Chapter 14: The Man Who Wanted His Mother Silent
Peter immediately stepped into the hallway.
“Dr. Miller, nobody can simply remove a resident without proper authorization.””
The director nodded.
“That's what I told him.””
Margaret held Helen's hand.
“Please don't let him take my sister.””
Helen suddenly began shaking.
“No.””
Daniel leaned closer.
“Mom? What's wrong?””
Helen gripped his wrist.
“Thomas.””
Her voice was barely audible.
“He's coming.””
Daniel's jaw tightened.
“He can't hurt you anymore.””
Helen shook her head.
“You don't understand.””
She looked toward Margaret.
“He knows.””
Margaret squeezed her hand.
“Knows what?””
Helen's eyes filled.
“What I kept.””
Before anyone could ask another question, Helen reached beneath her blanket.
She pulled out a small cloth pouch.
Inside was a silver locket.
Margaret recognized it immediately.
Their mother had given matching lockets to both daughters on their eighteenth birthdays.
Margaret still wore hers.
Helen opened the locket.
Inside was a tiny photograph of three children.
Two boys.
One girl.
On the back, a date had been engraved.
November 12, 1978.
Daniel examined it.
“That's the day we were born.””
Helen nodded.
“And Elizabeth.””
Margaret stared at the photograph.
“Your daughter?””
Helen nodded again.
“She was born two years earlier.””
Daniel looked at the picture.
“Why is she here?””
Helen's voice trembled.
“Because she was the first one Thomas took.””
Margaret felt sick.
“What do you mean?””
Helen looked toward the window.
“Thomas wanted a family. But he didn't want the responsibility of raising children. He wanted them to belong to him whenever it suited him.””
Peter returned.
“We need to document this conversation.””
Helen looked frightened.
“No police.””
Daniel gently held her hand.
“Mom, we need help.””
Helen shook her head.
“He knows people.””
Margaret leaned closer.
“Helen, tell us what happened.””
Helen took a shaky breath.
“Elizabeth was born first. Thomas took her when she was six months old. He said he was sending her to relatives.””
Margaret's eyes widened.
“But she was your daughter.””
“Yes.””
Helen began crying.
“I fought him. I went to the police. But he showed them papers saying I had agreed to the arrangement.””
Peter looked at Eleanor's copied documents.
“Were those papers forged?””
Helen nodded.
“He made me sign something when I was sick. He said it was only for medical treatment.””
Daniel's hands tightened.
“And Richard and me?””
Helen looked at him.
“Thomas wanted to keep one boy. He said Richard would carry his name. But Frank and Margaret offered to adopt both of you.””
Margaret gasped.
“Both?””
Helen nodded.
“Frank wanted to keep the twins together. But Thomas refused. He said Richard belonged with him.””
Daniel looked stunned.
“Then how did I end up with Patricia Hayes?””
Helen closed her eyes.
“Frank arranged it. He knew Thomas would never allow both boys to stay together. He made sure you went to a good family.””
Daniel looked toward the floor.
“Did you know where I was?””
Helen nodded.
“Frank sent me a photograph every Christmas. He promised you were loved.””
Margaret began crying again.
“Why didn't you contact us?””
Helen looked at her sister.
“Thomas threatened to destroy your family. He said if I came near you, he would tell everyone I was unstable and take the children away forever.””
Peter leaned forward.
“Mrs. Bell, did Thomas have legal guardianship over you because of your medical condition?””
Helen nodded.
“He told the doctors I couldn't make decisions.””
“Did you agree?””
“No.””
Her voice suddenly became stronger.
“I never agreed.””
Peter wrote something down.
“That's important.””
Helen reached for Daniel's hand again.
“There's something else.””
Daniel looked at her.
“What?””
“Elizabeth.””
Margaret leaned forward.
“Where is she?””
Helen's eyes moved toward the locket.
“She came to visit me.””
“When?””
“Last month.””
Daniel stared.
“She's alive?””
Helen nodded.
“She told me she was going to find her brothers.””
Margaret looked at the nurse.
“Did you know?””
The nurse shook her head.
“I've never heard of a visitor named Elizabeth.””
Helen began searching beneath the blanket.
“Her letter.””
She pulled out a folded piece of paper.
Daniel opened it.
The handwriting was unfamiliar.
Mom,
I know what happened. I've found the adoption records. I know I have two brothers, and I know Thomas has been keeping us apart.
I'm going to find them.
Don't tell Thomas I came.
Love, Elizabeth.
There was a telephone number at the bottom.
Daniel immediately took out his phone.
“I'm calling her.””
Peter gently stopped him.
“Wait. We should verify the number first.””
Daniel stared.
“She's my sister.””
“I understand. But if Thomas has been monitoring Helen's communications, he may know about this number.””
Helen suddenly grabbed Margaret's sleeve.
“He has it.””
Margaret looked at her.
“Who?””
“Thomas.””
The elderly woman's breathing became shallow.
“He took my papers. He knows where she lives.””
A car pulled into the driveway outside.
Dr. Miller looked through the window.
Her face changed.
“That's him.””
Marcus moved toward the door.
Cole followed.
Daniel stood.
“I'm not hiding from him.””
Marcus turned.
“Nobody asked you to.””
Thomas Bell entered the reception area ten minutes later.
He wore an expensive charcoal coat and carried a leather briefcase.
He was in his early seventies, with carefully combed gray hair.
He looked nothing like the monster Daniel had imagined.
That somehow made it worse.
Thomas approached the room.
His eyes landed on Daniel.
Then Margaret.
Finally, Helen.
“Hello, Helen.””
Helen shrank into her chair.
Thomas smiled.
“It's time to go home.””
Daniel stepped forward.
“She isn't going anywhere.””
Thomas studied him.
“You must be Daniel.””
“Yes.””
“Your mother told you some stories.””
Daniel's voice was cold.
“She told me enough.””
Thomas smiled faintly.
“Then she told you the wrong things.””
Peter Walsh stepped forward.
“Mr. Bell, your guardianship authority is being challenged. You cannot remove Helen without proper legal review.””
Thomas looked at him.
“Peter. I wondered when you'd become part of this circus.””
“I represent my professional interests now, not yours.””
Thomas laughed.
Then he turned toward Margaret.
“You should have stayed home and enjoyed Thanksgiving.””
Margaret stood.
“You stole my sister's children. You stole our inheritance. You tried to steal my home.””
Thomas's smile disappeared.
“Careful, Margaret.””
“No.””
Her voice trembled, but she continued.
“You don't get to frighten me anymore.””
Thomas looked toward Helen.
Then he said something that made Daniel step forward.
“Ask your mother what happened to the third child.””
Daniel froze.
“We already know about Elizabeth.””
Thomas shook his head.
“Elizabeth isn't the third child.””
He opened his briefcase.
Inside was a photograph.
It showed a young woman standing beside a hospital bed.
And the woman in the bed was Helen.
Thomas placed the photograph on the table.
“Your mother gave birth to another baby in 1980.””
Margaret stared.
Helen began crying.
May you like
Thomas leaned closer.
“And this time, Frank and I made sure the child disappeared completely.””
