The car wash smelled of soap, wet concrete, and gasoline.<\/p>\n
We found Thomas behind the office, sorting receipts beneath a metal awning.<\/p>\n
He looked older than the photograph.<\/p>\n
Much older.<\/p>\n
But the scar beside his left eyebrow was still there.<\/p>\n
I stopped walking.<\/p>\n
He looked up.<\/p>\n
His eyes went immediately to my face.<\/p>\n
For a moment, neither of us spoke.<\/p>\n
Then he whispered,<\/p>\n
\u201cDaniella.\u201d<\/p>\n
I felt the blood leave my face.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou know me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI knew you before you knew yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n
Julian stepped beside me.<\/p>\n
\u201cThomas?\u201d<\/p>\n
He nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou must be Julian.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Thomas looked at the green dinosaur on the dashboard through the windshield.<\/p>\n
Then back at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cI wondered when this would reach you.\u201d<\/p>\n
My heart began pounding.<\/p>\n
\u201cReach me?\u201d<\/p>\n
He sighed.<\/p>\n
\u201cI suppose there's no point pretending anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPretending what?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat the past stayed buried.\u201d<\/p>\n
He set the receipts down.<\/p>\n
\u201cCome inside.\u201d<\/p>\n
The office was cramped.<\/p>\n
A small desk.<\/p>\n
Two chairs.<\/p>\n
A refrigerator humming in the corner.<\/p>\n
Thomas closed the door.<\/p>\n
\u201cYour grandmother was a good woman.\u201d<\/p>\n
I stared at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou knew her.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou knew Daniel.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou knew Lily.\u201d<\/p>\n
His expression changed.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen tell me what happened.\u201d<\/p>\n
He sat down.<\/p>\n
\u201cDaniel was trying to get clean.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom what?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDrugs.\u201d<\/p>\n
I nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe wanted custody of Lily.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen why did my grandmother take her?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause Daniel couldn't stay sober.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at Julian.<\/p>\n
That matched what he had told me.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat about Marianne?\u201d<\/p>\n
Thomas shook his head.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe was worse.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat happened to her?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe left.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don't know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou expect me to believe that?\u201d<\/p>\n
Thomas looked tired.<\/p>\n
\u201cI've lived with that question for fourteen years.\u201d<\/p>\n
I leaned forward.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat happened the night Daniel died?\u201d<\/p>\n
Thomas didn't answer.<\/p>\n
\u201cThomas.\u201d<\/p>\n
He looked at his hands.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe argued.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWith Daniel?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAbout Lily?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat was the argument?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDaniel wanted to take Lily and leave.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOut of state.\u201d<\/p>\n
My stomach tightened.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe believed your grandmother would never let him have her back.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWas he right?\u201d<\/p>\n
Thomas looked at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
That hurt.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause Ruth believed Daniel would relapse.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe might have been right.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe was.\u201d<\/p>\n
Thomas sighed.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut Daniel was convinced she was stealing his daughter.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked down.<\/p>\n
\u201cDid he hurt my grandmother?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid he threaten her?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNot physically.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat happened?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe took Lily.\u201d<\/p>\n
I froze.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDaniel took Lily from the house.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTwo days before the accident.\u201d<\/p>\n
My mind raced.<\/p>\n
\u201cThen how did she end up at the visitation center?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe brought her back.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe changed his mind.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
Thomas looked toward the window.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause Lily begged him.\u201d<\/p>\n
My throat tightened.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did she say?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe wanted Grandma Ruth.\u201d<\/p>\n
I closed my eyes.<\/p>\n
Lily had chosen my grandmother.<\/p>\n
Or believed she had.<\/p>\n
Either way, it changed everything.<\/p>\n
\u201cThen what happened?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDaniel agreed to return her.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd the accident?\u201d<\/p>\n
Thomas was silent.<\/p>\n
\u201cThomas.\u201d<\/p>\n
He finally looked at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cDaniel was driving back to Ruth's house.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThere was another car.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat other car?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cA black sedan.\u201d<\/p>\n
I stared.<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you see it?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWho was driving?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don't know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid the police investigate?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen why was it ruled an accident?\u201d<\/p>\n
Thomas swallowed.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause the other car left.\u201d<\/p>\n
I felt cold.<\/p>\n
\u201cHit-and-run.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy didn't anyone tell me?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou were a child.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat excuse is becoming very old.\u201d<\/p>\n
He nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou're right.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did my grandmother know?\u201d<\/p>\n
