He Came Home to an Empty Crib Covered in Blood—Then His Mother Said, “You Were Taken Too.”

Daniel read the final sentence four times.

The person who killed Michael Reed is the same person who has protected you your entire life.

Margaret.

That was the obvious answer.

Too obvious.

Ortiz took custody of the ledger and flash drive. The notebook contained dates, initials, hospital names, payment amounts, and coded references to children. Twelve entries matched Evelyn's estimate.

Daniel's entry was number seven.

BABY D. - MILWAUKEE - 20K - R.C. DIRECT.

He stared at it until the letters blurred.

There were human lives reduced to lines of ink.

Rachel squeezed his hand.

"We'll find them."

"If they're alive."

Ortiz returned from the computer lab. "The flash drive is encrypted. We'll need time."

Daniel looked toward the room where Margaret was being held.

"Let me talk to her."

Ortiz hesitated, then agreed.

Margaret sat alone, no makeup, no pearls, no elegance left to hide behind.

Daniel placed a copy of Richard's letter on the table.

She read the last line.

Her face didn't change.

"Did you kill Michael?"

"No."

"Did you kill Dad?"

A long silence.

"Yes."

Daniel's chest tightened even though part of him had expected it.

Margaret looked directly at him.

"Richard called me from the hotel. He was drunk. He told me Michael had found you. He said Thomas had stabbed Michael and that they were going to clean it up."

"So you poisoned him."

"I put extra pills in his drink. I thought he would sleep long enough for me to get the evidence from his room and go to the police."

"You knew it could kill him."

"Yes."

Daniel looked away.

"Why didn't you go to the police afterward?"

"Because Thomas called me before sunrise. He said Michael was dead and if I talked, he would tell you everything and make it look like I murdered both men."

"You were more afraid of losing me than of letting a killer walk."

Margaret nodded, crying silently.

There it was again.

Love twisted into possession.

Daniel stood to leave.

"Wait."

He stopped.

Margaret pointed to Richard's letter.

"He didn't mean me."

"How do you know?"

"Because Richard never thought I protected you. He thought I made you weak."

Daniel frowned.

"Then who?"

"Someone who watched you from a distance. Someone Richard hated because he couldn't control him."

Daniel thought of Michael.

"My biological father?"

"No. Michael spent years looking for you. He wasn't able to protect you."

Margaret leaned forward.

"Thomas did."

Daniel stared at her.

"Thomas stole me."

"And after that, he kept Richard from moving you again. Richard wanted to relocate when Evelyn started asking questions. Thomas refused. He checked on you for years."

"Why?"

Margaret whispered, "Because you weren't only Evelyn's son."

Daniel felt cold.

"What does that mean?"

Margaret's eyes filled with dread.

"Thomas was never your uncle."

Daniel didn't move.

"Then who was he?"