Chapter 17 - MY MOTHER'S CONFESSION
When the lights returned, Edward was gone.
Michael was standing near the door.
Sarah was beside Lily.
And my mother was sitting against the wall.
Blood covered her sleeve.
She had been shot.
"Mom."
I rushed toward her.
She raised a hand.
"Don't."
"You're hurt."
"It's nothing."
"It is not nothing."
She looked at me.
"Thomas, listen."
I knelt beside her.
"You've been alive all these years."
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Because Robert wanted me dead."
"Who is Robert?"
She closed her eyes.
"My husband."
"But he died."
She shook her head.
"No."
I waited.
"He disappeared."
"Why?"
"Because he discovered what I had done."
"What did you do?"
She looked at Sarah.
"I created the trust."
Sarah nodded.
"To protect Lily."
My mother looked at me.
"Your father wanted the money."
"What money?"
"The forty-two million."
I shook my head.
"Where did it come from?"
"Stolen insurance settlements."
My stomach turned.
"He stole it?"
"Yes."
"And you?"
"I tried to recover it."
"How?"
"By creating the trust."
She pointed toward Lily.
"The money was placed in her name."
"Why Lily?"
"Because she was the only person Robert could not legally control."
I looked at my granddaughter.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"Because you were young."
"I was thirty."
"You were still my son."
She took a breath.
"And I knew Robert would use you to get to the money."
I stared at her.
"What happened to Sarah?"
My mother looked at my daughter.
"She discovered everything."
Sarah nodded.
"Then Robert came after me."
My mother continued.
"I helped Sarah disappear."
"She wasn't killed?"
"No."
"Why did everyone believe she was dead?"
"Because Robert needed everyone to believe it."
"Who was driving the car?"
"Michael."
Mark looked at his brother.
"What?"
Michael lowered his head.
"I was trying to save Sarah."
"You caused the accident?"
"I staged it."
Mark stared at him.
"I thought you were dead."
"I had to disappear."
"And Sarah?"
"She survived."
I looked at Sarah.
She nodded.
"I spent three years hiding."
"Where?"
"Everywhere."
"Why didn't you contact Lily?"
Sarah started crying.
"Because Robert had people watching her."
I looked at my granddaughter.
All those years.
All those birthdays.
All those moments she had cried for her mother.
Sarah had been alive.
Watching from somewhere.
Unable to come home.
I couldn't forgive the world for that.
Then my mother spoke again.
"There is one thing you still don't know."
I looked at her.
"What?"
"Robert isn't the real mastermind."
"Then who is?"
She looked toward the doorway.
"Daniel."
Michael shook his head.
"No."
My mother nodded.
"Daniel has been using Robert's identity."
Sarah stared.
"Then who was the man who visited me?"
My mother whispered:
"A man named Jonathan Cross."
I recognized the name.
It was in Sarah's files.
One of the seven dead policyholders.
But he wasn't dead.
He had been working under another identity.
My mother continued.
"Jonathan created the entire network."
"And Daniel?"
"His son."
The room went silent.
Then a phone rang.
Everyone froze.
It was Lily's phone.
She didn't own one.
Mark pulled it from her pocket.
A message appeared.
YOUR MOTHER HAS TEN MINUTES TO LIVE.
Then another.
BRING LILY TO THE CHURCH.
And finally:
COME ALONE.
I looked at Sarah.
She was already standing.
"I'm going."
"No."
"Thomas."
"They want Lily."
"I know."
"Then you're not going."
Sarah looked at me.
"For nine years, I've been running."
May you like
She wiped her tears.
"I'm done running."