Thomas looked at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe knew Daniel hadn't simply lost control.\u201d<\/p>\n
I couldn't breathe.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou said it was an accident.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI told people that.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause Ruth asked me to.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause she was afraid.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOf what?\u201d<\/p>\n
Thomas stared at the floor.<\/p>\n
\u201cOf losing Lily.\u201d<\/p>\n
I shook my head.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis doesn't make sense.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt didn't then.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWho was driving the black car?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don't know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut someone knows.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWho?\u201d<\/p>\n
Thomas hesitated.<\/p>\n
Then he said,<\/p>\n
\u201cMarianne.\u201d<\/p>\n
I stared.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe was alive?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAt the time.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere was she?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFollowing Daniel.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe wanted Lily back.\u201d<\/p>\n
My hands began shaking.<\/p>\n
\u201cDid she hit him?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don't know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou saw the car.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI saw the car leave.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you see her?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen why say Marianne?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause Daniel told me she was coming.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at Julian.<\/p>\n
He had been silent.<\/p>\n
Now he spoke.<\/p>\n
\u201cDid Daniel mention where he was taking Lily?\u201d<\/p>\n
Thomas nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cYour grandmother's house.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid he make it?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen how did Lily return?\u201d<\/p>\n
Thomas looked at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cSomeone else took her.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWho?\u201d<\/p>\n
He didn't answer.<\/p>\n
I stood.<\/p>\n
\u201cWho?\u201d<\/p>\n
Thomas's eyes filled with tears.<\/p>\n
\u201cMe.\u201d<\/p>\n
I froze.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou took Lily?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter the crash.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause Daniel was dead.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd Lily?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe was alive.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere was she?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIn the back seat.\u201d<\/p>\n
My knees weakened.<\/p>\n
Julian moved closer.<\/p>\n
Thomas continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cI found the car after I heard the crash.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou were there?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou were the first person there?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen why didn't you tell the police everything?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause I was afraid.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOf Marianne?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOf what would happen to Lily.\u201d<\/p>\n
I stared at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou took a child from an accident scene.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI took her somewhere safe.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTo Ruth.\u201d<\/p>\n
My heart stopped.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou brought Lily to my grandmother?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBefore the ambulance arrived.\u201d<\/p>\n
I couldn't speak.<\/p>\n
Thomas looked at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cYour grandmother knew immediately.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd she hid her?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe protected her.\u201d<\/p>\n
I shook my head.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou're saying my grandmother had Lily the whole time.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
He looked down.<\/p>\n
\u201cOnly for a short while.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat happened after?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe authorities came.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLily was placed with another relative.\u201d<\/p>\n
I closed my eyes.<\/p>\n
That explained why she disappeared.<\/p>\n
But not why nobody told me.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat happened to Thomas?\u201d<\/p>\n
I realized I had spoken aloud.<\/p>\n
Thomas answered.<\/p>\n
\u201cI stayed away.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cRuth told me to.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe said if I talked, Lily might become evidence in a criminal case.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat doesn't make sense.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe was terrified.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOf Marianne?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOf everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at Julian.<\/p>\n
He had been listening intently.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat about the records?\u201d<\/p>\n
Thomas frowned.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat records?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe visitation records. The letters. The file.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don't know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen why did my grandmother leave a note saying ask Daniel's sister?\u201d<\/p>\n
Thomas looked confused.<\/p>\n
\u201cDaniel didn't have a sister.\u201d<\/p>\n
I stared.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe did.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMy grandmother wrote it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Thomas shook his head.<\/p>\n
\u201cDani, Daniel was an only child.\u201d<\/p>\n
My stomach dropped.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cRuth had no other children.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at Julian.<\/p>\n
He looked equally confused.<\/p>\n
\u201cThen who was Margaret?\u201d<\/p>\n
Thomas's expression changed.<\/p>\n
\u201cMargaret?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYour grandmother's sister.\u201d<\/p>\n
He nodded slowly.<\/p>\n
