Chapter 13: The Woman Who Followed Him
Caleb stared at the photograph.
Elizabeth stood beside Margaret, her face drained of color.
The image showed Marcus riding his black Harley along Black Ridge Pass. Another motorcycle followed behind him, its headlight almost touching his rear tire.
The rider wore an Iron Saints jacket.
And the face beneath the helmet belonged to Elizabeth.
Damon snatched the photograph.
"Tell me this isn't real.""
Elizabeth didn't answer.
"Elizabeth!"" Damon shouted.
She looked at Caleb.
"I followed your father that night.""
"Why?""
"Because he called me.""
Hank slowly stood.
"You told me you were at home.""
"I lied.""
Victor, still holding his bloodied mouth, laughed bitterly.
"Apparently, everyone in this family has been lying.""
Elizabeth ignored him.
"Marcus called me at 9:15 that evening. He said he had discovered who was stealing the money. He also said he had finally found the original hospital records.""
Caleb wiped his eyes.
"Why didn't you go to the police?""
"Because Marcus told me the police were involved.""
"Then why follow him?""
"Because he sounded frightened.""
She paused.
"He told me to stay away from Black Ridge. But I knew he was going to meet someone. I couldn't let him go alone.""
Hank looked at the photograph again.
"Did you see Victor?""
Elizabeth nodded.
"I saw him near the service road. His motorcycle was parked beside the trees.""
Victor shook his head.
"I wasn't there to kill Marcus.""
Elizabeth turned toward him.
"You were holding a wrench.""
Victor said nothing.
"You were standing beside his motorcycle when I arrived. Marcus was already gone.""
Damon grabbed Victor's jacket.
"Where was my brother?""
Victor struggled.
"I don't know!""
Elizabeth stepped forward.
"Yes, you do.""
She pulled another photograph from her pocket.
This one showed Victor standing beside a second motorcycle.
Its registration number was visible.
Damon recognized it.
"That's Hank's old bike.""
Hank looked at the picture.
"I sold that motorcycle fifteen years ago.""
Elizabeth shook her head.
"No. Someone kept it.""
Caleb examined the photograph.
A small detail caught his attention.
The motorcycle's fuel tank had a silver cross painted near the handlebar.
The same symbol worn by Arthur's men.
He looked at Frank.
"Your father's symbol.""
Frank nodded slowly.
"Yes.""
Elizabeth continued.
"Marcus was never supposed to die that night. Victor was supposed to disable the motorcycle and force him to stop. Someone else was supposed to take him away.""
"Who?"" Caleb asked.
Elizabeth looked toward the hospital elevator.
"Daniel.""
Caleb felt his chest tighten.
"My father?""
"Your biological father. Daniel was waiting at an abandoned service station. He wanted to confront Marcus about the identity switch.""
Hank frowned.
"Why would Daniel want to confront him?""
"Because Marcus had discovered something Daniel had hidden for twenty-seven years.""
Elizabeth removed a folded document.
It was a handwritten confession.
I am not the man who came home.
The signature belonged to Daniel Reed.
Caleb read it twice.
Elizabeth explained.
"Daniel survived the warehouse fire. Marcus was badly injured. Their father believed Marcus had died, so Daniel assumed his brother's identity to protect the family.""
Hank nodded.
"That's what we thought.""
"But the truth was more complicated. Marcus eventually recovered. He discovered Daniel had taken his identity and confronted him.""
Damon looked confused.
"Then which one raised Caleb?""
"Marcus.""
"Which one married Elizabeth?""
"Daniel.""
"And which one died in 1999?""
Elizabeth closed her eyes.
"Neither.""
Silence.
"Thomas needed everyone to believe one brother was dead. So he arranged a burial using an unidentified body. The brothers switched identities again, and the truth became impossible to follow.""
Caleb stepped backward.
"Then what happened to Daniel?""
Elizabeth looked at him.
