Chapter 5 - Claire’s Choice
Marcus dropped the metal box and ran for the SUV.
Daniel jumped out before I could stop him.
"Claire!"
She froze.
Marcus reached the driver's door, but I hit the panic button on Daniel's key fob. The SUV's horn exploded into the night, lights flashing.
He spun around, furious.
"You stupid—"
Sirens sounded in the distance.
Marcus abandoned the car and sprinted toward the trees.
Daniel started after him.
"Don't!" I yelled. "Let the police take him."
Claire sank onto the porch steps.
"I didn't know," she said.
Daniel stared at her. "You just told him to run."
"Because he said Mom would go to prison if he got caught."
"She might."
Claire covered her face. "He called me after dinner. He said Mom was panicking and needed me to get one thing from the house."
I pointed to the metal box. "That?"
She nodded.
The second ledger.
But underneath it was something else.
A stack of letters tied with faded ribbon.
Daniel picked one up.
The envelope was addressed to Evelyn.
The return name was Marcus Hale.
The postmark was twenty-nine years old.
Daniel's hands tightened.
Claire whispered, "Daniel... that's before Mom and Dad were married."
"They were engaged," he said.
He opened the letter.
I watched his eyes move across the page.
Then stop.
"What?" I asked.
He handed it to me.
If Robert ever learns the baby is mine, he'll call off the wedding and you'll lose everything.
I read it twice.
Daniel stepped backward.
"Baby?"
His voice sounded far away.
Claire stared at him.
Daniel was twenty-eight.
The letter was twenty-nine years old.
Before any of us could say it, headlights flooded the driveway.
Detective Ortiz arrived with two patrol cars.
She took one look at Daniel's face and the letter in my hand.
"Whatever you found," she said, "don't assume it's the worst thing in that box."
Then she lifted a false bottom.
May you like
Under it was a photograph of Evelyn, Marcus...
and a newborn baby wearing Daniel's hospital bracelet.