\u201cRuth had a sister named Margaret.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSo she was the one.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy did the letter say ask Daniel's sister?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don't know.\u201d<\/p>\n
I pulled the old letter from my bag.<\/p>\n
Thomas read it.<\/p>\n
His face changed.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat's Ruth's handwriting.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n
He pointed to the line.<\/p>\n
\u201cAsk Daniel's sister.\u201d<\/p>\n
Then he looked at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cDani, there is something wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMargaret died before Ruth.\u201d<\/p>\n
I froze.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCancer.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTen years ago.\u201d<\/p>\n
I felt dizzy.<\/p>\n
My grandmother died nine years ago.<\/p>\n
Margaret died ten years ago.<\/p>\n
The timing was possible.<\/p>\n
But why had Ruth written that note?<\/p>\n
And why had she written it as though Margaret were still available to answer?<\/p>\n
Julian took the letter.<\/p>\n
\u201cCould it have been written earlier?\u201d<\/p>\n
Thomas nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cMaybe.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen why wasn't it given to Dani?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don't know.\u201d<\/p>\n
I sat down.<\/p>\n
The story was becoming less clear with every answer.<\/p>\n
Thomas leaned forward.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is one thing I never told Ruth.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter Daniel died, I found something.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cA receipt.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFor what?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cA storage unit.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at Julian.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cEastside.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDo you still have it?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWho does?\u201d<\/p>\n
Thomas looked at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cYour grandmother.\u201d<\/p>\n
My breath caught.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe kept it?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don't know.\u201d<\/p>\n
Julian stood.<\/p>\n
\u201cDani.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe need to check the house.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe old house?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
It had been sold after my grandmother died.<\/p>\n
I had never gone back.<\/p>\n
The new owners had renovated it.<\/p>\n
The attic might be gone.<\/p>\n
But if the storage unit receipt had survived, it could be somewhere in the records.<\/p>\n
Thomas suddenly reached into a drawer.<\/p>\n
He pulled out an old photograph.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis was in the car.\u201d<\/p>\n
He handed it to me.<\/p>\n
It showed Daniel standing beside Lily.<\/p>\n
Behind them was a black sedan.<\/p>\n
I stared.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat's the car.\u201d<\/p>\n
Thomas nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cSame one.\u201d<\/p>\n
I turned the photograph over.<\/p>\n
There was writing on the back.<\/p>\n
Not my grandmother's.<\/p>\n
Daniel's.<\/p>\n
She knows.<\/p>\n
I looked at Thomas.<\/p>\n
\u201cWho is she?\u201d<\/p>\n
He shook his head.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don't know.\u201d<\/p>\n
Julian took the photograph.<\/p>\n
He examined it carefully.<\/p>\n
Then his expression changed.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
He pointed.<\/p>\n
In the reflection of the car window was a man's face.<\/p>\n
Barely visible.<\/p>\n
But unmistakable.<\/p>\n
Thomas leaned closer.<\/p>\n
\u201cI've seen him before.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWho?\u201d<\/p>\n
Thomas swallowed.<\/p>\n
\u201cYour grandmother's lawyer.\u201d<\/p>\n
I stared at the photograph.<\/p>\n
The man who had handled Lily's custody paperwork.<\/p>\n
The man who had access to the family records.<\/p>\n
The man who might have known what happened after Daniel died.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat was his name?\u201d<\/p>\n
Thomas closed his eyes.<\/p>\n
\u201cRobert Hale.\u201d<\/p>\n
I remembered the name.<\/p>\n
I had seen it in my grandmother's papers.<\/p>\n
Robert Hale.<\/p>\n
My grandmother's attorney.<\/p>\n
Julian looked at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe need to find him.\u201d<\/p>\n
Thomas shook his head.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can't.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause Robert Hale died twelve years ago.\u201d<\/p>\n
Silence.<\/p>\n
Then Thomas added,<\/p>\n
\u201cBut his son didn't.\u201d<\/p>\n
My heart sank.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere is his son?\u201d<\/p>\n
Thomas looked toward the car wash window.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe's the owner.\u201d<\/p>\n
I followed his gaze.<\/p>\n
Across the street, a black sedan had stopped.<\/p>\n
A man sat behind the wheel.<\/p>\n
He was watching us.<\/p>\n
Julian stood.<\/p>\n
The sedan pulled away.<\/p>\n
Thomas whispered,<\/p>\n
\u201cThat's him.\u201d<\/p>\n
The car wash smelled of soap, wet concrete, and gasoline. We found Thomas behind the office, sorting receipts beneath a metal awning. He looked older than the photograph. Much older. … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5285,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5291","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sharestory"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/onesharedstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5291","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/onesharedstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/onesharedstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/onesharedstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/onesharedstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=5291"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/onesharedstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5291\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5303,"href":"https:\/\/onesharedstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5291\/revisions\/5303"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/onesharedstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/5285"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/onesharedstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5291"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/onesharedstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5291"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/onesharedstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5291"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}