Chapter 8: The Recording Ethan Left Behind
Detective Brooks immediately asked hospital security to locate Claire.
But she was gone.
Her beige coat was no longer visible in the maternity ward, and the receptionist confirmed that she had left through the main entrance shortly after the detective arrived.
Michael paced the corridor.
“She knew this was coming.””
I stood beside the bassinet.
The baby was asleep again.
I had started to think of her as Grace, the name Vanessa and I had chosen before everything fell apart.
But every time I looked at her, I remembered the name Emma.
The name that belonged to another family's hopes.
Detective Brooks approached me.
“Mr. Carter, I need to ask you something.””
“Go ahead.””
“Do you know whether your wife had any contact with Claire after the embryo transfer?””
I looked through the glass at Vanessa.
“She said they exchanged messages.””
“Do you have access to those messages?””
“Some of them.””
“Don't delete anything. We'll need to preserve the original records.””
I nodded.
Then he lowered his voice.
“There's something else.””
“What?””
“Your wife's former husband left behind a storage unit. Mrs. Cole's attorney believes it may contain documents connected to the fertility clinic.””
I frowned.
“Why wasn't it searched after Ethan died?””
“The unit was registered under a company name, not his personal name. It was discovered during the estate review.””
Michael stopped pacing.
“Where is it?””
“Outside town. We have a warrant to inspect it tomorrow morning.””
I looked toward Vanessa.
“Can she come?””
“Not until we've completed the initial review.””
I turned toward him.
“Detective, she's the mother of the newborn. Whatever happened six years ago, she needs to know what's going on.””
He nodded.
“I understand. But if someone altered records or concealed evidence, we have to establish exactly what happened.””
Then he looked at Michael.
“And you need to tell us whether you ever gave permission for your genetic sample to be used in reproductive treatment.””
Michael shook his head.
“Never.””
“Do you have any documents proving that?””
“I have the original research consent form.””
“Bring it tomorrow.””
The detective left.
I went back into the room.
Vanessa was sitting beside the bassinet, holding the hospital blanket in her lap.
She looked up when I entered.
“Daniel?””
I didn't answer.
She reached toward me.
I stepped back.
Her hand fell.
“I know you hate me.””
“I don't hate you.””
“You look at me like I'm a stranger.””
I pulled a chair closer.
“Because I don't know who I've been married to.””
She began crying.
“Please don't say that.””
“Then tell me something I can believe.””
She looked down at the baby.
“I loved Ethan.””
“I know.””
“But I loved you too.””
I rubbed my forehead.
“Vanessa, loving someone doesn't give you permission to build a marriage on lies.””
“I know.””
“You let me believe this baby was biologically ours. You let Lily believe she had done something wrong. You took a newborn from the hospital and disappeared. And now there's another family involved.””
“I was scared.””
“So was I.””
She looked up.
I continued.
“When I walked into that hospital room, Lily was crying because you had slapped her hand away from the bassinet. Do you understand what that did to her?””
Vanessa covered her mouth.
“I didn't mean to hurt her.””
“You keep saying that.””
“I was afraid she would touch the baby and something would happen.””
“Why?””
Vanessa hesitated.
Then she said something I hadn't expected.
“Because Claire told me the baby could be dangerous.””
I stared.
“What?””
“She said there was a possibility that the embryo carried Ethan's condition. She said if Lily touched the baby, she might expose her to something.””
I felt anger rise.
“That's medically ridiculous.””
“I know that now.””
“Why didn't you ask a doctor?””
“Because Claire told me not to discuss the genetic results with anyone until the review was complete.””
I stood up.
“Vanessa, you allowed a woman from a fertility clinic to control every decision you made.””
She nodded.
“I know.””
“And when Lily wanted to meet her sister, you treated her like a threat.””
Vanessa began sobbing.
I walked to the window.
For a long time, neither of us spoke.
Then Vanessa said:
“There's something I haven't told you about Ethan's last night.””
I turned.
“What?””
“He left me a message.””
My heart started beating faster.
“What message?””
“On an old answering machine at the house. I found it several months after he died.””
“Why didn't you give it to the police?””
“Because I didn't understand it.””
“Where is it?””
Vanessa looked at me.
“Michael has it.””
I turned toward the door.
Michael was waiting in the family lounge.
When I told him about the recording, he went completely still.
“My mother gave me an old voice recorder after Ethan's funeral,” he said.
“She told me not to listen to it until I was ready.””
“Do you still have it?””
He nodded.
“It's at my house.””
“Can we get it?””
Michael looked at the clock.
“Now?””
“Yes.””
He hesitated.
Then he pulled out his phone.
“I'll ask my wife to find it.””
Ten minutes later, a photograph arrived.
It showed a small black digital recorder inside a drawer.
Michael stared at the image.
Then he looked at me.
“There are two files.””
“Have you listened to them?””