"That night at Black Ridge, Daniel was supposed to meet Marcus. But someone changed the arrangement.""
Hank looked at Victor.
Victor lowered his eyes.
"I sent the message.""
Damon exploded.
"You sent it?""
Victor nodded.
"Thomas ordered me to.""
"And Marcus went there believing he was meeting his brother?""
"Yes.""
Damon punched him again.
Victor fell to the floor.
Hank didn't intervene.
Caleb looked at Elizabeth.
"Did you see who attacked my father?""
Elizabeth nodded.
"I saw someone standing behind the guardrail. He wore a black helmet and carried a metal tool.""
"Was it Victor?""
"No.""
"Was it Hank?""
Elizabeth hesitated.
"No.""
"Then who?""
She looked toward Frank.
Frank stepped backward.
"Why are you looking at me?""
Elizabeth whispered:
"Because the rider had your father's motorcycle.""
Frank shook his head.
"Arthur was inside the clubhouse.""
"No," Margaret said quietly.
Everyone turned.
Margaret had been sitting in a wheelchair near the elevator.
She slowly pushed herself forward.
"Arthur wasn't at the clubhouse that night.""
Thomas's men had told everyone he was.
But Margaret knew better.
She had been hiding the truth for decades.
"Arthur was at Black Ridge. He was the one who followed Marcus.""
Frank's face collapsed.
"My father killed him?""
Margaret nodded.
"Yes.""
Caleb looked at the photographs.
"Then why did Thomas say he didn't?""
"Because Thomas ordered him to.""
Hank lowered his head.
"And you knew all this?""
Margaret nodded.
"I watched from my car.""
Damon stared at her.
"You watched my brother die?""
"I watched someone fall from the motorcycle. I didn't know whether it was Marcus or Daniel.""
Caleb felt sick.
"Why didn't you help?""
Margaret began crying.
"Because the man who ordered the attack was sitting in the passenger seat of my car.""
Hank looked at her.
"Who?""
Margaret reached into her handbag and removed a final photograph.
It showed two men inside a vehicle.
One was Thomas.
The other was Hank.
Hank stared.
"I wasn't there.""
Margaret looked directly at him.
"You were, Hank.""
He shook his head.
"No.""
"You drove Thomas to Black Ridge.""
Hank stumbled backward.
Damon moved toward him.
"Tell me she's lying.""
Hank looked at the floor.
"I drove him there.""
Caleb's voice trembled.
"Did you know he was going to kill my father?""
Hank closed his eyes.
"I thought he was going to scare him.""
"That's not an answer!""
Hank looked at Caleb.
"Yes.""
The word was barely audible.
Damon lunged.
This time, Hank didn't fight back.
Security officers separated them.
Margaret reached for Caleb.
"There's something else.""
Caleb turned.
She held out a small brass key.
"Your father gave this to me before he died.""
"Why?""
"Because he knew the truth would eventually come out.""
She pointed toward the photograph.
"Look at the motorcycle behind the guardrail.""
Caleb enlarged it.
There was a small sticker on the rear fender.
A white number.
*15.*
Elizabeth gasped.
"That's the number on the old Iron Saints charter.""
Margaret nodded.
"Exactly.""
Caleb looked around the room.
"Who owned that motorcycle?""
Margaret's voice dropped.
"Your mother.""
Caleb turned toward Elizabeth.
She shook her head.
"No. That wasn't my motorcycle.""
Margaret looked at her.
"Not yours.""
Then she pointed at Caleb.
"It belonged to the woman who gave birth to you.""
And from the hospital corridor came a voice nobody expected to hear.
"That's right, Caleb.""
A woman stepped into the doorway.
She was wearing a black leather jacket.
On its back was an Iron Saints patch.
She removed her helmet.
And Caleb recognized the face immediately.
His mother.
But she wasn't alone.
May you like
Standing behind her was Daniel Reed.
Alive.
