Chapter 17: The Daughter Sarah Never Held
Eleanor looked smaller than I remembered.
Her hair was almost completely gray. Her hands trembled as she held Sarah's photograph against her chest.
For several seconds, neither of us moved.
Then I stepped toward her.
“You let me bury you.””
Her eyes filled with tears.
“I know.””
“You let me believe you were dead.””
“I had no choice.””
“You had five years to tell me the truth.””
“I was afraid.””
I laughed bitterly.
“Everyone in this story was afraid. Sarah was afraid. Claire was afraid.
Mason was afraid. Lily was afraid. And while everyone was afraid, children were being hurt.””
Eleanor lowered her head.
“I know.””
“Where is Anna?””
She looked toward Harris.
“Is he trustworthy?””
“He's the detective investigating this.””
“That doesn't answer my question.””
Harris stepped forward.
“Mrs. Carter, I'm trying to protect these children. But I need you to tell us where Anna is.””
Eleanor swallowed.
“Briarwood Academy.””
“Is David with her?””
“No. David wants to use her to control Michael.””
I felt my stomach tighten.
“Why?””
“Because Anna is the only person who can prove what Sarah discovered before she died.””
I stared at her.
“She's a child.””
“She was a child when this began. She's seventeen now.””
The number struck me.
Seventeen.
Sarah's daughter had grown into a young woman while I mourned a baby I believed was dead.
“Does she know who Sarah was?””
Eleanor nodded.
“She knows Sarah was her mother. But she doesn't know you.””
I looked at the photograph again.
“Why not?””
“Because Helen told her that her father had abandoned her.””
My chest tightened.
“I'm not her father.””
Eleanor looked at me.
“Biologically, no. But Sarah wanted you to know her. She wanted you to have a chance to be part of her life.””
I couldn't speak.
Harris interrupted.
“Mrs. Carter, we need to move. If David is at Briarwood, he may already be preparing to leave.””
Eleanor grabbed my sleeve.
“There's something you must understand before you go.””
“What?””
“Anna isn't the only person David is holding.””
I froze.
“Who else?””
Eleanor looked down.
“Daniel Ellis.””
We drove to Briarwood Academy with three police vehicles.
The school was a private residential institution surrounded by tall iron fencing and trees. It looked peaceful from the road.
That made it worse.
Harris coordinated with local officers while Eleanor and I waited inside the lead vehicle.
“Why did you fake your death?”” I asked.
She stared through the windshield.
“Because Helen knew I had helped Sarah uncover the fraud. She threatened to destroy the family if I testified.””
“You were Sarah's mother.””
“I know.””
“You should have protected her.””
Eleanor began crying.
“I should have.””
I looked away.
She continued.
“After Sarah died, I wanted to come forward. But David told me Lily would be taken away. He said the police would discover the adoption arrangement and charge Sarah with kidnapping.””
“Sarah didn't kidnap Lily.””
“No. But the records made it look that way.””
I remembered Sarah's note.
Lily was never supposed to come home with us.
I had misunderstood it.
She hadn't meant Lily wasn't meant to be loved.
She meant the arrangement had never been legal.
“Why did Sarah keep Lily?”” I asked.
Eleanor wiped her face.
“Because Claire was unable to care for her at the time. Sarah believed she could give Lily a safe home. Then, when she discovered Claire was alive, she tried to reunite them.””
“And Helen stopped her.””
“She threatened to accuse Sarah of stealing a child. Sarah knew the accusation would destroy her chance of keeping Lily safe.””
I stared at the school.
“And Anna?””
“Sarah's biological daughter was taken from the hospital under a false identity. Helen placed her with a family who believed they were adopting an abandoned child. When that arrangement failed, Eleanor was made her guardian.””
“Why did Sarah never tell me?””
Eleanor looked at me.
“Because she feared you would try to return Lily to Claire without understanding what Helen had done. She wanted to protect both girls until she could prove the truth.””
A radio crackled.
Harris's voice came through.
“Michael, we have a situation.””
I grabbed the radio.
“What?””
“David is inside the school. We've located Daniel Ellis in a maintenance building.””
“Is Anna there?””
“Not yet confirmed.””
Then we heard a crash over the radio.
An officer shouted.
Harris swore.
“Move!””
I jumped out of the vehicle.
An officer blocked me.
“Sir, stay behind the line.””
“That's Sarah's daughter in there!””
“We understand.””
Then a girl appeared in an upstairs window.
Dark hair.
A small birthmark beneath her left eye.
She looked directly at me.
For one impossible second, I saw Sarah.
The girl lifted a hand.
Then someone pulled her away from the window.
I ran toward the building.
“Anna!””
A gunshot echoed.
The officers rushed forward.
I stopped at the entrance, my heart pounding.
David emerged through a side door with one arm around Anna's shoulders.
His other hand held a gun.
“Everybody stay back!””
Harris raised his weapon.
“David, let her go.””
David laughed.
“Not until Michael gives me what I want.””
I stepped forward.
“What do you want?””
“The necklace.””
“You already know I have it.””
“Then hand it over.””
“Let Anna go first.””
David pressed the gun closer to her.
“She is the only leverage I have left.””
Anna was crying, but she kept her eyes on me.
“Are you Michael?”” she whispered.
I nodded.
“I'm here.””
“Mom said you would come.””
My throat tightened.
“Your mother wanted to meet you more than anything.””
David's expression changed.
“Enough!””
He shoved Anna toward an officer.
For a moment, it looked as though he was surrendering.
Then he turned and fired.
Harris tackled him.
The gun skidded across the pavement.
Officers rushed in and restrained David.
I ran to Anna.
She collapsed against me, sobbing.
“Are you okay?””
She nodded.
Then she pulled something from her pocket.
A small silver key.
“Daniel told me to give this to you.””
“What does it open?””
Anna looked at Eleanor.
“My mother's box.””
Eleanor began crying again.
“Sarah's safety deposit box.””
I stared at the key.
Then Anna added:
“Daniel said there's a recording inside. A recording of the night Sarah died.””
Harris looked toward David.
He was being dragged to a police vehicle.
For the first time, my former best friend looked genuinely afraid.
May you like
And then he shouted something that stopped everyone.
“Don't open that box! Sarah wasn't the only one who knew what happened that night!””
