Chapter 7: The Woman Sarah Feared Before She Died
Daniel read the letter three times before he trusted himself to look up.
Vanessa wasn't a stranger who happened to enter your life after Sarah died.
Richard sat across from him in the café, his briefcase open beside a cooling cup of coffee. Angela Price had agreed to provide a statement about what she remembered at the hospital, but she had left them with one final warning.
“Whatever you do,” she had said, “don't assume the person who appeared to be helping Sarah was actually helping her.””
Now Daniel stared at Richard.
“How long have you known that Sarah knew Vanessa before I met her?””
Richard didn't look away.
“Since I reviewed Sarah's original instructions three years ago.””
“Three years?”” Daniel's voice rose.
“You knew Vanessa had a connection to Sarah, and you let me marry her?””
“I didn't know the nature of that connection. Sarah's instructions were sealed, and I was unable to locate you. When I finally found you, I was told that you didn't want further contact regarding the estate.””
“By Vanessa.””
“Yes.””
Daniel pushed back his chair.
“You should have tried harder.””
Richard accepted the accusation without protest.
“You're right that I could have pursued other avenues. I regret that I didn't. But the documents Sarah left were incomplete, and I had no verified evidence that Vanessa posed a danger to Lily.””
Daniel looked down at the letter again.
“Then tell me what you do know.””
Richard opened a second folder.
“Sarah and Vanessa knew each other before your charity dinner. They met through a women's support organization where Sarah volunteered. Vanessa had a young son at the time, and she was dealing with financial difficulties.””
“That doesn't sound sinister.””
“No. It doesn't.””
Richard removed a photocopy of an old photograph.
Sarah stood beside two women in front of a community center. One of them was Vanessa, younger and thinner, with a toddler on her hip.
Daniel stared at the picture.
“Why would Sarah have kept this?””
“Because their relationship became complicated.””
“How?””
“According to Sarah's notes, Vanessa approached her for financial help. Sarah agreed to assist her, but later discovered that some of the information Vanessa had provided was false.””
Daniel's jaw tightened.
“What information?””
“Sarah didn't specify. She wrote that Vanessa had asked for money under circumstances Sarah believed were misleading.””
“And Sarah told me none of this?””
“Perhaps she intended to. Perhaps she was trying to resolve the matter privately.””
Daniel remembered the charity dinner. He remembered Vanessa's laughter, the way she had asked about Lily, and the sympathetic expression she wore when he mentioned Sarah's death.
He remembered how she had touched his arm and said, “You must be so lonely.””
At the time, he had thought she understood his grief.
Now he wondered whether she had been studying it.
“Did Sarah introduce us?”” he asked.
Richard nodded.
“She invited Vanessa to the dinner because she believed the two of you might get along. But Sarah's later notes suggest she regretted that decision.””
Daniel stared at the photograph.
“So Sarah brought Vanessa into our lives, and then she became afraid of her.””
“That appears to be the sequence of events.””
“Why?””
Richard turned to the final page of the folder.
“Because of Michael Reeves.””
Daniel felt the familiar pressure building behind his ribs.
“What does he have to do with any of this?””
“Michael was involved with Vanessa before Sarah introduced her to you. Sarah discovered that they had been working together on something she didn't understand.””
“Working on what?””
“I don't know. The records don't say.””
Daniel stood and walked toward the café window.
Outside, people crossed the street beneath gray clouds, carrying shopping bags and talking on their phones. Ordinary lives continued, completely unaware that his own was unraveling one document at a time.
He turned back.
“I want to find Michael.””
Richard closed the folder.
“We'll need to do that carefully. The message you received suggests someone is monitoring our efforts.””
“Let them watch.””
“Daniel, this is no longer just a family dispute. If the hospital records were altered, or if someone deliberately withheld information about Sarah's treatment, we need to preserve evidence and let the appropriate authorities investigate.””
Daniel nodded reluctantly.
Then he looked at his phone.
The anonymous messages were still there.
Ask Richard what happened to the original paternity test.
“Richard,” he said slowly, “what happened to the original paternity test?””
The attorney's expression changed.
“I was hoping we could discuss that after I verified a few details.””
“Discuss it now.””
Richard removed another document.