“No.””
“Why not?””
He swallowed.
“Because I was afraid of what I'd hear.””
I understood.
Sometimes the truth is frightening long before you know what it says.
We returned to the hospital room.
Vanessa sat up when she saw the recorder on Michael's phone.
“Did you find it?””
Michael nodded.
“There's something you need to hear.””
He connected the recorder to his phone.
A crackling sound filled the room.
Then Ethan's voice emerged.
“Michael, if you're listening to this, something has gone wrong.””
Vanessa covered her mouth.
Ethan sounded tired.
There was background noise, perhaps traffic or wind.
He continued.
“I found the paperwork Mother signed. She told me she was only helping us preserve our options, but she used your sample without telling you.””
Michael closed his eyes.
The recording continued.
“I don't know whether she understood what she was doing. But someone at the clinic knew. Someone has been moving the files around, and I think they're trying to make it look like I approved everything.””
I looked at Vanessa.
She was crying silently.
Ethan's voice became quieter.
“Vanessa, if you ever hear this, please don't use the embryos. I know you want a child. I know you think having a baby will make the grief easier. But you cannot build a family out of a lie.””
There was a pause.
Then a door slammed in the background.
Ethan spoke again.
“Someone's here.””
The recording ended.
Nobody moved.
Michael stared at the screen.
“That was it?””
I nodded.
“Play the second file.””
He pressed the button.
At first, there was only static.
Then another voice appeared.
A woman.
“Ethan, you need to stop.””
I recognized it immediately.
Claire.
Ethan answered.
“You told me the sample had been destroyed.””
Claire sounded irritated.
“I told you the original records were being reviewed.””
“You used my brother's genetic material.””
“I didn't make that decision.””
“Then who did?””
A pause.
Then Claire said:
“Your father authorized it.””
Ethan's voice rose.
“My father doesn't own Michael's body!””
“I know.””
“Then why are you defending him?””
“Because your father is trying to protect this family.””
Ethan laughed bitterly.
“By stealing from his own son?””
The recording crackled.
Then another voice spoke.
A man's voice.
I had never heard it before.
But Michael recognized it instantly.
His face drained of color.
“That's my father.””
The recording continued.
“Ethan, get in the car. We need to talk.””
“No.””
“Don't make this worse.””
“You used Michael's sample without his permission. You lied to Vanessa. And now you're trying to blame the clinic.””
“I'm trying to keep this family together.””
“You're trying to control everyone!””
There was a loud thud.
Then static.
A few seconds later, Ethan spoke again.
“Michael, if anything happens to me, find the original consent forms. And whatever you do, don't let Dad convince you that he did this for us.””
The recording stopped.
Michael sat motionless.
Then he whispered:
“My father lied.””
I looked at him.
“Do you think he was involved in Ethan's accident?””
Michael shook his head.
“I don't know.””
Vanessa suddenly spoke.
“There's another recording.””
We turned toward her.
“What?”” I asked.
She looked terrified.
“Ethan left another message. Not on Michael's recorder.””
“Where?””
“At the house.””
“What house?””
“The house where we lived before he died.””
Michael frowned.
“That's been sold.””
“I know. But the answering machine was stored in the basement. I went there after the funeral.””
I stared at her.
“Why didn't you tell anyone?””
“Because the message mentioned a name.””
“What name?””
Vanessa looked toward the baby.
Then she whispered:
“Your name, Daniel.””
I felt my stomach tighten.
“Why would Ethan mention me?””
“He didn't know you then.””
“Then how could he know my name?””
Vanessa closed her eyes.
“Because the message wasn't recorded six years ago.””
I stared at her.
“What?””
She swallowed.
“I found it eleven months ago. Three days before the embryo transfer.””
Michael stood abruptly.
“Eleven months ago?””
Vanessa nodded.
“And it said something about Daniel?””
She looked directly at me.
“It said that if I ever met a man named Daniel Carter, I should never let him near the embryo records.””
My blood ran cold.
I had never met Ethan.
I had never spoken to him.
So why had a dead man left a warning about me?
Before I could ask, my phone vibrated.
Another unknown number.
This time, the message contained a photograph.
It showed a hospital corridor.
The date stamp was from three weeks earlier.
A man stood beside a newborn bassinet.
I recognized him.
It was Michael's father.
Beneath the photograph were eight words:
*Your daughter was not the first child he took.*
I looked at Michael.
He read the message.
Then he whispered:
“My father has another child?””
Vanessa began crying again.
“No,” she said.
I turned toward her.
“Then what?””
She looked at me with a terror I had never seen before.
“Daniel, the man in that photograph isn't Michael's father.””
I looked at the picture again.
The man's face was partially hidden by the lighting.
But the resemblance was unmistakable.
“Who is he?””
Vanessa swallowed.
May you like
Then she said:
“It's Ethan.””
