Chapter 6 - The Man My Father BuriedMy father had a secret so large it had survived a funeral.
The man called himself Daniel.
Not Daniel Bennett.
Daniel Carrow.
Miss Castellano knew the name.
I could see it in her face.
"You were supposed to be dead," she said.
Daniel laughed.
"That's what Richard told everyone."
Richard.
My grandfather.
I looked at my father.
"You knew him."
My father didn't answer.
"Who is he?"
Daniel pointed at him.
"Your father's best friend."
Then he lowered the weapon.
"Put it away?"
"I came for proof."
"Of what?"
"That Augusta kept her promise."
Miss Castellano stepped forward.
"Daniel, the police are on their way."
"I know."
That surprised me.
"Then why are you here?"
"Because they won't arrive in time to stop what happens next."
My mother started crying again.
Daniel looked at her.
"Save your tears, Eleanor."
She went silent.
"You knew about the account."
Her lips trembled.
"What account?"
"The one that paid for Juny's tests."
I turned toward my mother.
She looked at me.
"I didn't do that."
Daniel shook his head.
"No. You signed the authorization."
My mother covered her face.
"Why?"
I asked.
She did not answer.
Daniel did.
"Because your daughter wasn't supposed to know who she really was."
The room went silent.
"Who is Juny?"
My mother looked at me.
Then at Daniel.
Then down.
"I don't understand."
Daniel sighed.
"Neither did Augusta at first."
He opened the safe.
Inside were birth records.
Hospital documents.
A photograph.
And one envelope.
He handed it to me.
I opened it.
The first line made my hands shake.
Juny Elise Bennett was born under a different surname.
I looked up.
"No."
Daniel said:
"Your daughter was adopted."
My heart stopped.
"What?"
My mother stumbled backward.
"That's not true."
Daniel looked at her.
"You know it is."
"I gave birth to her."
"Yes."
He looked at me.
"But the father on her original records wasn't the man you married."
I couldn't breathe.
My father whispered:
"Daniel."
"Enough."
Daniel turned toward me.
"Your grandfather had an affair with a woman named Mara."
I stared.
"She was the other daughter?"
"No."
"Then who?"
"Your father's daughter."
I looked at my father.
He closed his eyes.
My mother collapsed into a chair.
"Grandma knew?"
"Eventually."
Daniel pointed toward the documents.
"Your father had a daughter before he married your mother."
I shook my head.
"Then why was Juny involved?"
Daniel's expression changed.
"Because Mara's daughter vanished."
The room seemed to tilt.
"Who was Mara's daughter?"
"Her name was Elise."
My daughter's middle name.
Elise.
I dropped the papers.
Miss Castellano caught them.
"Augusta suspected the two families were connected."
"How?"
Daniel answered.
"Because Elise had a daughter."
I stared at him.
"No."
"Her daughter was born the same year as Juny."
My stomach turned.
"You're saying..."
"I'm saying there are two girls."
"Juny and..."
"Another child."
"Where is she?"
Daniel looked at my father.
"Ask him."
My father finally spoke.
"Elise is dead."
The words landed like stones.
"How?"
"Car accident."
Daniel shook his head.
"Lie."
My mother whispered:
"Please."
Daniel turned to her.
"You know what happened."
She began to sob.
"I was afraid."
"Of what?"
She looked at me.
"Of losing everything."
The police sirens approached outside.
Daniel looked at the window.
Then at me.
He handed me a flash drive.
"This proves enough to reopen the case."
"What case?"
"Elise's death."
He stepped back.
"And your daughter's identity."
I grabbed his arm.
"Who is Juny's biological father?"
Daniel looked at me.
Then at my father.
"Not the man you think."
He disappeared through the rear door before the police arrived.
My father remained in the red room.
I stared at him.
"Tell me."
He didn't speak.
I stepped closer.
"Tell me who Juny's father is."
May you like
My father finally raised his eyes.
And whispered a name I had spent fourteen years believing was dead.
Related Stories