“The test was commissioned privately. Sarah requested it after Michael claimed that Lily might be his biological daughter. The first result was inconclusive because the sample was insufficient.””
“And the second?””
“The second report indicated a strong probability that Michael was Lily's biological father.””
Daniel gripped the edge of the table.
“Why wasn't I told?””
“Sarah intended to tell you, but she wanted to verify the result first.””
“Then why did Vanessa tell me that Sarah was seeing Michael before she met me?””
Richard hesitated.
“Because the chronology in the documents is unclear. Sarah and Michael knew each other, but the records don't establish exactly when their relationship began or what happened between them.””
Daniel felt anger rise through his grief.
“Everyone seems to know something except me.””
“That's precisely why we need to stop guessing.””
Richard slid the photocopy toward him.
“There is one more detail. The original laboratory report was collected by someone claiming to represent Sarah's family. The signature on the collection form appears to belong to Vanessa.””
Daniel stared at the paper.
“She's been hiding this for years.””
“It appears she took possession of the report. We don't yet know why.””
Daniel looked at the clock.
“I need to see Lily.””
Lily was staying temporarily with Daniel's older sister, Margaret, while the safeguarding professionals assessed the situation at home.
Margaret had never particularly liked Vanessa, although she'd kept her opinions to herself after Daniel married her.
When Daniel arrived, he found Lily sitting at the kitchen table with a plate of toast and a mug of warm milk.
She looked up immediately.
“Daddy!””
She hurried toward him, then stopped a few feet away.
“Am I allowed to hug you?””
Daniel felt something inside him break.
He crossed the room and lifted her into his arms.
“You never have to ask me that.””
Lily buried her face against his shoulder.
Margaret watched them with tears in her eyes.
“I made her lunch for tomorrow,” she said quietly.
“She's already asked me three times whether she's allowed to eat all of it.””
Daniel closed his eyes.
“Thank you for looking after her.””
Margaret touched his arm.
“Daniel, what on earth has been happening in that house?””
He glanced at Lily.
“Things I should have noticed.””
Lily pulled back.
“Daddy, are you going to live here too?””
“Not yet, sweetheart. But I'm going to make sure you see me every day.””
She considered this.
“Even if you have work?””
“Even then.””
“Even if Vanessa is angry?””
Daniel hesitated.
Then he answered honestly.
“Even then.””
Lily nodded.
After a moment, she slipped her hand into his.
“Can I tell you something about Vanessa?””
“Of course.””
“She has a box in her wardrobe. It's not the blue folder.””
Daniel leaned closer.
“What kind of box?””
“A little wooden one. She keeps it behind her winter clothes. Sometimes she takes it out when she thinks everyone is asleep.””
“Have you seen what's inside?””
Lily shook her head.
“No. But once, I heard her talking to someone on the phone. She said, 'He still doesn't know about the first baby.''”
Daniel went cold.
“The first baby?””
Lily nodded.
“She was crying. She said somebody was going to tell Daddy everything.””
Margaret exchanged a startled glance with him.
Daniel crouched beside Lily.
“Did she say anything else?””
Lily thought carefully.
“She said, 'If Daniel finds out what happened to the first baby, he'll never forgive me.''”
Daniel felt the room tilt.
“What did you say, sweetheart?””
Lily's face grew worried.
“Did I do something bad?””
“No.”” He took both her hands.
“No, Lily. You did exactly the right thing by telling me.””
She searched his face.
“Are you going to be sad?””
“Maybe a little.””
“Then I'll be extra good.””
Daniel pulled her close.
“You don't have to be extra good to take care of me. That's not your job.””
She rested her head against him.
But Daniel couldn't stop thinking about the first baby.
The first child.
The child Vanessa had mentioned.
He had never heard of another baby.
And if Lily was telling the truth, Vanessa had been hiding something even before Sarah died.
That evening, Daniel and Richard returned to the house with the appropriate authorization to collect Lily's remaining belongings and document items relevant to the investigation.
Vanessa was waiting in the living room.
She wore a pale blue dress and had arranged fresh flowers on the coffee table.
“Daniel,” she said with a practiced smile.
“I've been waiting for you.””
He didn't return the greeting.
“I need Lily's things.””
“Of course. Everything is ready.””
She pointed toward a large suitcase near the stairs.
