca swallowed.
“She's trying to confuse you.””
Victoria laughed from the other side.
“Ask Rebecca where she was the night Daniel crashed.””
Thomas stopped breathing for a moment.
Rebecca closed her eyes.
“Thomas, I can explain.””
He turned fully toward her.
“Were you with my brother that night?””
Rebecca's voice trembled.
“Yes.””
Thomas stared at her.
“You told me you hadn't seen him in months.””
“I lied.””
“Why?””
“Because he asked me to.””
The silence that followed was unbearable.
I looked between them.
“Did you hurt Daddy?””
Rebecca immediately knelt.
“No, Lily. Never. I would never hurt your father.””
“Then why did you lie?””
Her eyes filled with tears.
“Because I promised him I would protect you.””
Thomas rubbed his forehead.
“Start talking. All of it.””
Rebecca took a breath.
“Three nights before Daniel died, he called me. He said he had discovered that Victoria was transferring money from Lily's trust into several private accounts.””
Thomas folded his arms.
“I know about the transfers.””
“There's more. Daniel had discovered that the documents authorizing those transfers carried Lily's mother's signature.””
Thomas frowned.
“That isn't possible.””
“Exactly.””
Rebecca removed another document from her handbag.
“Your brother suspected that someone had forged her signature. But when he investigated, he discovered something much worse.””
Thomas took the paper.
“What?””
“Someone had been using your sister-in-law's identity years after she supposedly died.””
Thomas stared at her.
“Who?””
Rebecca looked toward the front door.
“Victoria.””
A heavy thud shook the entrance.
Victoria had kicked the lower panel.
“THOMAS! OPEN THE DOOR!””
I jumped.
Thomas immediately moved toward me.
“It's okay, sweetheart.””
But his voice didn't sound convincing.
Rebecca continued.
“Daniel believed Victoria had arranged everything to make it appear that Lily's mother had died. He found records showing that a woman matching her description had been admitted to a private medical facility under a different name.””
I stared at her.
“Was it Mommy?””
Rebecca nodded slowly.
“I believe it was.””
My chest tightened.
“Where is she?””
“I don't know, sweetheart.””
Victoria struck the door again.
“THOMAS! YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU'RE DOING!””
Thomas looked furious.
“You said she was dead!””
Victoria fell silent.
Then she answered.
“She was supposed to be.””
Thomas stepped backward.
Rebecca covered her mouth.
I looked at the door.
“Aunt Victoria?””
No answer.
“Why did you say Mommy was supposed to be dead?””
For the first time, Victoria didn't have an immediate response.
Then she spoke through the door.
“Because your father made a terrible mistake.””
Thomas shouted, “Stop talking to her!””
But Victoria continued.
“Your father believed he could take everything away from me. The money. The house.
The family business. Everything.””
Rebecca shook her head.
“Lily, don't listen to her.””
Victoria's voice grew louder.
“He thought he could expose me and walk away with his perfect little family.””
Thomas slammed his palm against the door.
“Enough!””
Then something unexpected happened.
The knocking stopped.
Thomas approached the window.
The black SUV was still there, but Victoria had disappeared from the front entrance.
The tall man was standing alone.
He was holding a small envelope.
He looked directly at Thomas.
Then he placed it on the front steps and walked back toward the vehicle.
Thomas waited until the SUV disappeared before opening the door.
The envelope had no name on it.
Inside was a single photograph.
Thomas stared at it.
Rebecca moved closer.
“What is it?””
He slowly turned it around.
I saw a woman sitting beside a hospital bed.
She had long dark hair.
Her face was thinner than I remembered from the old photographs in Daddy's bedroom.
But I recognized her.
I knew the shape of her smile.
I knew the small birthmark near her left eyebrow.
It was my mother.
Beneath the photograph were six handwritten words.
*YOUR MOTHER IS ALIVE. ASK ABOUT ROOM 317.*
Thomas looked at Rebecca.
“Where is Room 317?””
Rebecca's hands began shaking.
“St. Catherine's.””
Thomas frowned.
“That's the hospital where Daniel said Lily's mother died.””
Rebecca nodded.
“But the records were sealed.””
Thomas looked down at the key.
Then he looked at me.
“Lily, sweetheart, I think your father left us something important.””
I held the key tighter.
“Can we find Mommy?””
Thomas knelt and gently wiped the tears from my cheeks.
“I promise we'll find out the truth.””
Then Rebecca noticed something written on the back of the photograph.
Her face changed.
“Thomas...””
“What?””
She pointed to a date.
It was yesterday.
The photograph of my mother had been taken yesterday.
May you like
And beneath the date was a handwritten message.
*SHE KNOWS THE KEY IS WITH LILY.*
