Chapter 10 - THE MOTHER IN THE PHOTOGRAPH
Leah stared at the photograph until Vanessa gently took it from her.
“She could have been pretending.”
Leah looked at her.
“What?”
Vanessa pointed at Eleanor’s face.
“She could have been pretending to cooperate.”
Leah shook her head.
“She looks comfortable.”
“You can’t tell that from one picture.”
Leah looked toward Vale.
He nodded reluctantly.
“She’s right.”
Leah laughed bitterly.
“That may be the first time anyone has said that tonight.”
Vanessa folded her arms.
“Enjoy it.”
Leah opened the sealed letter.
Her father’s handwriting covered four pages.
She read the first sentence aloud.
“Leah, if you are reading this, then Eleanor was right.”
Her heart began pounding.
She continued.
“She believed Edmund would eventually come back for Bellgrave.”
Vanessa leaned closer.
Leah read on.
“Your mother did not leave because she stopped loving you.”
Leah’s eyes filled.
“She left because Edmund learned you existed.”
Her voice broke.
Vale looked away.
Leah swallowed and continued.
“Eleanor believed separating from us was the only way to make him stop watching.”
Vanessa whispered.
“Jesus.”
Leah continued.
“I disagreed.”
“We fought about it.”
“I told her we could run together.”
“She told me children should not spend their lives running.”
Leah covered her mouth.
For twenty years, she had believed her mother was dead.
For six years, she had believed her father died in a random crash.
Every lie had been built around protecting her.
And every lie had still destroyed her family.
She forced herself to continue.
“Eleanor stayed inside Edmund’s network.”
Alexander’s father knew.
“He helped her disappear.”
Leah stopped.
Vanessa looked toward her.
“What?”
Leah stared at the page.
“Alexander’s father helped fake my mother’s death.”
Vale looked stunned.
“Why?”
Leah read.
“Because he wanted someone on the inside.”
Vanessa sat back.
“So Eleanor became a spy.”
Leah nodded.
“She spent twenty years feeding my father information.”
Vale looked at the folders.
“Then Thomas built all this from her intelligence.”
“Yes.”
Leah turned the page.
The final paragraph was shorter.
“If I die, do not assume Eleanor betrayed me.”
“Edmund is patient.”
“He knows how to make innocent people look guilty.”
Leah looked at the surveillance photograph.
Her mother smiling beside Mercer.
The warning felt written for this exact moment.
Then her phone rang.
Alexander.
She answered.
“We found the box.”
His voice was tense.
“Come back.”
Leah stood.
“What happened?”
“My uncle called.”
Everyone froze.
Leah gripped the phone.
“What did he say?”
“He wants to meet.”
“Where?”
“North House.”
Leah looked toward Vanessa.
Alexander continued.
“And he asked for you by name.”
Leah closed her eyes.
Of course he had.
“What does he want?”
“The folders.”
“And if we refuse?”
Alexander hesitated.
Leah’s voice sharpened.
“What did he say?”
Alexander answered quietly.
“He said your mother dies at sunrise.”
Leah looked toward the bank clock.
5:41 a.m.
Sunrise was less than an hour away.
Vanessa saw her face.
“We’re going.”
Vale nodded.
Leah returned to the phone.
“Alexander, don’t move.”
“You are not giving me orders.”
“I’m serious.”
“So am I.”
“Your mother said Edmund uses urgency.”
“I remember.”
“Then this deadline is designed to rush us.”
“Yes.”
Leah looked at her father’s letter.
“But my father also said my mother was inside the network.”
Alexander was silent.
Leah continued.
“What if she isn’t the hostage?”
“What are you saying?”
“What if she’s part of the meeting?”
Silence.
Then Alexander said,
“Come back.”
Leah looked at the photograph again.
“No.”
“Leah.”
“If Edmund is watching the palace, he’ll see me return.”
“What are you proposing?”
“We go directly to North House.”
Alexander immediately replied.
“No.”
“Yes.”
“Absolutely not.”
“You can’t stop me.”
“I can have security intercept you.”
Leah almost smiled.
“That would be very Bellgrave of you.”
“This isn’t funny.”
“I know.”
She hung up.
Vanessa stared at her.
“You just disconnected on Alexander Bellgrave.”
“Yes.”
Vanessa nodded approvingly.
“I’m beginning to like you.”
They left the bank.
Twenty-seven minutes later, North House appeared through morning fog.
It was not a mansion.
It was a fortress disguised as one.
Stone walls.
Iron gates.
No visible guards.
Leah’s phone rang again.
Unknown number.
She answered.
A woman spoke.
Older.
Soft.
Familiar.
“Leah?”
Her heart stopped.
She had not heard that voice since she was twelve.
But she knew it instantly.
“Mom?”
The woman began crying.
“Oh, sweetheart.”
Leah couldn’t breathe.
“Are you alive?”
“Yes.”
“Where are you?”
“Inside.”
“Are you safe?”
A pause.
“Not anymore.”
Leah gripped the phone.
“What happened?”
“Edmund knows everything.”
“What does he know?”
“That Thomas left you the evidence.”
Leah looked toward the house.
“I have it.”
“I know.”
“Mom, why are you with Mercer?”
Silence.
Leah’s throat tightened.
“Mom?”
Eleanor finally answered.
“Because Daniel Mercer has been working for me.”
Leah went completely still.
Vanessa stared at her.
Vale leaned forward.
Leah whispered.
“What?”
Eleanor continued.
“Mercer is not Edmund’s man.”
May you like
“He’s mine.”
And from the front steps of North House, the door slowly opened.
