Chapter 10 - The Woman Called Evelyn
Caleb replayed the sentence.
Do not trust the woman who claims to be Evelyn Shaw.
Evelyn died the night Caleb was born.
Samuel pushed himself upright despite the woman in scrubs telling him to remain still.
“That makes no sense.”
Caleb looked at him.
“You’ve known Evelyn for decades.”
“I thought I did.”
The woman treating Samuel stepped away from the table.
Her expression changed.
“What?” Caleb asked.
She removed her gloves.
“My mother worked at North River thirty-two years ago.”
Samuel’s eyes narrowed.
“You never told me that.”
“You never asked.”
She looked at Caleb.
“My name is Dr. Naomi Price. My mother was a maternity nurse. She died six months after you were born.”
“How?”
“Officially, an allergic reaction.”
“Unofficially?”
“She left me a box of letters. Most of them made no sense until the North River fire.”
Caleb’s pulse quickened.
“Did she mention Evelyn Shaw?”
Naomi nodded.
“She said Dr. Shaw objected to an unauthorized embryo transfer. Evelyn threatened to report the program.”
“What happened?”
“An emergency was declared in the maternity wing. Records say Evelyn suffered a cardiac event.”
“But Daniel said she died.”
“She did. My mother helped move the body.”
Samuel stared at Naomi.
“Then who has been using her identity?”
Naomi’s face tightened.
“A research coordinator named Rebecca Voss.”
Caleb searched the name in his memory.
Nothing.
“Why would no one recognize the difference?”
“Rebecca and Evelyn were half-sisters. Similar age, similar features. Rebecca already handled much of Evelyn’s administrative work. After the death, the program altered credentials, signatures, and employment files.”
“For thirty-two years?”
“North River received hundreds of millions in grants. Powerful people had reasons to maintain the lie.”
Caleb looked at Margaret’s image on the security footage.
“My mother knows.”
Naomi glanced at the screen.
“She may know only part of it.”
“She paid to destroy the records.”
“She may have been protecting herself from Rebecca.”
Caleb shook his head.
“She framed Lena.”
“I’m not defending her.”
Samuel reached toward the laptop.
“Open the rest of Daniel’s recording.”
Caleb pressed play.
Daniel’s voice returned.
“Margaret believed the fertility procedure used an anonymous donor. Years later, Evelyn—Rebecca—convinced her that exposure would destroy the family and send Caleb into a military custody dispute.”
Caleb paused the file.
“Military custody?”
Naomi’s expression darkened.
“The original program contracts classified the children as research subjects.”
“I’m not a child.”
“You were then.”
“And Cole?”
“Adrian Cole was not told his genetic material had been used.”
Caleb resumed the audio.
“Rebecca has controlled Margaret through fear for years. But fear does not excuse what Margaret has done. If Lena Carter becomes involved, protect her. She has the courage this family lost.”
The recording ended.
Caleb closed his eyes.
Daniel had known Lena’s name.
Before Caleb married her?
“How could he mention Lena?” Samuel whispered. “Daniel died years before you met.”
Caleb opened the file properties.
The recording date was not twelve years old.
It had been created fourteen months ago.
Samuel stared at the screen.
“That’s impossible.”
Caleb looked at him.
“Is my father alive?”
No one answered.
The programmed phone rang.
Adrian Cole’s number appeared.
Caleb answered.
The general’s voice was low.
“You opened Daniel’s file.”
“Where is he?”
“Not on the phone.”
“Are you my biological father?”
Silence.
Then Cole said, “Yes.”
Caleb gripped the phone.
“Did Daniel survive the boat explosion?”
Another pause.
“He survived the explosion.”
“Where is he now?”
“I don’t know.”
“You nominated Lena for the medal.”
“She earned it.”
“Did you send her the recording?”
“No.”
“Then who did?”
Cole’s voice lowered.
“The same person who sent you the messages.”
“Who?”
Before Cole could answer, the clinic’s lights went out.
The rear door opened.
Naomi reached for a drawer.
May you like
A shadow moved in the hallway.
Then Margaret stepped into the room holding a pistol.
