Chapter 8: The Woman Who Had Been Waiting
I stood frozen beside my father's desk.
The woman on the phone was Evelyn Cross.
The woman whose face had appeared in the photograph.
The woman who might be my biological mother.
"Where are you?"" I asked.
"At my home in Connecticut.""
"How did you get my number?""
A brief silence followed.
"Through a private investigator. I've been searching for you for years.""
I looked toward Margaret.
My mother was watching me with frightened eyes.
Evelyn continued.
"Claire, I know this is difficult. But I need to see you.""
"Why?""
"Because I have something that belongs to you.""
"What?""
"Your daughter's photograph.""
I frowned.
"My daughter?""
Evelyn took a shaky breath.
"I'm sorry. I meant my daughter. The baby I gave birth to. I have a photograph of her from the hospital.""
I closed my eyes.
"Why do you believe I'm that baby?""
"Because I received a DNA report yesterday.""
My grip tightened around the phone.
"From whom?""
"An independent laboratory. Someone submitted a sample under your name.""
I looked at David.
He immediately stepped closer.
"Ask her to send the report directly to our attorney.""
I repeated his words.
Evelyn agreed.
"I'll send everything. But Claire, there's something else.""
"What?""
"The woman in the photograph with me wasn't my daughter.""
I looked at the picture on the desk.
"Then who was she?""
"My niece. Rebecca Cross.""
I frowned.
"Why was she standing beside you?""
"Because she helped me search for my missing child. She was the one who found the first hospital records.""
I looked at Richard.
He was standing near the doorway, flanked by security officers.
His face had become unreadable.
I asked Evelyn another question.
"Do you know Richard Whitmore?""
The silence on the other end was immediate.
"Yes.""
"How?""
"He was the man who arranged the hospital transfer.""
My stomach dropped.
"Why?""
"Because he told me my baby had died.""
I closed my eyes.
Evelyn's voice trembled.
"He came to my hospital room three days after the birth. He said there had been complications. He told me my daughter had stopped breathing.""
I looked at David.
He was recording the conversation.
"But you said you received a DNA report yesterday.""
"Yes. A former hospital administrator contacted me. She told me the records had been falsified.""
"Who?""
"Her name is Helen Porter.""
David wrote the name down.
Evelyn continued.
"Helen said Richard had paid someone to change the newborn identification records. She believed he wanted access to my husband's estate.""
I swallowed.
"Why would switching babies give him access to the estate?""
"Because Jonathan had established a trust for our daughter. He wanted her to inherit the family business when she turned twenty-five.""
"And what happened to the baby you raised?""
Evelyn's voice broke.
"She died.""
I felt a wave of grief for a child I had never known.
"I'm sorry.""
"She was only six weeks old. We buried her believing she was our daughter.""
I looked at the hospital records.
Two girls.
Two families.
Two lives altered by one man's decision.
Then Evelyn said, "Claire, there's something you need to understand. Richard didn't switch the babies because of the inheritance alone.""
"Then why?""
"Because your biological father was Thomas Bennett.""
I stared at the phone.
"Thomas?""
"Yes. He was my first husband.""
I turned toward Margaret.
She had gone completely still.
Evelyn continued.
"Thomas and I were married briefly. He left me before I knew I was pregnant. When I discovered I was expecting, I tried to contact him.""
My mother's hand flew to her mouth.
"But he was already involved with Margaret," Evelyn said.
"And Richard knew.""
I looked at the old letter in the folder.
The one mentioning Thomas.
"Did Thomas know you were pregnant?""
"Yes. He wanted to be part of the baby's life. But Richard told him I had decided to disappear.""
My heart pounded.
"That's not what happened.""
"No. I know that now.""
Evelyn took a shaky breath.
"Thomas came to see me a few weeks before the birth. He told me Richard had been stealing from their company. He said he had discovered a hidden account connected to the inheritance.""
I looked at David.
He nodded slightly.
The pieces were beginning to fit.
"Did Thomas tell you what happened to the money?""
"No. He said he needed time. Then he disappeared.""
I turned toward Richard.
He was watching me.
His expression had changed.
He knew exactly what Evelyn was saying.
"Mrs. Cross," I said, "can you come to New York?""
"Yes. I can leave immediately.""
"Bring every document you have.""
"I will.""
The call ended.
For several seconds, nobody spoke.
Then my mother approached me.
"Claire, please let me explain.""
I looked at her.
"What explanation could possibly make this better?""
She began crying.
"I didn't know Richard was going to switch the babies.""
"But you knew about the records.""
"Yes.""
"And you knew Evelyn believed her daughter was dead.""
She nodded.
"Yes.""
"Did you ever contact her?""
"No.""
I stared at her.
"Why?""
"Because James begged me not to.""
"Why would he?""
My mother looked at the photograph.
"Because he was afraid Richard would come after you.""
I shook my head.
"So Dad knew?""
"Yes. He discovered the switch when you were three.""
My knees weakened.
"Three?""
She nodded.
"He found the original hospital records. He confronted Richard. Richard threatened to expose the circumstances surrounding your birth and destroy our family.""
I swallowed.
"And Dad did nothing?""
"He did everything he could to protect you.""
I looked at the letter.
