Chapter 17: The Attorney's Last Confession
I called the police before leaving the house.
I told them someone had photographed my mother outside our home and threatened her. An officer was dispatched to stay with her.
But Mom refused to sit still.
"You're not going alone," she said.
"Mom, I don't know what Mr. Bennett is planning.""
"Neither do I. But I've spent forty-two years being told to stay quiet. I'm finished.""
I wanted to argue.
Instead, I took her with me.
Mr. Bennett had sent an address before ending the call.
An old law office downtown.
When we arrived, the building was almost empty. The reception lights were off, and the elevator smelled of dust.
His office door stood slightly open.
"Mr. Bennett?""
No answer.
I pushed the door.
He was sitting behind his desk with a small tape recorder in front of him.
His face looked gray.
"You're late," he said.
I stared.
"You said you could tell me where Helen was.""
"I can.""
Mom stepped forward.
"Then tell us.""
Mr. Bennett looked at her.
"Margaret, I owe you an apology.""
She folded her arms.
"You owe me much more than that.""
He nodded.
"I know.""
He pressed a button on the recorder.
A man's voice filled the room.
My grandfather.
"Make sure the woman is transferred tonight. The child stays with Robert and Margaret. Nobody needs to know what happened.""
Then another voice answered.
Mr. Bennett's.
"And Helen?""
My grandfather replied:
"She will not be a problem.""
The recording stopped.
Mom covered her mouth.
I looked at the attorney.
"You knew.""
"I knew your grandfather intended to keep Helen away from you. I didn't know he intended to have her killed.""
"Then why did you take the money?""
"Because he told me she was being moved to a private clinic for her safety. He said Victor was dangerous and had threatened her.""
Victor had been a coward, but I couldn't imagine him wanting Helen dead.
"Did you believe him?""
"At first.""
Mr. Bennett opened a drawer and removed a folder.
"Three days later, I discovered that Helen had never arrived at the clinic listed on the transfer order. I confronted your grandfather. He told me she had died.""
Mom looked at him.
"And you believed that?""
"No. I investigated.""
He slid a document across the desk.
It was a second transfer record.
This one listed Helen's destination as St. Agnes Medical Annex.
I examined the date.
"That hospital closed decades ago.""
"It closed officially," Mr. Bennett said.
"But a private medical company continued operating a small facility on the property.""
"Who owned it?""
He hesitated.
"Your grandfather.""
I felt the room close around me.
"Was Helen there?""
"Yes. For a while.""
"How do you know?""
"Because I visited her.""
Mom gripped the edge of the desk.
"You saw her?""
Mr. Bennett nodded.
"She was alive. Weak, frightened, and asking for her baby.""
My throat tightened.
"What happened to her?""
"I arranged for her to be moved.""
"Where?""
"To a safe house outside the city. I used money from my own accounts because I didn't trust your grandfather.""
I stared at him.
"You rescued her?""
"I tried.""
"Did you succeed?""
He lowered his head.
"I don't know.""
Mom began to cry.
"You let us believe she was dead.""
"I was threatened. Your grandfather told me that if I revealed what happened, he would have you arrested for fraud and take Daniel away from you.""
I looked at him.
"You could have told me when I was an adult.""
"By then, I had reason to believe Helen was being watched.""
"By whom?""
Mr. Bennett reached into the folder and removed a photograph.
It showed a woman outside a small house.
Her face was older, but unmistakable.
Helen.
On the back was a handwritten date from two years ago.
I stared.
"She's alive.""
Mr. Bennett nodded.
"She contacted me last year. She wanted to see Daniel, but she was afraid.""
"Where is she now?""
"I don't know.""
I slammed my hand against the desk.
"You keep saying that!""
"Because every time I got close to finding her, someone moved her.""
Mom leaned forward.
"Who?""
Mr. Bennett looked at her.
"Victoria.""
I felt my jaw tighten.
"Victoria has been involved in all of this?""
"She helped your grandfather arrange the transfer. She also handled the payments to the medical facility.""
"But she said she wanted revenge on Margaret.""
"She did. But she also wanted control of the Carter inheritance.""
I looked at the photograph again.
"Why would she protect Helen?""
"She didn't. She used Helen as leverage.""
A sudden noise came from the hallway.
Mr. Bennett stood.
"Someone's here.""
I turned toward the door.
A shadow crossed the frosted glass.
Then the lights went out.
Mom grabbed my arm.
"Daniel!""
I heard a chair scrape.
A heavy object struck the desk.
Someone ran toward the back exit.
I turned on my phone flashlight.
Mr. Bennett was on the floor.
Blood covered the side of his head.
I dropped beside him.
"Call an ambulance!"" I shouted.
Mom already had her phone out.
Mr. Bennett caught my sleeve.
"Listen.""
"Don't talk. Help is coming.""
He shook his head.
"The original record...""
"What record?""
He pointed toward the desk.
I opened the bottom drawer.
Inside was a small metal case.
The lock was broken.
A single envelope remained.
I pulled it out.
It contained a photograph of Helen holding a little girl.
On the back, someone had written:
The child survived. Her name is Evelyn.
I looked toward the hallway.
Evelyn.
My sister.
The woman who had been told she died at birth.
I turned back to Mr. Bennett.
"Why is Evelyn in this?""
His eyes fluttered.
"Your grandfather had two children hidden from the world. One was you. The other...""
He struggled to breathe.
"Wasn't supposed to be found.""
I stared at the photograph.
"Is Evelyn Helen's daughter?""
He shook his head weakly.
"No. Evelyn is Margaret and Robert's daughter. But Helen helped deliver her.""
I frowned.
"Why?""
Mr. Bennett's fingers tightened around mine.
"Because Evelyn was the one who witnessed what happened that night.""
His eyes closed.
"She was only a baby, but the nurse who carried her out saw everything.""
The ambulance arrived minutes later.
As the paramedics worked, my phone rang.
It was Evelyn.
"Daniel, you need to come back to Riverside.""
"What happened?""
"Victor is gone.""
I stood.
"What do you mean, gone?""
"His room is empty. The security footage has been erased.""
I looked at Mom.
Then Evelyn whispered:
"And someone left a message on his pillow.""
May you like
"What message?""
"Tell Daniel the truth about the baby.""
