Chapter 5: The Secret of the Seven-Month-Old Baby
Nobody spoke after the call ended.
The garden lights hummed softly above us.
Somewhere near the driveway, a car door slammed.
Daniel stared at Helen's phone.
“What did he mean by the baby's mother?””
Claire sat down abruptly.
Her hands were trembling.
My mother approached her.
“Claire, who is the child's mother?””
Claire shook her head.
“Please don't.””
Daniel turned toward her.
“I'm asking you one last time. Who is the mother?””
She looked at him.
Then she looked at me.
And something in her expression made me step backward.
“It's complicated,” she whispered.
Daniel gave a bitter laugh.
“Everything about you is complicated tonight.””
Helen quietly gathered the loose papers.
“I think we should continue this conversation somewhere private.””
Daniel nodded.
“Not yet.””
He looked at Claire.
“Answer me.””
She took a shaky breath.
“The baby's mother is someone Marcus used to be involved with.””
“Used to be?””
“Yes.””
“What's her name?””
Claire didn't answer.
Daniel crouched in front of her.
“Claire, is she alive?””
Claire's eyes filled.
“Yes.””
“Then why are we talking about her like she's missing?””
Claire looked away.
“Because she doesn't know what's happening.””
My father frowned.
“What doesn't she know?””
Claire pressed her fingers against her forehead.
“She doesn't know that Marcus has been using her daughter to get money.””
Daniel stared at her.
“Using his own daughter?””
“He needed money. He said he was going to lose his apartment. He said he couldn't afford childcare. I offered to help.””
I interrupted.
“Why would you pay him?””
Claire looked at me.
“Because I thought he would let me become part of the little girl's life.””
Daniel's expression remained cold.
“By pretending she was your baby?””
Claire nodded.
He stood.
“That's not becoming part of a child's life. That's stealing her identity.””
“I wasn't going to keep her away from her mother!””
“Then why was Marcus talking about presenting her to our family?””
“He was supposed to bring her to the hospital when the time came. We would tell everyone she had been born early.””
My mother looked horrified.
“You planned to deceive the entire family with a newborn baby?””
Claire started crying.
“Yes.””
Daniel shook his head.
“How did you think you could get away with that?””
“I thought everyone would be too happy to ask questions.””
The honesty of that answer was worse than any excuse.
For months, my mother had been buying tiny dresses.
My father had been building a rocking chair.
Daniel had spent thousands of dollars preparing a nursery.
Claire had watched all of it.
And she had encouraged every bit of excitement.
I remembered her showing us photographs of the baby's supposed ultrasound.
I remembered her complaining about morning sickness.
I remembered her asking my mother to teach her how to prepare a nursery.
Every detail had been carefully constructed.
But there was still something missing.
“Claire,” I said quietly, “why did you need Daniel's money?””
She looked at me.
“What?””
“You could have helped Marcus without taking money from your joint account. Why did you tell Daniel the money was for fertility treatment?””
Her face tightened.
“I didn't want him asking questions.””
“About what?””
She stared at the floor.
Daniel picked up the financial records again.
“There's more, isn't there?””
Claire didn't respond.
Helen slowly opened her folder.
“I should explain something else. The company that provided the prosthetic products also received payments from an account under a different name.””
Daniel looked up.
“Whose name?””
“Rachel Reed.””
My stomach tightened.
“Rachel?””
Helen nodded.
“Not your cousin. A different Rachel Reed. According to the documents, she is listed as the child's biological mother.””
Claire covered her mouth.
Daniel looked at his wife.
“Why is her name on your account?””
Claire shook her head.
“I didn't put it there.””
Helen continued.
“The account was established to receive payments related to the maternity arrangement. I believe Mr. Reed used it to manage expenses connected to the child.””
Daniel looked confused.
“Then why did the money come from my savings?””
Helen hesitated.
“Because the account was linked to a card registered in your wife's name.””
My brother slowly sat down.
For several seconds, he stared at the papers.
Then he asked:
“How much of our savings is left?””
Claire looked up.
“Daniel…”
“How much?””
“About twenty thousand.””
He stared at her.
“We had nearly ninety thousand.””
“I can explain.””
“Where did the rest go?””
She wiped her cheeks.
“Some of it went to Marcus.””
“And the rest?””
