Chapter 19: The Fourth Child
I read the message three times.
He says his name is Robert Mitchell.
My father was standing beside me.
Bleeding.
Alive.
And apparently, according to the message on my phone, he was also at Margaret's house.
I looked up.
"How many Roberts are there?""
Nobody answered.
Then Peter took the phone from my hand.
"Call her.""
I did.
Emily answered on the first ring.
"Mom?""
"Sweetheart, listen to me. Where are you?""
"Grandma's house.""
"Are you safe?""
"I think so.""
"Who is with you?""
There was a pause.
"Grandma Margaret. And a man.""
"Describe him.""
"He looks like Grandpa Robert.""
My father took the phone.
"Emily, it's me.""
A moment of silence.
Then Emily said:
"Grandpa?""
Dad closed his eyes.
"Yes, sweetheart. I'm here.""
"But there's another man here who says he's you.""
Dad looked at Peter.
"Don't let him leave the room.""
Emily lowered her voice.
"Grandpa, he says he knows what happened to the fourth baby.""
The warehouse went silent.
I grabbed the phone.
"Emily, don't go near him. We're coming.""
"Mom?""
"Yes?""
"He says I should ask you why you never noticed that I don't look like you.""
My throat tightened.
"I love you. That's all that matters.""
"I know.""
Then she whispered:
"Mom, he has the same birthmark as me.""
The call disconnected.
I stared at the screen.
Peter was already moving toward the exit.
"Where are you going?"" I demanded.
"To Margaret's.""
Dad tried to stand.
"I'll come.""
"No," Peter said.
"You're bleeding.""
"I'm not leaving my daughter.""
"Then stop pretending you're strong enough to protect her.""
Dad glared at him.
For a moment, I thought they would fight.
Then Thomas stepped between them.
"I'll take Robert to the hospital. Sarah, you go with Peter.""
Daniel moved toward me.
"I'm coming too.""
I looked at him.
For the first time in fourteen years, I wasn't sure I wanted him beside me.
But Emily needed answers.
And whatever the truth was, she deserved to hear it from all of us.
We drove to Margaret's house in silence.
Peter sat in the passenger seat, holding the photograph of the three newborns.
I kept glancing at it.
"Tell me about the fourth child.""
He stared through the windshield.
"Your mother gave birth to four babies.""
"Four?""
"Three survived the first night. The fourth was declared stillborn.""
I swallowed.
"Was the baby really dead?""
"No.""
I tightened my hands around the steering wheel.
"Who took the child?""
"Elizabeth.""
I looked at him.
"Why?""
"Because the fourth child had a different father.""
I felt my stomach drop.
"Who?""
Peter turned toward me.
"Me.""
I almost missed the turn.
"What?""
"Your mother and I were together before she married Robert. I was the biological father of one of the children.""
"Which one?""
He looked down at the photograph.
"The fourth.""
I struggled to understand.
"So you and Margaret had a child?""
"Yes. A son.""
"And Elizabeth took him?""
"She believed she was saving him. Robert and I had discovered that the people behind the operation were searching for children connected to the original research. The fourth baby had a medical marker that could identify the entire group.""
"What marker?""
Peter shook his head.
"I'll explain when we have the ledger.""
I pulled into Margaret's driveway.
The front door was open.
I ran inside.
"Emily!""
My daughter appeared at the top of the stairs.
"Mom!""
She rushed down and threw her arms around me.
I held her tightly.
For a moment, nothing else mattered.
Then I saw the man standing in the living room.
He was older than my father, with a familiar jawline and silver hair.
He looked at Emily.
Then at me.
"Sarah," he said.
I stepped between him and my daughter.
"Who are you?""
He smiled sadly.
"My name is Jonathan Collins.""
Peter stopped behind me.
"Jon.""
The man's expression changed.
"Peter.""
They stared at each other like two men who had spent decades waiting for this moment.
I looked at Emily.
"Did he hurt you?""
"No. He just wanted to talk.""
Jonathan held up both hands.
"I didn't come here to frighten her.""
"Then why did you tell her you were my father?""
"Because I am.""
I shook my head.
"Peter just told me he was the father of the fourth child.""
Jonathan nodded.
"He was.""
"Then who are you?""
Jonathan looked at Emily.
"I'm the child.""
The room seemed to tilt.
Peter stepped forward.
"Jon, you were supposed to stay away.""
"I stayed away for thirty-nine years.""
"Then why now?""
"Because the people who hid us are dead, and the last surviving record has been found.""
He looked at me.
"Sarah, I am your younger brother.""
I couldn't speak.
Emily looked between us.
"So we're related?""
Jonathan nodded.
"Very much.""
I sat down.
The family tree I had known all my life was collapsing and rebuilding itself in front of me.
"Then why does Emily have the same birthmark?""
Jonathan glanced at her wrist.
"Because the marker wasn't unique to one child. It was inherited through the same family line.""
Peter opened the photograph.
"The fourth baby was born with the same crescent-shaped mark. That's how they identified him.""
Emily looked at her wrist.
"So the bracelet?""
Jonathan smiled faintly.
"Your bracelet belonged to the fourth child. Elizabeth kept it because she believed it would help us recognize him.""
I looked toward the hallway.
"Where's Margaret?""
A voice answered from the kitchen.
"Right here.""
My mother stepped into the room.
She looked exhausted.
Her eyes moved from Peter to Jonathan.
Then to me.
"I suppose there's no point hiding anything anymore.""
I stood.
"Did you have four children?""
Margaret nodded.
"Yes.""
"Did you know Peter was my brother?""
"Yes.""
"Did you know Jonathan was my brother?""
"Yes.""
"Did you know Emily was Lily Collins?""
Margaret's eyes filled with tears.
"Yes.""
I felt anger rising.
"How could you let me believe all those lies?""
She approached me slowly.
"Because I was told that if I spoke, all four of you would be killed.""
"Who told you?""
She looked toward the front door.
Before she could answer, a car pulled into the driveway.
Daniel looked through the window.
His face changed.
"That's the police.""
I turned toward him.
"Good.""
But Jonathan shook his head.
"Not the police.""
He moved to the window.
"Those are the men who worked for Martin.""
The front door handle began to turn.
Margaret grabbed Emily's hand.
Peter reached for the curtains.
And then a voice came from outside.
"Open the door, Robert.""
I looked at my father.
He wasn't there.
The voice continued.
"We know the fourth child is inside.""
Jonathan stepped in front of Emily.
May you like
Then he whispered:
"They've found me.""
