Chapter 7: The Father Who Wasn't Elias
The call ended.
Aaliyah stood with the phone pressed against her ear long after the screen went dark.
Nobody spoke.
Even Victor seemed unsettled.
I took one step toward her.
“Aaliyah.””
She looked at me.
“Why did she say Elias wasn't my father?””
“I don't know.””
“You knew he was.””
“I believed he was.””
She shook her head.
“No. Everyone believed he was.””
Daniel lowered his eyes.
“That changes things.””
I turned toward him.
“You knew something.””
“I suspected.””
“That's not good enough anymore.””
Daniel gripped his cane.
“Your mother was pregnant when Elias died. She told everyone the baby was his.””
Renee whispered, “Because he believed she was.””
“What does that mean?””
Daniel looked at Aaliyah.
“It means Elias wasn't the only man in her life.””
Derek stepped forward.
“Who else?””
Daniel's silence answered before he did.
“Samuel.””
The word landed like a gunshot.
I stared at him.
“My father?””
Daniel nodded.
“No.””
Renee shook her head.
“No, that can't be.””
Daniel looked at her.
“Your mother was with Samuel before she married Elias.””
Renee's face drained of color.
“She never told me.””
“She was afraid.””
I laughed bitterly.
“Everybody was afraid. That's becoming the family motto.””
Aaliyah walked toward Daniel.
“Are you saying Samuel was my biological father?””
Daniel didn't answer immediately.
“I don't know.””
“Then why did my mother say he wasn't Elias?””
“Because there was another test.””
I looked at him.
“The second test.””
“Yes.””
“Where is it?””
Daniel pointed toward the cassette.
“Your father recorded everything because he knew he might not survive.””
I picked up the tape.
“How do we hear it?””
Thomas, still sitting against the wall, raised a hand.
“There’s an old recorder in the office.””
We moved quickly.
Victor didn't stop us.
That frightened me more than if he had.
The motel office smelled of dust and damp paper. Thomas pulled a battered cassette player from a cabinet.
I inserted the tape.
Static filled the room.
Then a man's voice.
My father's.
I hadn't heard his voice in years.
It was older than I remembered.
Tired.
Almost defeated.
*“If anyone finds this recording, then Evelyn was right. The truth couldn't stay buried forever.””*
Renee began crying.
The recording continued.
*“The child is not Elias Bennett's.””*
Aaliyah closed her eyes.
I looked at her.
My father continued.
*“The DNA sample was compared against mine first. The result was inconclusive.””*
Daniel frowned.
“Inconclusive?””
I listened.
*“There was a partial genetic match, but not enough to establish paternity. I ordered a second test.””*
My heart started pounding.
*“The second test was compared against another male relative.””*
The tape crackled.
Then my father's voice became quieter.
*“My brother Daniel.””*
Daniel stepped backward.
“No.””
I stared at him.
The recording continued.
*“The result was positive.””*
Nobody moved.
Aaliyah whispered, “Daniel?””
Daniel looked sick.
“I didn't know.””
My father spoke again.
*“The child is biologically related to my family. But not through me.””*
I stopped breathing.
Daniel stared at the recorder.
“No…”
Then my father's next words shattered the room.
*“The child is Daniel's daughter.””*
Renee screamed.
Aaliyah stumbled backward.
I caught her.
“Dad…”
I held her.
“I'm here.””
Daniel sank into the nearest chair.
“My daughter?””
The tape continued.
*“Daniel doesn't know. I made sure he never knew. Because if he knew, Victor would find out.””*
Victor's expression hardened.
I turned toward him.
“You knew?””
He didn't answer.
My father's voice continued.
*“Elias agreed to claim the child because he believed it would protect Daniel. Evelyn helped change the records. Renee was told only enough to keep her silent.””*
Renee covered her face.
I stared at Daniel.
All these years, he'd been searching for the truth.
And the truth was standing in front of him.
His daughter.
My daughter.
A family connection none of us had understood.
Daniel looked at Aaliyah.
“I'm your father.””
Aaliyah couldn't speak.
Then she shook her head.
“No.””
Daniel's face crumpled.
“I understand.””
“No,” she said again.
“You can't just appear after twenty-two years.””
“I know.””
“You weren't there.””
“I know.””
“I don't know you.””
Daniel lowered his head.
“I know.””
She turned away.
I put my arm around her.
For once, she didn't resist.
Victor suddenly laughed.
Everyone looked at him.
“You still don't understand.””
I stepped toward him.
“What now?””
“The DNA test was never the important part.””
“Then what is?””
Victor pointed at Aaliyah.
“She inherited something from Daniel.””
Daniel looked up.
“What?””
Victor smiled.
“The ledger.””
Silence.
“What ledger?”” I asked.
Victor looked at me.
“Your father kept records of every payment, every name, every shipment.””
Daniel whispered, “Elias stole it.””
“No,” Victor said.
“Daniel hid it.””
Daniel shook his head.
“I never had it.””
Victor's smile disappeared.
“Your daughter does.””
Aaliyah stiffened.
“I don't have anything.””
Victor looked directly at her.
“You've had it since birth.””
He pointed toward the graduation bouquet sitting on the motel counter.
“The flowers.””
I frowned.
“What about them?””
Victor laughed.
“Evelyn was clever.””
I remembered the bouquet.
The card.
The roses.
The little metal charm tied around the stems.
I had bought them that morning.
But the charm had already been attached when I picked them up.
I walked toward the counter.
There was a tiny silver capsule hanging from the ribbon.
I pulled it loose.
Aaliyah watched.
“What is that?””
I twisted the cap.
Inside was a folded strip of paper.
One line.
A number.
And underneath:
*Locker 314. St. Catherine's Hospital.*
My father's voice continued from the recorder.
*“Evelyn, if you're hearing this, you know what to do. The ledger must remain hidden until Aaliyah turns twenty-two.””*
The tape clicked.
Then silence.
Derek looked at me.
“She turned twenty-two.””
“Two months ago.””
Victor suddenly lunged.
I barely reacted in time.
He grabbed the capsule.
Derek tackled him.
The gun skidded across the floor.
Thomas shouted.
“Run!””
Victor slammed Derek against the wall.
I grabbed Aaliyah's hand.
“Go!””
We ran toward the back door.
Renee followed.
Behind us, I heard Victor shouting.
“Marcus!””
I didn't stop.
We reached the parking lot.
Daniel came limping behind us.
“Take my car.””
“Where?””
“St. Catherine's.””
I looked at him.
“Why?””
Daniel's face was pale.
“Because locker 314 isn't a storage locker.””
“What is it?””
He swallowed.
“It was my father's private records room.””
I stared at him.
“Your father?””
Daniel nodded.
“Our father.””
Samuel.
My father.
Aaliyah's biological grandfather.
And possibly the man who had spent decades deciding which parts of our family were allowed to exist.
Daniel looked toward the motel.
“We have to get there before Victor.””
I looked at Aaliyah.
She was still holding my hand.
Then she squeezed it.
“Let's go.””
But as we reached the car, my phone buzzed.
One message.
From the unknown number.
*Victor isn't the person you should be afraid of.*
A second message arrived.
*Your mother's alive.*
May you like
Then a third.
*And she's already at St. Catherine's.*