“I packed her clothes, her books, and her favorite toys. I even included the little rabbit she sleeps with.””
Daniel stared at the suitcase.
“You're making this very easy.””
Vanessa's smile faded.
“What does that mean?””
“You've spent days telling everyone that Lily is lying. Now you're helping me take her things away.””
“I don't want her to suffer.””
“Then why did she believe you'd stop loving her if she told the truth?””
Vanessa looked away.
“She's a child. She misunderstands things.””
“Did she misunderstand you saying she'd make you lose your marriage?””
Vanessa's jaw tightened.
“Daniel, you have no idea what it's like to raise a child who resents you.””
“Then explain it to me.””
“I tried to love her.””
“You tried to control her.””
The words hung between them.
Vanessa looked toward Richard.
“Must he be here for this?””
“Yes,” Daniel said.
“Because I no longer trust what you tell me when we're alone.””
Her face hardened.
“Fine. You want the truth? I was trying to protect this family from Sarah's mistakes.””
“What mistakes?””
Vanessa walked to the mantel and picked up a photograph of Daniel and Lily.
“Sarah made promises she couldn't keep. She told Michael things she should never have told him. She created a situation that could have destroyed you.””
“Sarah is dead. You can't keep blaming her for everything.””
Vanessa's eyes flashed.
“You don't know what she did.””
“Then tell me.””
She opened her mouth.
For a moment, Daniel thought she might finally answer.
Instead, she looked at Richard and said, “Ask him about the hospital's original donor records.””
Daniel turned sharply.
“Donor records?””
Richard's expression became guarded.
Vanessa laughed bitterly.
“Your attorney has known all along that Sarah wasn't honest about Lily's conception. He's been protecting her reputation because she paid him to.””
Richard stood.
“That is a serious accusation.””
“Is it false?””
He didn't answer immediately.
Daniel looked between them.
“What donor records?””
Richard took a slow breath.
“Sarah's medical history contains a reference to fertility treatment before Lily was born. The details aren't complete, and I have not been able to verify the original records.””
Daniel felt the floor shift beneath him.
“Fertility treatment?””
Vanessa nodded.
“Sarah knew she might not be able to have a child naturally. She went to a clinic. Michael was involved.””
Daniel stared at Richard.
“Is that true?””
“It's one possibility suggested by the records,” Richard replied.
“We don't have enough verified information to establish exactly what treatment occurred or who was involved.””
Vanessa gave a bitter smile.
“You see? Even now, he won't tell you.””
Daniel stepped toward her.
“Did you know about this before you married me?””
Vanessa's smile disappeared.
“Yes.””
“Did Sarah tell you?””
“Yes.””
“Then why did you marry me?””
Vanessa's eyes filled with tears.
For a moment, she looked almost human again.
“Because I loved you.””
Daniel stared at her.
“No. You knew I was grieving. You knew I was trying to raise a little girl alone. You knew I wanted someone to help me.””
“I did love you.””
“Then why did you make Lily afraid of me?””
Vanessa's expression hardened.
“Because she was going to ruin everything.””
Silence filled the room.
Daniel barely breathed.
“What did you say?””
Vanessa seemed to realize she'd spoken aloud.
She pressed a hand to her mouth.
Then she whispered, “I didn't mean it that way.””
But Daniel had heard her.
And so had Richard.
Daniel looked at the woman who had once promised to love his daughter.
“Tell me about the first baby.””
Vanessa's face drained of color.
For several seconds, she stood motionless.
Then she turned toward the staircase.
“I need to get something.””
Richard stepped forward.
“Mrs. Carter, please stay here.””
Vanessa stopped.
Her eyes moved between the two men.
Then she laughed softly.
“You really don't understand, do you? The first baby wasn't mine.””
Daniel felt his heart pound.
“Whose baby was it?””
Vanessa looked directly at him.
“Sarah's.””
The room went silent.
Daniel shook his head.
“Lily was Sarah's first child.””
Vanessa smiled without warmth.
“That's what Sarah told you.””
Daniel stared at her.
“What are you saying?””
Vanessa's voice dropped to a whisper.
“Before Lily was born, Sarah gave birth to another child.””
May you like
She glanced toward the window.
“And that child disappeared.””
