Chapter 6: The Baby Who Was Never Supposed to Be Ours
My father immediately locked the garden gate.
“Everyone inside,” he ordered.
The remaining guests hurried toward the house.
My mother took Sophie from Rachel's arms and carried her into the living room.
“It's all right, sweetheart. Let's get you some juice.””
Sophie looked over her grandmother's shoulder.
“Is the baby coming?””
My mother stopped walking.
“What baby, darling?””
“The baby Claire said was inside her.””
My mother closed her eyes.
“No, sweetheart.””
Sophie looked confused.
“Then why did she have the big tummy?””
My mother struggled to answer.
Rachel gently touched Sophie's hair.
“Sometimes grown-ups make mistakes, sweetheart.””
Sophie considered that.
Then she asked:
“Do they have to say sorry?””
Rachel nodded.
“Yes. They do.””
Across the room, Daniel was pacing beside the fireplace.
He had called Rachel Reed twice, but her phone was switched off.
Helen was speaking quietly with someone outside.
My father stood near the front window, watching the driveway.
Claire sat alone on the sofa.
Her handbag was on the floor.
The silicone pregnancy belly remained on the garden table.
Nobody had bothered to move it.
I approached my brother.
“Daniel?””
He stopped pacing.
“I'm going to find that baby.””
“I know.””
“Not for Claire. Not because I want to pretend anything. That little girl has nothing to do with what happened between us.””
I nodded.
“Then we'll help Rachel find her.””
He looked at me.
“You believe her?””
“I believe we need to find out what happened.””
Daniel ran a hand through his hair.
“I can't believe I didn't see it.””
I touched his arm.
“You trusted your wife.””
He looked toward Claire.
“That's what makes it worse.””
Before I could answer, Helen approached us.
“Mr. Whitmore, I've managed to get some additional information.””
Daniel turned.
“What?””
“Marcus Reed used a temporary business address for several transactions. I checked the records available to me, and the address is connected to a storage facility outside town.””
“Why would he have a storage unit?””
“I don't know. But one of the invoices lists baby equipment.””
Daniel frowned.
“What kind of equipment?””
“An infant car seat, a portable crib, clothing, and several boxes of personal items.””
My father joined us.
“Could the baby be there?””
Helen shook her head.
“I can't establish that.””
Daniel immediately reached for his car keys.
My father stopped him.
“Wait.””
“Dad, we don't have time.””
“We don't know whether the child is there. We don't know what Marcus is doing. We need to contact the authorities and Rachel.””
Daniel looked frustrated.
“She's already contacted the police.””
“Then we let them handle the search.””
Helen nodded.
“I agree. I can provide the payment records and the address information.””
Daniel took a breath.
“Fine.””
He put the keys down.
Then he turned toward Claire.
“There's one more thing I need to know.””
She looked up.
“What?””
“Did you know Marcus had taken the baby?””
Claire started crying again.
“No.””
“Did you know Rachel hadn't agreed to the arrangement?””
“I thought she knew.””
“You thought?””
Claire pressed her hands together.
“Marcus told me Rachel had agreed to let him arrange childcare. He said she was struggling financially and needed help.””
Daniel stared at her.
“And you believed him?””
“He showed me messages.””
“From Rachel?””
“Yes.””
“Did you speak to her?””
Claire hesitated.
“No.””
“Did you meet her?””
“No.””
Daniel laughed softly.
“You gave a man thousands of dollars based on messages you never verified, and you planned to tell our family his daughter was yours?””
Claire began sobbing.
“I know how it sounds.””
“It sounds like you didn't care enough to find out whether a child was safe.””
She flinched.
My father approached.
“Claire, where did you meet Marcus?””
She looked toward him.
“At a charity event.””
“When?””
“About a year ago.””
My mother frowned.
“What charity event?””
“The winter fundraiser at the Riverside Hotel.””
I remembered that evening.
Claire had gone alone because Daniel was attending a business conference.
She had returned late and said she had met an old acquaintance.
At the time, nobody had thought much about it.
My father continued.
“And how did you become involved with his daughter?””
Claire stared at her hands.
“He told me about Rachel. He said they weren't together anymore. He said he was raising the baby alone.””
Daniel folded his arms.
“Then why did he need to pay you?””
Claire swallowed.
“He said he needed help covering expenses.””
“That's not what I'm asking.””
She looked up.
“He said he would let me adopt her.””
The room fell silent.
Daniel's face hardened.
“Adopt?””
Claire nodded.
“He said if I helped him financially, he would eventually allow me to become her legal mother.””
My mother looked horrified.
“You can't purchase a child, Claire.””
“I know that now.””
Daniel shook his head.
“No. You knew that before.””
Claire began crying harder.
“I was desperate.””
“Desperate enough to fake a pregnancy?””
She nodded.
“Desperate enough to lie to everyone?””
Another nod.
