"I understand why she said that. But the case was built on lies. Helen may be the only person who can help us uncover the truth."
Another long silence followed.
Then the woman whispered:
"Helen is dead."
Daniel felt his stomach tighten.
"When?"
"Three years ago."
"How did she die?"
"She was found in her apartment. The police said it was a heart attack."
Daniel knew what that meant.
"Did she leave anything behind?"
The woman hesitated.
"She left a letter. She told me to give it to a man named Thomas Reed if he ever got out of prison."
Daniel looked toward Emily.
"Can you tell me where you are?"
The woman gave him an address.
Before hanging up, she added one final sentence.
"Mr. Hayes, Helen was terrified of your deputy. She used to say that man had the face of an angel and the heart of a murderer."
Daniel ended the call.
There was no longer any doubt about Michael's involvement.
But the question remained: how much did he know?
And who was he really working for?
Two hours later, Daniel and Emily arrived at Margaret Parker's house.
It was a small brick building surrounded by tall trees. An elderly woman opened the door and immediately recognized Daniel.
"You look older than I expected."
Daniel offered a faint smile.
"I've had a difficult few days."
Margaret stepped aside.
"Come in."
She led them into a living room filled with old photographs. On a small table sat a framed picture of a young woman.
Helen Parker.
Margaret studied Daniel carefully.
"She never forgave herself for what happened."
"What happened?"
Margaret went to a cupboard and removed a sealed envelope.
"This."
The envelope was yellow with age. Daniel noticed that his name had been written across the front.
Not Thomas Reed's.
His.
He looked up.
"Why does this have my name?"
Margaret's eyes filled with tears.
"Because Helen changed her mind before she died. She said that if you ever came looking for the truth, you deserved to hear it directly."
Daniel opened the envelope.
Inside was a handwritten letter.
Sheriff Hayes,
I have carried the guilt of what I did for fifteen years. I told myself that I had no choice, that I was protecting my family, that the truth would only make things worse.
But I was wrong.
The woman I identified in the morgue was not Emily Carter.
Daniel stopped reading.
Emily covered her mouth.
The letter continued.
I knew she wasn't Emily. I recognized her as Laura Mitchell, a young woman who had worked at the Carter estate. But Michael Bennett told me that if I refused to sign the identification documents, my son would disappear.
He showed me photographs of my son leaving school. He knew where he lived. He knew everything about my family.
I signed the papers because I was afraid.
I am sorry.
Daniel lowered the letter.
For fifteen years, the entire murder case had rested on a false identification.
And Helen Parker had known the truth.
But the final paragraph was even more disturbing.
There is one more thing you should know. The night before Emily disappeared, she came to my house with a newborn baby. She was crying and begging me to help her.
She told me the child belonged to someone important.
She said that if the truth ever came out, the child would be in danger.
Daniel slowly raised his eyes.
Emily looked as though she might collapse.
"Who was the father?" Daniel asked.
Emily shook her head.
"I can't tell you."
"Why?"
"Because I promised Sarah."
Daniel stood up.
"I am tired of promises. I am tired of secrets. Every person involved in this case has spent fifteen years deciding what I deserve to know."
He turned toward her.
"Sarah is dead. Thomas is in prison. Laura is dead. Helen is dead. And Lily is being hunted. Whatever happened, we need the truth now."
Emily began crying.
"I know."
She took a deep breath.
"Daniel, the baby wasn't Lily."
The room went silent.
Daniel felt as though the floor had disappeared beneath his feet.
"What?"
Emily looked toward the little girl.
"Lily was born eight years ago. But the baby Helen helped me hide was born fifteen years ago."
Daniel stared at her.
"Where is that child now?"
Emily slowly shook her head.
"I don't know."
Daniel felt a terrible realization coming.
There had been another child.
A child connected to the Carter investigation.
A child Sarah had known about.
And someone had gone to extraordinary lengths to keep that child hidden.
Margaret Parker suddenly stood up.
"There's something else."
She walked toward a bookshelf and removed a small leather notebook.
"Helen gave me this two weeks before she died. She said it contained the name of the person who paid Michael Bennett to threaten her."
Daniel opened the notebook.
Several names were listed, alongside dates and amounts of money.
Most were unfamiliar.
But one name appeared repeatedly.
Dr. Margaret Collins.
The county medical examiner.
Daniel looked up.
"Why would Margaret be paying Michael?"
Margaret Parker swallowed.
"Because she was involved in the birth."
Daniel felt his blood run cold.
Before he could ask another question, the front window shattered.
Margaret Parker screamed.
Daniel pushed Emily and Lily to the floor.
A bullet struck the wall above the fireplace.
Someone was shooting at the house.
He reached for his weapon and moved toward the side window.
Outside, a dark vehicle was speeding away.
Daniel fired once, but the car disappeared around the corner.
When he turned back, Margaret Parker was lying on the floor.
Blood was spreading across her blouse.
Daniel rushed to her side.
"Margaret! Stay with me!"
She struggled to breathe.
With trembling fingers, she grabbed his sleeve.
"Don't trust the doctor."
"Which doctor?"
"Margaret Collins..."
Her eyes moved toward Emily.
Then she whispered something that made Daniel's entire world collapse.
"Your wife didn't die because she discovered the truth."
She struggled to speak.