Chapter 3
The answer arrived two days later.
Carolyn called me.
Not Daniel.
Me.
I was sitting on my mother’s porch wrapped in a blanket when an unfamiliar Colorado number appeared.
I almost ignored it.
“Hello?”
Silence.
Then:
“Emily.”
I recognized her immediately.
“Carolyn?”
“Please don’t hang up.”
I stood.
Daniel was inside.
“Where are you?”
“I’m safe.”
“Are you with Thomas Brennan?”
A pause.
“Yes.”
My heart pounded.
“Why?”
“Because he’s my father.”
I closed my eyes.
“Daniel needs to hear this.”
“He will. But I wanted to speak to you first.”
“Why me?”
Carolyn’s voice broke.
“Because what happened to your son is the reason I finally stopped being afraid.”
I could not breathe for a moment.
“Don’t use Oliver to explain this.”
“I’m not.”
Her voice trembled.
“I am trying to tell you I am sorry.”
I gripped the porch railing.
“For what?”
“For knowing Margaret was dangerous and not warning you soon enough.”
Daniel came through the door.
He saw my face.
“Who is it?”
I put the call on speaker.
“Carolyn.”
Daniel stopped.
She inhaled sharply when she heard him.
“Daniel.”
He sat across from me.
“Are you my sister?”
Silence.
Then Carolyn said:
“Yes.”
Daniel closed his eyes.
“How long have you known?”
“Twelve years.”
His eyes opened.
“Twelve?”
“I found documents after the woman who raised me d/i/ed.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because the first person I confronted was Margaret.”
Daniel stood.
“You confronted her?”
“Yes.”
“And?”
“She admitted enough to frighten me.”
Carolyn told us what happened.
Evelyn Carter, the woman who raised her, had never claimed to be her biological mother.
She said Carolyn had been privately placed with her after a family emergency.
She gave Carolyn love, stability, education and a good childhood.
But she refused to explain where she came from.
After Evelyn’s d/e/@/th, Carolyn found an envelope hidden in a cedar chest.
Inside were photographs of baby Claire.
Letters from Laura.
And payments signed by Margaret Whitmore.
Carolyn tracked Margaret down.
She confronted her.
Margaret did not deny being involved.
Instead, she made Carolyn an offer.
Come work for her.
May you like
Stay close.
Learn the family.
