Chapter 11 - THEIR MOTHER
Daniel's mother, Rebecca Carter, died when he was seventeen.
Cancer.
That was the family story.
Claire had been fourteen.
Henry became the grieving widower everyone admired.
Heat revealed pale writing across three pages.
Not Rebecca's medical history.
Payments.
Marcus Hale.
Private oncology clinic.
Experimental drug supply.
"These start six months before your mother died."
A hidden note appeared:
R.C. knows about River One. Keep her compliant.
Rebecca had discovered Henry's bribery network.
Marcus had been her doctor.
The ledger showed payments for "sedation management" and "diagnostic containment."
Not cancer treatment.
Claire, from captivity, had been right about everything else.
What if their mother had not died naturally?
"He controlled every medication."
"Did my mother have cancer?"
A long silence.
"She had a small tumor."
"Terminal?"
"No."
Daniel gripped the phone.
"Then why did she die?"
"Her liver failed."
"From cancer?"
"I didn't think so."
She had raised concerns.
Marcus removed her from the case.
Henry threatened her license.
She stayed silent.
Another adult choosing fear.
FBI agents traced Claire's live video to an old surgical training center in New Jersey.
A raid found nothing.
The video was relayed.
Marcus was moving.
Then Vanessa surfaced.
Daniel met her through glass.
"Where is Claire?"
"I don't know."
"Then why are you here?"
"Because I know where Henry is."
"He shot me when I told you about River Four."
"Why did you ever help him?"
Her eyes filled.
"Money at first."
She admitted Henry recruited her before she met Daniel.
Target him.
Marry him.
Keep Claire isolated.
Help preserve the succession structure.
"What changed?"
"Noah."
Daniel's face hardened.
"Don't use my son to make yourself sympathetic."
"I'm not."
"I started loving the life I was supposed to fake."
Vanessa resented Claire's influence and feared Henry.
She became cruel.
Controlling.
She hit walls with the cane.
Threatened the children.
"I hurt them."
"Yes."
"No excuse."
Daniel appreciated the lack of one.
Then Vanessa slid a paper toward him.
An address.
"Henry keeps a safe house in Connecticut."
"Why tell me?"
"Because Marcus is going there."
May you like
"How do you know?"
"Because Marcus plans to kill Henry tonight."