“Desperate enough to use our savings?””
Claire looked away.
Daniel took a deep breath.
“Then tell me why you never considered adoption through the proper channels.””
She didn't answer.
My father spoke quietly.
“Because she didn't want a child. She wanted everyone to believe she had given birth to one.””
Claire suddenly looked up.
“That's not true!””
My father stared at her.
“Then what is true?””
She opened her mouth.
But before she could respond, a knock sounded at the front door.
Three sharp knocks.
Everyone froze.
My father approached the entrance.
He looked through the glass panel.
Then he turned toward Daniel.
“There's a man outside.””
Daniel walked toward him.
“Who?””
My father didn't answer immediately.
He opened the door only a few inches.
A tall man stood on the porch.
He wore a dark jacket and held a small backpack.
His hair was untidy.
His eyes moved past my father and landed on Claire.
“Claire.””
She stood up so quickly that the sofa cushion shifted beneath her.
“Marcus.””
Daniel stepped forward.
“Who are you?””
Marcus looked at him.
“Daniel Whitmore?””
“Yes.””
Marcus nodded.
“Good. We need to talk.””
Daniel moved closer to the doorway.
“You have some explaining to do.””
Marcus gave a small, uncomfortable smile.
“I know.””
“Where is the baby?””
His expression changed.
“She's safe.””
“Where?””
Marcus glanced at Claire.
Then back at Daniel.
“Before I tell you anything, I need to speak to my daughter.””
Daniel stared at him.
“Your daughter?””
Marcus nodded.
Then he said something that made Claire grab the back of the sofa.
“She's not the baby you think she is.””
Daniel frowned.
“What does that mean?””
Marcus reached into his jacket and pulled out a folded document.
He held it toward Daniel.
“This is the original agreement Claire signed.””
Daniel took it.
His eyes moved across the page.
Then he looked at Claire.
“What is this?””
Claire didn't answer.
Marcus stepped inside.
“The agreement says I would receive money in exchange for helping Claire become a mother. But there's something she left out when she told you about our arrangement.””
Daniel looked down at the document again.
A signature appeared at the bottom.
Claire Whitmore.
Beside it was another name.
Rachel Reed.
And beneath both signatures was a third line.
A handwritten clause.
The biological mother must not be informed until the transfer is complete.
Daniel slowly raised his head.
“Transfer?””
Marcus nodded.
“That's what Claire wanted.””
My mother covered her mouth.
Claire shook her head.
“That's not what it means.””
Marcus looked directly at her.
“Then tell them what it means.””
Claire's voice broke.
“I was going to explain.””
Marcus laughed bitterly.
“You've been saying that for months.””
Daniel held up the document.
“Where is the baby?””
Marcus glanced toward the window.
Then he looked at Claire.
“She's with someone who was supposed to bring her here tonight.””
Daniel's face hardened.
“Who?””
Marcus hesitated.
Then he answered.
“Your wife arranged for the baby to be brought here during the family celebration. She wanted everyone to believe she'd given birth early.””
Claire sank onto the sofa.
Daniel stared at her.
“You were going to bring a seven-month-old baby into this house tonight?””
Claire whispered:
“I wanted you to have a daughter.””
Daniel shook his head.
“You wanted everyone to believe you had given me one.””
Marcus placed his backpack on the floor.
Then he looked toward the front door.
“But there's a bigger problem.””
My father frowned.
“What now?””
Marcus lowered his voice.
“The person who was supposed to bring the baby here isn't answering their phone.””
Daniel stepped toward him.
“Who is that person?””
Marcus looked at Claire.
She began shaking her head.
Then he said a name.
A name that made Rachel Reed, who had just returned from checking on Sophie, drop her phone.
“Your cousin Rachel.””
Everyone turned toward Rachel.
She looked horrified.
“What?””
Marcus nodded.
“She was supposed to collect the baby from the temporary caregiver.””
Rachel stared at him.
“I've never seen your daughter.””
Marcus pulled out another document.
“Then why is your signature on the collection authorization?””
Rachel looked at the paper.
Her face drained of color.
“That isn't my signature.””
Daniel took the document.
And as he examined it, a terrifying possibility began to emerge.
Someone had been forging signatures.
Someone had been arranging the baby's movements.
And someone had been using the Whitmore family celebration as the final stage of a deception that was far more dangerous than a fake pregnancy.
Then Daniel's phone rang.
The caller ID showed an unknown number.
He answered.
A frightened female voice whispered:
“Mr. Whitmore, I have the baby. But there's a woman outside my house claiming she's the child's mother.””
Daniel looked at Rachel.
The woman continued.
“And she's saying Claire Whitmore told her to take the baby away from Marcus.””
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*Then the caller said the one thing that made Daniel realize the truth was still much worse than he imagined:*
“Mr. Whitmore, the woman outside isn't Rachel Reed. It's someone from your own family.””
