Chapter 8: The Message From the Dead
The address led them to an old brick building in Brooklyn.
It stood above a bakery that had been closed for years.
Rainwater dripped from the rusted fire escape, and the faded sign above the entrance still carried the words Hayes Family Bakery.
Detective Morgan insisted on sending two officers ahead.
Thomas refused to leave Lily behind.
“I won't separate her from another person she loves,” he said.
Henry agreed.
“She has already lost enough.””
Victoria remained at the mansion under police supervision.
Before Thomas left, she had asked to speak with Lily.
The little girl had refused.
Now, as their car stopped outside the building, Lily looked through the window.
“Is my sister inside?””
Thomas gently squeezed her hand.
“We'll find out.””
The front door was locked.
One of the officers forced it open.
Inside, the smell of old flour and damp wood lingered in the air.
A narrow staircase led upstairs.
The apartment door at the top had been painted blue.
Thomas knocked.
No answer.
“Police,” Detective Morgan called.
Silence.
The officers exchanged glances.
Then Thomas noticed something.
A small piece of paper had been slipped beneath the door.
He picked it up.
If Lily is with you, let her knock.
Thomas frowned.
Detective Morgan looked at him.
“Do it.””
He crouched beside Lily.
“Sweetheart, would you like to knock?””
Lily nodded.
She approached the door and tapped three times.
A lock clicked.
The door opened just an inch.
A young woman's eye appeared through the gap.
She looked at Lily.
Then at the brass key in her hand.
Her breath caught.
“Lily?””
Lily stared.
“Are you Ava?””
The door opened fully.
A young woman stood before them.
She had dark brown hair, tired green eyes, and the same small crescent-shaped birthmark beneath her left eye as the woman in the photograph.
She was holding a photograph of Daniel.
Lily took one step forward.
“Do you know my daddy?””
Ava's eyes filled.
“Yes.””
She crouched.
“I knew him very well.””
Lily studied her face.
“You look like me.””
Ava smiled through her tears.
“That's because we're sisters.””
For a moment, neither moved.
Then Lily ran into her arms.
Ava held her tightly.
She closed her eyes and pressed her cheek against the little girl's hair.
“I thought I'd never get to meet you.””
Lily began crying.
“I thought I didn't have a sister.””
Ava hugged her harder.
“You do now.””
Thomas stood in the doorway, unable to speak.
Henry lowered his head.
Even Detective Morgan looked away.
After eleven years, the twins had finally found each other.
But the reunion lasted only a few minutes.
Ava suddenly released Lily.
She looked toward the hallway.
“Did you come alone?””
Thomas frowned.
“No. We have police officers.””
Ava shook her head.
“That's not what I mean.””
She closed the apartment door and locked it.
“Did anyone follow you?””
Detective Morgan stepped forward.
“Miss Hayes, I'm Detective Morgan. We're investigating the disappearance and the death of Daniel Carter.””
Ava's face changed.
“Daniel is dead?””
Thomas nodded.
She covered her mouth.
“No…”
She stepped backward.
“When?””
“Six days ago.””
Ava looked down at the photograph in her hand.
Then she whispered:
“He told me he was coming back.””
Thomas felt his chest tighten.
“When did you last see him?””
“Three weeks ago.””
“Where?””
“Here.””
Ava walked toward a small table.
There were photographs scattered across it.
Daniel and Ava standing outside the bakery.
Daniel holding a cup of coffee.
Daniel sitting beside her on a park bench.
And one photograph showing him embracing her.
Thomas stared.
“My brother was meeting you secretly?””
Ava nodded.
“He found me six months ago.””
“Why didn't he tell us?””
“Because he didn't trust everyone around him.””
Thomas looked at the photographs.
“Did he tell you why he separated you from Lily?””
Ava shook her head.
“He said he was sorry. He told me he wanted to explain everything when he had the proof.””
“What proof?””
Ava walked to a cupboard.
She removed a small wooden box.
Inside were several letters, a hospital bracelet, and an old cassette tape.
“He gave me these.””
Henry stepped forward.
“Did he tell you what was on the tape?””
Ava nodded.
“It's a conversation between my mother and someone from the hospital.””
Thomas looked at the cassette.
“Have you listened to it?””
“Once.””
“What did it say?””
Ava hesitated.
“My mother was afraid. She kept saying that the babies had to be separated because one of them was in danger.””
Thomas frowned.
“Why?””
Ava looked at Lily.
Then back at him.
“Because someone wanted to use the twins to control the Carter family.””
Henry slowly removed his glasses.
“That doesn't make sense.””
Ava opened the box.
“There's more.””
She pulled out a handwritten letter.
It was dated eleven years earlier.
The signature belonged to Sarah Hayes.
If anything happens to me, the girls must never be placed in the same home until the truth is known.
Thomas read the sentence twice.
“The girls?””
Ava nodded.
“Mom knew something was going to happen.””
Detective Morgan took the letter.
“Do you have any idea who threatened her?””
Ava looked at the hospital bracelet.
Then she pointed to the name printed on it.
*SARAH HAYES — MATERNITY WARD — ROOM 214.*
“She told Daniel that the person responsible was someone inside the family.””
Thomas went still.
“Our family?””
Ava nodded.
