Chapter 5 - The Death Certificate Was A Lie
The forged death certificate changed the investigation.
Richard stopped cooperating.
He hired an attorney.
Rachel sat in Daniel’s home office holding the state report.
“My father gave me this twelve years ago.”
Daniel looked at her.
“You kept it?”
“In a box at his house. He sent me a copy after Anna appeared.”
“When?”
“This morning.”
Daniel stared.
“You spoke to him?”
Rachel looked ashamed.
“Yes.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I wanted to ask him before police did.”
“Rachel.”
“I know.”
“No. You don’t get to keep saying that after making the same choice.”
She cried quietly.
Daniel lowered his voice.
“Maya was secretly feeding an injured woman behind our wall. A man
entered that passage. Your father may have arranged an illegal adoption.
We do not hide information now.”
“You’re right.”
“What did Richard say?”
“That Anna is lying.”
“Anything else?”
Rachel hesitated.
“He said if Ethan is alive, bringing him into our family would destroy
Maya’s life.”
Daniel felt anger rise.
“Why would he say that?”
“He said Ethan would hate me.”
“That’s Ethan’s right to decide.”
Rachel looked down.
Daniel understood something.
She was terrified.
Not only that her father had lied.
That Ethan had grown up without her and might never want her.
Daniel sat beside her.
“You don’t have to know what happens next.”
“I missed twelve years.”
“If he’s alive, you can’t change that.”
“I should’ve questioned my father.”
“You were nineteen and recovering from surgery.”
“I abandoned my baby.”
“You were told he died.”
Rachel covered her face.
Daniel did not erase her grief with easy reassurance.
He simply stayed.
Then Detective Ortiz called.
Police had located Caroline Bennett.
She lived in Pennsylvania.
She confirmed Ethan was alive.
She also confirmed Anna’s account.
Caroline had believed the adoption was legal.
She and Mark had been told Ethan’s biological mother had voluntarily
surrendered parental rights.
After Mark died, Caroline found the original agency packet hidden among
his papers.
It contained two versions of Rachel’s consent.
The signatures did not match.
Caroline hired Anna’s law firm to investigate.
That led them to Richard.
“Can Rachel speak to Ethan?” Daniel asked.
“Not yet.”
“Why?”
Ortiz paused.
“Ethan is missing.”
Daniel stood.
“What?”
Caroline had gone to wake him that morning.
His bed was empty.
His backpack was gone.
There was no sign of forced entry.
A note sat on his desk.
It said:
I’m going to meet my real mother before Grandpa Richard stops me.
Rachel dropped the phone.
Daniel caught it.
“How would Ethan know Richard?”
Nobody answered.
Then Maya appeared in the office doorway.
“Mommy?”
Rachel wiped her face.
Maya held out a folded piece of paper.
“I think the boy left this.”
Daniel stared.
May you like
“What boy?”
“The one in the wall.”
