Chapter 7: The Mother Who Never Died
For several seconds, I couldn't hear anything.
Cars moved through the parking garage. Somewhere nearby, a horn sounded. Emily was speaking into her phone, and Andrea was asking Eleanor to sit down.
But all I could hear was one sentence.
Your mother has been alive all these years.
I stared at Eleanor.
"My mother died when I was twelve.""
Eleanor shook her head.
"No, Marcus.""
"I attended her funeral.""
"I know.""
"I watched them lower her coffin.""
Her eyes filled with tears.
"Your father arranged everything.""
I stepped backward.
"You're telling me my father buried an empty coffin?""
Eleanor nodded slowly.
"Your mother disappeared after a financial investigation involving Reed Meridian. Thomas told everyone she had died because he believed it was the only way to protect you.""
I shook my head.
"Protect me from what?""
"From her.""
The answer made no sense.
My mother, Catherine Reed, had been the kindest person I remembered from childhood.
She used to sit beside my bed when I was sick. She baked terrible apple pies and laughed whenever my father pretended to enjoy them. She taught me to ride a bicycle in the driveway of our first house.
She couldn't have been involved in anything sinister.
"Where is she?"" I demanded.
Eleanor looked toward the garage entrance.
"I don't know.""
"You're telling me you kept this secret for years, and you don't know where she is?""
"I haven't seen her since 2017.""
"What happened?""
Eleanor took a trembling breath.
"Your mother was handling some of your father's private financial accounts. At first, everything appeared legitimate. Then money started disappearing.""
"How much?""
"Almost four million dollars.""
Emily looked up from her phone.
"Four million?""
Eleanor nodded.
"Your father discovered transfers to accounts in Delaware and the Cayman Islands. The accounts were connected to companies that had no employees, no offices, and no real business operations.""
"Shell companies.""
"Yes.""
I looked down at the envelope in my hand.
"Why would my mother do that?""
"She claimed she was protecting the family.""
"From whom?""
Eleanor hesitated.
"Charles Whitmore.""
I stared at her.
"Charles?""
"Your mother believed Charles was preparing to take control of the company. She started moving money without telling your father. She said she needed an emergency reserve.""
"Did she steal it?""
Eleanor lowered her eyes.
"Some of it.""
My stomach tightened.
"How much?""
"Nobody knows exactly. Your father recovered part of the money. The rest disappeared.""
I looked toward the elevator.
Charles had known.
Vanessa had known.
Daniel had been involved.
And somehow, my mother had been at the center of everything.
"Why did my father tell everyone she was dead?""
Eleanor opened her purse and removed a second photograph.
It showed my mother standing beside a woman outside a small airport terminal.
On the back was a handwritten date.
April 2, 2017.
Two weeks after my father's death.
"Your father received a call from Catherine the morning he died," Eleanor said.
I looked up.
"What did she tell him?""
"That she was coming back.""
"Why?""
"She said she had something that would expose Charles and everyone involved in the original ownership scheme.""
"Then why didn't she?""
Eleanor's expression darkened.
"Because she discovered that somebody had been watching her.""
I felt a chill move down my spine.
"Who?""
"I don't know.""
I opened the envelope.
Inside was a folded letter.
The paper was yellowed at the edges.
My father's handwriting covered both sides.
Marcus,
If Eleanor has given you this letter, then the past has finally caught up with us.
Your mother is alive. I know this is difficult to understand, but I need you to know that I did not abandon her. She made choices that endangered everyone around her.
I tried to bring her home. I tried to forgive her. But there are things even a husband cannot repair.
There is one truth I never told you.
The money she moved was not stolen from the company. It was transferred from an account established by Charles Whitmore before he attempted to acquire our business.
I stopped reading.
I looked at Eleanor.
"Wait. You said four million dollars disappeared from my father's accounts.""
"That's what the records initially suggested.""
"But my father says the money belonged to Charles.""
Eleanor nodded.
"He discovered that Charles had been secretly financing the acquisition attempt through an account connected to your mother.""
"Why would Charles put money in her account?""
"Because he believed she would eventually help him take control of Reed Meridian.""
I looked down at the letter again.
Your mother discovered the arrangement and took the money before Charles could use it to force me into signing away the company.
The next paragraph was underlined.
But the most important document was never recovered.
I read the final sentence.
The original ownership agreement is hidden where your mother once kept the things she loved most.
I lowered the letter.
"Where is that?""
Eleanor shook her head.
"I don't know.""
"Think.""
She closed her eyes.
"Your mother had a piano.""
I remembered it immediately.
A beautiful old grand piano that had stood in the living room of our first family home.
She used to play on Sunday mornings.
After she supposedly died, my father sold the house.
The piano had disappeared.
"Where did it go?""
Eleanor looked at me.
"Thomas told me it had been moved into storage.""
"Which storage facility?""
"I don't know.""
Emily was already typing.
"I can search the company's archived asset records.""
I turned back to Eleanor.
"Did my mother ever contact you?""
"Once.""
"When?""
"About three years ago.""
My chest tightened.
"What did she say?""
"She asked whether you were doing well.""
I looked away.
"That's all?""
Eleanor nodded.
"She wanted to know whether you had rebuilt the company.""
I laughed bitterly.
"She could have called me.""
"She said she wasn't ready.""
"Not ready?""
Eleanor's voice trembled.
"She said she had made a terrible mistake.""
I stared at the concrete floor.
For years, I'd believed my mother was dead.
Now I was being told she'd been alive while I struggled through the collapse of my father's company, my divorce, and the years it took to rebuild everything.
I didn't know whether to be angry or relieved.
Then Eleanor reached for my arm.
"Marcus, there's something else.""
I looked at her.
"What?""
"Your mother wasn't the only person who contacted me three years ago.""
"Who else?""
"Vanessa.""
My jaw tightened.
"What did she want?""
Eleanor hesitated.
"She wanted the location of the original ownership certificate.""
I exchanged a glance with Emily.
"Why would Vanessa ask you about that?""
"She said she was helping Daniel with a private investment.""
"Did you tell her?""
"No.""
"Did she threaten you?""
Eleanor nodded.
"She told me that if I didn't cooperate, she'd reveal what happened to your mother.""
I felt something inside me turn cold.
Vanessa hadn't simply married Daniel and moved on.
She had been investigating my family for years.
"Why didn't you tell me?""
Eleanor looked down.
"Because I was afraid.""
"Of Vanessa?""
"Of what she knew.""
I took a step closer.
"What did she know?""
Eleanor opened her mouth.
But before she could answer, a black SUV pulled into the parking garage.
A man stepped out.
He wore a dark suit and carried no briefcase.
Eleanor immediately went pale.
"That's him.""
I turned.
"Who?""
"The man who followed me after I spoke to your father.""
The stranger looked directly at us.
Then he reached into his jacket.
Security moved toward him.
"Sir, stop right there!""
The man turned and ran.
Two guards chased him between the parked vehicles.
Emily grabbed my arm.
"Marcus, get behind me.""
I barely moved.
The stranger dropped something near the SUV as he disappeared around the corner.
Andrea retrieved it.
A photograph.
It showed my mother standing outside a small house.
On the back, someone had written:
She's ready to come home.
I looked at Eleanor.
Her face was white.
"Where is she?"" I demanded.
Eleanor shook her head.
"I swear I don't know.""
Then my phone vibrated.
An unknown number.
A text message appeared.
Marcus, if you want to know what really happened to your father, come to the old family house tonight.
May you like
A second message followed.
Come alone. Your mother.
