Chapter 8 - The Waitress Who Knew Sarah Before Lily Was Born
Nathan returned from the vault with the letter folded inside his coat.
Mae was helping Lily frost gingerbread cookies.
For the first time, Nathan looked at the older woman as a suspect.
“Mae.”
She heard something in his voice.
“What happened?”
He placed Sarah’s letter on the table.
Mae read her name.
Then she sat down.
Lily whispered, “Mae?”
Mae’s eyes filled.
“I knew your mother before you were born.”
Nathan demanded the truth.
Mae had worked as a bookkeeper for Cole Aerospace before becoming a waitress. She discovered irregular payments and quietly helped Sarah copy records.
“Why did Sarah say she feared you?”
“She didn’t fear me hurting Lily.”
“Then what?”
Mae looked at Nathan.
“She feared I would tell you the truth about who ordered her to disappear.”
Nathan waited.
Mae said, “Your father.”
Nathan’s father, Thomas Cole, had died three years earlier and was remembered publicly as a philanthropist.
Mae explained Thomas discovered Richard’s theft but refused a scandal that could destroy the company. He paid Sarah to leave Pittsburgh until he could clean up the books.
Then Thomas died before doing it.
Richard took control of the cover-up.
“And Vanessa?” Nathan asked.
“Evan pulled her in. She helped because she was terrified of losing everything.”
“That does not excuse her.”
“No.”
Lily listened from the doorway.
“Everybody lied?”
Mae turned.
“Yes, honey.”
“Did Mama?”
Mae’s face broke.
“Your mama lied about where you came from because she thought truth would bring dangerous people to your door.”
Lily thought for a long moment.
“That’s still lying.”
“Yes.”
Nathan knelt beside her.
“People can love you and still make bad choices.”
Lily nodded slowly.
The doorbell rang.
A courier stood outside with a Christmas package addressed to Lily.
Security scanned it before opening.
Inside was a photograph of Sarah alive.
The timestamp was from two days earlier.
Nathan stared at it.
Impossible.
Police had confirmed Sarah’s death.
But the woman in the photograph had Sarah’s face.
May you like
On the back someone had written:
YOU BURIED THE WRONG WOMAN.