The words seemed different now.
My father hadn't simply protected my inheritance.
He had protected my identity.
David interrupted.
"There's another document we need to review.""
He picked up the second folder from the safe.
Inside was a series of financial statements.
The dates went back almost thirty years.
He spread them across the desk.
"These are records from the Cross family trust.""
I looked at him.
"What are they?""
"Payments made to a company controlled by Richard Whitmore.""
He pointed to several transactions.
"Over twenty-nine years, approximately $14 million was transferred out of the trust.""
I stared.
"Fourteen million?""
"Yes. The money was recorded as management fees and administrative expenses.""
"Who approved them?""
David examined the signature blocks.
"Richard Whitmore.""
My mother whispered, "He stole it.""
David nodded.
"Apparently.""
I looked at the records.
There were payments every year.
Some were small.
Others were enormous.
The final transaction was dated just six months earlier.
It had been transferred to an offshore holding company.
I recognized the name.
Reed Consulting.
Vanessa's company.
I looked at David.
"She was involved in this too?""
He nodded slowly.
"At least financially.""
My phone vibrated.
A message from Vanessa.
*Claire, please. I need to talk to you. There's something Daniel never told me.*
I stared at it.
Then another message arrived.
*Richard has been using both of us. He's planning to leave the country tonight.*
I showed David.
He immediately called the investigator.
"Richard Whitmore may be attempting to leave the country. We need to notify the appropriate authorities.""
My mother grabbed my arm.
"Claire, what about Vanessa?""
I looked at the message.
"I want to hear what she knows.""
David shook his head.
"Not alone.""
"I won't be alone.""
He nodded.
We arranged to meet Vanessa at a private conference room in the hotel.
When we returned, the ballroom was nearly empty.
Guests had begun leaving.
The wedding cake remained untouched beneath its elaborate floral decoration.
My wedding dress was still hanging in the bridal suite.
I looked at it through the open doorway.
For a moment, I remembered the woman who had put it on that morning.
She had believed her greatest problem was choosing the right lipstick.
Now I wasn't even sure the name on her birth certificate belonged to her.
Vanessa arrived fifteen minutes later.
She was no longer wearing her ruby-red dress.
She had changed into jeans and a black sweater.
Her eyes were swollen.
She sat across from me.
"Claire, I'm sorry.""
I didn't respond.
She placed a small flash drive on the table.
"This contains the original transaction records.""
David picked it up.
"Where did you get these?""
"Daniel's laptop.""
"Did you have permission?""
Vanessa laughed bitterly.
"Nothing about this was ever done with permission.""
I leaned forward.
"Why did you contact me?""
She looked at me.
"Because Richard is planning to disappear.""
"Where?""
"London, then Switzerland. He has already arranged the transfers.""
David wrote something down.
"How do you know?""
"Because I was supposed to go with him.""
I stared.
"What?""
Vanessa began crying.
"He promised me we'd start over. He said once the money was moved, nobody would be able to touch us.""
I felt sick.
"You were planning to leave with him?""
She nodded.
"Then why did you send me the message?""
"Because I found something in Daniel's laptop.""
She reached into her bag and removed a folded paper.
It was a handwritten note.
I recognized Richard's signature.
Vanessa slid it across the table.
I read the first line.
If anything goes wrong, eliminate the remaining witness.
My blood ran cold.
"Who is the remaining witness?""
Vanessa looked directly at me.
"Your mother.""
I turned toward Margaret.
She was staring at the paper.
Vanessa continued.
"Richard knows she can identify him as the man who was at the river the night Thomas disappeared.""
My mother began trembling.
David immediately stood.
"We need to arrange protection.""
But Vanessa wasn't finished.
She reached for my hand.
"Claire, there's something worse.""
I pulled my hand away.
"What?""
She swallowed.
"Daniel didn't forge your signature because he wanted to marry you.""
I stared at her.
"Then why?""
"Because the moment you married him, he would have gained access to the Cross trust through a clause in the original agreement.""
David looked up sharply.
"Which clause?""
Vanessa opened her handbag.
She removed another document.
At the top was a heading.
*BENEFICIARY MARRIAGE TRANSFER AGREEMENT.*
I read the first paragraph.
Then the second.
My stomach turned.
The agreement stated that a spouse could assume temporary management of the Cross estate if the beneficiary was deemed unable to manage her affairs.
I looked at Daniel's forged signature page.
Then at Vanessa.
"Why would I be deemed unable?""
Her voice became barely audible.
"Because they were planning to have you declared mentally incompetent.""
Nobody spoke.
I looked at David.
He was already reaching for his phone.
Then Vanessa whispered one final thing.
"They've already paid a doctor to sign the evaluation.""
And before I could ask who that doctor was, my phone rang.
The hospital archive administrator.
I answered.
"Hello?""
A man's voice spoke quickly.
"Ms. Bennett, we have a problem. Someone has entered the records facility and removed the original maternity files.""
My heart stopped.
"Who?""
He hesitated.
Then he said:
"Your biological mother was here ten minutes ago.""
I turned toward Evelyn's photograph.
May you like
But Evelyn Cross was supposed to be on her way to New York.
So who had just walked into the hospital archive using her name?
