Chapter 7 - THE FAMILY SECRET THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING
I had spent fifteen years believing my mother was an only child.
Her name was Catherine Bennett.
She worked as a nurse.
She loved gardening, crossword puzzles, and old black-and-white movies.
She died after a short illness when I was thirteen.
That was everything I thought I knew.
Now I was staring at a photograph identifying her as Elena Romano's sister.
Victor looked as stunned as I felt.
"Your mother was Catherine?"
I nodded.
His face changed.
"Elena told me she had a younger sister."
My heart hammered.
"Then why didn't you know about me?"
He looked down.
"Because Catherine disappeared from Elena's life before we married."
I swallowed.
"What happened?"
Victor took a slow breath.
"They argued about the family business."
I stared.
"What family business?"
He hesitated.
"Your grandfather's financial operations."
A chill settled over me.
"My grandfather was a mechanic."
Victor shook his head.
"No."
I felt sick.
"He worked as an accountant for several wealthy families. Some of his clients were connected to organized crime."
I stepped backward.
"No."
Victor looked genuinely sorry.
"Claraara, I think your mother changed her identity to protect you."
I thought about childhood memories.
The way Mom refused to discuss relatives.
The way we moved apartments without explanation.
The way she'd made me promise never to answer questions from strangers about our family.
I'd thought she was simply cautious.
Now I wondered whether she'd been afraid.
"What was her original name?" I whispered.
Victor looked toward the photograph.
"Catherine Romano."
My breath caught.
"Romano?"
He nodded.
"Elena's maiden name."
I stared at him.
"Then..."
Victor's expression softened.
"Claraara, if these records are authentic, Elena was your aunt."
My knees weakened.
The woman whose death had haunted Victor for seven years was my family.
And Trent had been dating me because I unknowingly carried a connection to her evidence.
Sarah caught my hand.
"Oh, Claraara."
I sat on a nearby chair.
For several minutes, nobody spoke.
Then the investigating officer returned.
"We have an update."
I looked up.
"What?"
"The storage facility listed in Elena's letter was accessed yesterday afternoon."
Victor's expression hardened.
"By whom?"
The officer held up a photograph from security footage.
A man stood beside unit 47.
He wore a dark jacket and carried a duffel bag.
His face was partially hidden beneath a baseball cap.
But I recognized him.
Trent.
My stomach turned.
"He's already been there."
The officer nodded.
"Yes."
Then he showed us a second image.
Another man had entered the facility fifteen minutes later.
Older.
Silver hair.
A scar across his right cheek.
Victor went completely still.
"Daniel Whitaker."
The missing investigator.
May you like
Alive.
And standing beside Trent Hayes.
