Chapter 2 - The Woman Knew Rachel’s Past
Daniel stared at the photograph until the flashlight shook in his hand.
Rachel looked no older than twenty in the picture.
Her hair was shorter, her smile wider, and a newborn baby slept against
her chest beneath a pale hospital blanket.
Daniel looked at his wife.
“We have been married nine years.”
Rachel was crying now.
“Daniel, please.”
“Who is the baby?”
The woman behind the wall moved weakly.
“Ask her his name.”
Rachel flinched.
Daniel noticed.
Not her name.
His name.
“Maya, go downstairs.”
Maya grabbed his sleeve.
“But she’s hungry.”
“I know, sweetheart.”
“She’s scared.”
Daniel crouched.
“I’m going to help her. I promise. Go find Grandma Evelyn and stay with
her.”
Maya looked into the compartment.
The hidden woman whispered, “It’s okay, May.”
That stopped Daniel.
“You know my daughter’s name?”
The woman closed her eyes.
Maya answered for her.
“She told me hers too.”
Daniel turned.
“What is it?”
Maya swallowed.
“Anna.”
Rachel made a sound somewhere between a gasp and a sob.
Daniel looked at her.
“You know Anna.”
Rachel leaned against the bed.
“Yes.”
“How?”
Rachel didn’t answer.
Daniel called 911.
Anna protested weakly, but he refused to leave an exhausted stranger
inside a wall because she feared being discovered.
Paramedics arrived twelve minutes later.
They found dehydration, bruising, an infected cut on Anna’s left arm,
and signs that she had eaten very little for several days.
Police came with them.
Maya sat downstairs with Daniel’s mother while officers examined the
compartment.
It wasn’t merely an empty cavity.
Behind the wardrobe was a narrow service passage dating to the 1920s,
when the Virginia house had been built.
Daniel had known the mansion contained old servant corridors.
He had never known one ran behind Maya’s bedroom.
Inside, officers found a blanket, two water bottles, Maya’s plates, a
backpack, and a metal document box.
Anna refused to let anyone open the box until a detective arrived.
Rachel remained in the hallway.
Daniel could barely look at her.
“How long have you known she was here?”
“I didn’t.”
“Do you know who she is?”
“Yes.”
“Then tell me.”
Rachel wiped her face.
“She was my best friend.”
“Was?”
“We haven’t spoken in twelve years.”
Anna laughed weakly from the stretcher.
“That’s one way to describe it.”
Rachel looked wounded.
Daniel stepped between them.
“No. No coded comments. No half-answers.”
He held up the photograph.
“Who is this baby?”
Rachel stared at it.
Then she whispered a name.
“Ethan.”
Daniel waited.
“Who is Ethan?”
Rachel closed her eyes.
“My son.”
The hallway became completely silent.
Daniel felt as if the floor had shifted beneath him.
“You have a son?”
“I had a son.”
“What does that mean?”
Rachel looked toward Anna.
Anna answered.
“It means Rachel was told he died.”
Daniel’s breath caught.
Rachel began shaking.
“He did die.”
Anna stared at her.
“No, Rachel.”
Daniel looked between them.
May you like
Anna’s next words changed the entire night.
“Ethan is alive.”