Claire said nothing.
Daniel looked at Helen.
“Can you trace the transfers?””
“I can provide the records I have. Some payments were made through different accounts, and further verification would be necessary.””
Daniel nodded.
Then he turned back to Claire.
“Did you use the money to buy the pregnancy products?””
“Yes.””
“Did you use it to pay Marcus?””
“Yes.””
“Did you use it to pay for a fake ultrasound?””
She nodded.
He took a deep breath.
“Did you ever spend any of it on the actual baby?””
Claire looked down.
“Some.””
“How much?””
“I don't know.””
Daniel laughed without humor.
“You don't know.””
“I bought clothes. A crib. A stroller.””
“For a child you weren't carrying.””
“Yes.””
He looked toward the house.
The nursery he had prepared was visible through the large living room windows.
A small white crib stood beneath the window.
A stuffed rabbit sat on the mattress.
He had chosen that rabbit himself.
He had spent an entire Saturday assembling the crib while Claire sat on the bed, pretending to be exhausted.
I remembered him sending me photographs.
He had written:
I can't wait to meet our little girl.
Now the memory seemed cruel.
Daniel stood.
“I'm going to find Marcus.””
Claire immediately rose.
“No!””
“I'm going to ask him what happened.””
“You can't trust him.””
“Why should I trust you?””
She grabbed his sleeve.
“Because I know him!””
Daniel pulled away.
“That's exactly what worries me.””
My father stepped between them.
“Daniel, don't go anywhere alone tonight.””
“I need answers.””
“You'll get them. But not by walking into another man's house while you're this upset.””
Helen offered to provide the contact details.
Daniel accepted them.
Then his phone vibrated.
He looked at the screen.
An unknown number.
A message.
Daniel, my name is Rachel Reed. I'm the mother of the little girl Claire has been talking about. I need to speak to you urgently.
Daniel stared at the message.
He typed a reply.
Who are you?
The response came almost immediately.
I'm the woman whose daughter your wife has been pretending to carry. And I need you to know that Claire isn't the only person who has been lying.
Daniel looked up.
“What now?”” I asked.
He turned the phone toward me.
I read the message twice.
Then another message appeared.
Please don't let Marcus bring my daughter anywhere near Claire. I have proof of what they've been planning.
Daniel called the number.
A woman answered after two rings.
“Hello?””
“Is this Rachel Reed?””
“Yes.””
“My name is Daniel Whitmore. Claire is my wife.””
The woman went silent.
Then she began crying.
“Oh, God. She really told you?””
“Told me what?””
Rachel took a shaky breath.
“My daughter is not supposed to be with Claire. I never agreed to this arrangement.””
Daniel closed his eyes.
“Then why did Marcus tell my financial adviser that you were involved?””
“Because he forged my signature.””
I felt my stomach drop.
Daniel gripped the phone.
“What?””
“He told me he was arranging childcare. He said Claire was helping us financially. I didn't know about any fake pregnancy until last week.””
“Last week?””
“Yes. I saw a photograph of Claire wearing a pregnancy belly. Marcus sent it to me by mistake.””
Daniel looked at Claire.
She was staring at him, visibly shaking.
Rachel continued.
“I confronted him. He told me it was a private arrangement and that I should stay out of it.””
“What did you do?””
“I went to the police station.””
Daniel went still.
“Did you report him?””
“Yes. But before I could give them everything, he disappeared with my daughter for two days.””
My mother gasped.
Daniel's voice became sharper.
“Where is your daughter now?””
Rachel began sobbing again.
“I don't know.””
The garden seemed to tilt beneath my feet.
Claire suddenly covered her mouth.
Daniel looked at her.
“What have you done?””
She shook her head.
“I didn't know.””
“Where is the baby?””
“I don't know!””
Rachel's voice came through the phone.
“Daniel, please listen to me. I think Marcus is coming to your parents' house tonight.””
Daniel frowned.
“Why?””
“Because he believes Claire still has something that belongs to him.””
“What?””
Rachel's answer came slowly.
“My daughter.””
Then the call ended.
Daniel stared at the phone.
And for the first time that evening, I realized the fake pregnancy wasn't the biggest danger.
May you like
A seven-month-old baby was missing.
And the man who had arranged the deception knew exactly where our family lived.
