Chapter 5 - THE FAKE FEDERAL LETTER
The fake letter changed everything.
For years, Mom believed federal agents had ordered her not to forward Daniel’s message.
Now Dad was telling us someone had impersonated them.
“Who knew about the real number?” I asked.
Dad started counting.
“Daniel. Me. Possibly whoever Daniel spoke to at the FBI.”
“And Vale?”
Dad’s eyes hardened.
“If he searched Daniel’s desk after the fire, maybe.”
Mom sank into the couch.
“I called that number.”
“What happened?”
“A man answered.”
“What did he say?”
“That Daniel was secure. That forwarding the letter could expose his location.”
“Did he ask about Emma?”
Mom’s face changed.
“Yes.”
Dad swore.
“What did you tell him?”
“Nothing specific.”
“Linda.”
“I said Emma had left Ohio.”
My stomach turned.
Anything could have happened.
Maybe the man on that line was federal.
Maybe not.
The case files would tell us.
I called the retired investigator who had mailed me the documents.
His name was Special Agent Martin Greene.
He answered on the fourth ring.
When I explained the letter, he went silent.
“Send me a photograph.”
I did.
Thirty seconds later he called back.
“That did not come from us.”
Mom began crying.
“Who sent it?”
“I can’t prove that from a photograph.”
“But?”
“But Vale’s organization used false law-enforcement communications before.”
Dad sat very still.
Greene continued.
“Emma, why are you in Ohio?”
I looked at my parents.
“To tell my son the truth.”
Another pause.
“Does Daniel know?”
“Yes.”
That got everyone’s attention.
Dad looked at me sharply.
“You’ve spoken to him?”
I hadn’t wanted to reveal that yet.
Not until Leo understood enough.
“Yes.”
“When?”
“Six weeks ago.”
Leo’s eyes widened.
“Mom.”
I turned toward him.
“I was going to tell you.”
“You talked to Dad?”
“Yes.”
“Where is he?”
The question hurt.
“Nearby.”
My mother stopped crying.
Dad stared.
“In Ohio?”
I nodded.
Daniel had returned after Vale exhausted his final appeal and the protection restrictions changed.
He lived in Virginia now.
He had driven west separately.
Not because he was afraid of my parents.
Because we agreed Leo should hear the truth from me first.
Leo stood.
“I want to see him.”
My heart hammered.
“Today?”
“Yes.”
I expected hesitation.
Fear.
Anger.
Instead, he looked exactly as he did before opening birthday presents.
Terrified and excited at the same time.
Dad asked quietly:
“Why didn’t Daniel contact you years ago?”
Greene answered before I could.
“He tried more than you know.”
Everyone froze.
“What does that mean?” I asked.
The retired agent sighed.
“I probably shouldn’t be the person telling you this.”
“Tell me.”
“The Mercer matter produced several attempted family-contact requests over the years.”
My chest tightened.
“How many?”
“At least seven that I remember.”
I stared at Mom.
She shook her head immediately.
“I only received one.”
I believed her.
Which meant something else had happened.
Greene continued.
“Most were denied for security reasons.”
“And after Vale was arrested?”
“There was still concern about his associates.”
“When was the last request?”
A keyboard clicked in the background.
“Four years ago.”
I closed my eyes.
Daniel had kept trying.
Leo asked:
“Did my dad know about me?”
Greene went silent.
I answered.
“Not for certain.”
Daniel had suspected.
But I had never had a safe way to confirm it.
Greene cleared his throat.
“Actually…”
My stomach dropped.
“What?”
“There is an attachment to the four-year-old request.”
“Attachment?”
“A photograph.”
I stopped breathing.
“What photograph?”
Greene said:
“Daniel submitted a photograph of a little boy he believed might be his son.”
Leo looked at me.
My blood ran cold.
I had never sent Daniel a photograph.
Neither had my parents.
“Where did he get it?”
Greene hesitated.
“The note says it came from an anonymous envelope mailed to his attorney.”
Everyone in the room looked at everyone else.
Then Dad whispered:
“There’s only one person who knew where Emma lived after she left Ohio.”
I followed his eyes.
Mom shook her head.
“No.”
Dad’s voice hardened.
“Your sister.”
Aunt Kathy.
May you like
The aunt I had believed knew nothing about my life.
And suddenly the next secret had a name.