“She said the person had access to the foundation, the hospital, and the private security team.””
Thomas looked toward Henry.
Then at the old photograph of the hospital.
The man standing behind Eleanor had worn his watch.
But the watch hadn't belonged to him.
It had belonged to Thomas.
Ava continued.
“Daniel said the key would reveal the name.””
Thomas looked at Lily.
“Did your father explain the key?””
Ava shook her head.
“No. But he said there was a second lock.””
Henry approached.
“Where?””
Ava looked at Lily's hand.
“Somewhere connected to Sarah.””
Lily held up the brass key.
“Daddy said it was important.””
Ava smiled sadly.
“He told me that too.””
Thomas stared.
“He told you about Lily?””
“Every time he visited.””
Ava went to a bookshelf and removed a small wooden frame.
Inside was a photograph of two newborn babies lying beside each other.
Both wore identical pink blankets.
On the back were the words:
My girls. My whole world.
Daniel's handwriting.
Thomas felt tears sting his eyes.
“He loved you both.””
Ava nodded.
“He did.””
She turned the photograph over.
Something was taped behind it.
A tiny metal plate.
Thomas recognized the flower-shaped engraving.
It was identical to the symbol on Lily's key.
“Where did you get that?””
Ava answered quietly.
“Daniel gave it to me.””
She removed the plate.
Behind it was a small folded document.
The paper contained a set of numbers and a location.
*CARTER FOUNDATION — ARCHIVE ROOM 17.*
Henry stared.
“That's impossible.””
Thomas looked at him.
“What?””
Henry slowly sat down.
“Room 17 was sealed after Richard Carter died.””
Ava nodded.
“Daniel told me the key would open it.””
Detective Morgan took out her notebook.
“What's inside?””
Ava looked at the twins' photograph.
“Mom's original evidence.””
Thomas frowned.
“What evidence?””
Ava swallowed.
“The proof that Richard Carter arranged Sarah's death.””
Silence filled the apartment.
Thomas stared at the document.
His father had been dead for twelve years.
Yet the truth about his crimes had remained locked away.
“Why didn't Daniel go there himself?”” Thomas asked.
Ava's face darkened.
“He tried.””
“When?””
“The night he died.””
Thomas froze.
Ava opened another letter.
“He called me at 9:17 p.m. He said he was going to the archive to retrieve the original file.””
Thomas looked at Henry.
“That's the same night as the accident.””
Ava nodded.
“He said he had someone helping him.””
“Who?””
She looked directly at Thomas.
“You.””
Thomas stepped backward.
“No.””
“He told me his brother was finally going to help him.””
Thomas stared.
“I never went to the archive.””
Ava frowned.
“But Daniel said you would be there.””
Thomas looked at the letter again.
The date was correct.
The handwriting was Daniel's.
And then he noticed something.
The signature at the bottom wasn't quite right.
The D in Daniel's name was too narrow.
Someone had copied his handwriting.
“Henry,” Thomas whispered.
The attorney looked up.
Thomas handed him the letter.
“Is this genuine?””
Henry studied it.
Then his face changed.
“No.””
Ava looked confused.
“What do you mean?””
Henry pointed to the signature.
“This isn't Daniel's handwriting.””
Thomas turned toward him.
“Then who wrote it?””
Henry took a deep breath.
“Someone who had access to his private correspondence.””
Detective Morgan stepped closer.
“Do you recognize the handwriting?””
Henry didn't answer.
He simply stared at the letter.
Then he whispered:
“I do.””
Thomas grabbed his arm.
“Who?””
Henry looked at Ava.
Then at Lily.
Finally, he answered.
“Victoria Carter.””
Ava immediately moved toward Lily.
“Where is Victoria now?””
“Under police supervision,” Detective Morgan replied.
Ava shook her head.
“Then you need to keep her there.””
Thomas frowned.
“Why?””
Ava opened the wooden box again.
Beneath the hospital bracelet was another photograph.
It showed Victoria standing outside a hospital room.
Beside her was a man Thomas had never seen before.
On the back, Sarah had written:
The woman who raised my daughter knows exactly where the other one is.
Thomas looked at the image.
Then Ava pointed to the man's face.
“That's the man who took my mother away.””
Detective Morgan examined it.
“Do you know his name?””
Ava nodded.
“Frank.””
Thomas's stomach tightened.
“Frank was there?””
Ava shook her head.
“No. This is someone else.””
She turned the photograph over.
There was another name written beneath Sarah's warning.
*RICHARD CARTER.*
Thomas stared at his father's face.
Then his phone rang.
It was Detective Morgan's colleague.
He answered.
“What's happening?””
The officer's voice was urgent.
“Detective, Mrs. Carter has disappeared.””
Thomas froze.
“What?””
“She was being held at the estate. The security team says she left through the rear entrance.””
Morgan grabbed the phone.
“When?””
“Five minutes ago.””
Thomas looked at Ava.
The young woman's face had gone pale.
Then she whispered:
“She isn't running away.””
Thomas turned.
“Then where is she going?””
Ava pointed at the location printed on Daniel's document.
“Room 17.””
And suddenly, Thomas understood.
May you like
Victoria wasn't trying to escape the truth.
She was trying to destroy the last piece of it.
