Chapter Thirty-Eight
Sawyer
Someone had been murdered to steal an identity. The stalker was still on the loose. It was hard to wrap my head around it. I struggled to remain calm while I was freaked out inside—scared out of my wits. This took creepy-stalker to a whole new level. One where I was dead and she kept my baby for herself to live some fairytale life with Kurt. And Joe had found something more about my parents. What else can go wrong?
We were sitting on the couch, and I was thankful to be home. Kurt waited for my response. “I can’t believe this is happening.”
“I know.”
What could we do? It’s not like we could go on the hunt for the crazy stalker killer lady. The thought sent a shiver through me. “What do we do now? Is Joe coming over?”
“We wait to see what Steve uncovers. I’ll send Joe a text to let him know we’re ready.”
Kurt had no idea what Joe had found. There was an empty feeling in the pit of my stomach about what was to come.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
Kurt briskly walked to the door. Joe stood in the doorway, his posture more rigid than usual, his black tie loosened.
“Hey, Joe. I didn’t scream this time, but you magically appeared.”
Even though he kept his lips clamped closed, I could tell Joe found me amusing. When I was around Knoah, I tended to be loud, and the security men—good-looking men—appeared like magic.
“It’s good to have you back, Ms. Wade. I’ll inform the men the noise level may increase.”
I clicked my tongue and gave him a thumbs-up. “That’s probably a good plan.”
The way his mouth flattened, I knew this visit wasn’t going to be pleasant. Humor helped me cope with things.
“I hear congratulations are in order. August, correct?”
“Thank you. Yes, August twenty-first.”
Kurt motioned to the black leather couches. “Come on in. I assume you want to talk to us about Sawyer’s parents.”
And we’re right back to the cold, brutal truth.
“Yes, thank you.” His eyes grew more serious as we left behind the lighter part of our conversation. On the mahogany coffee table, he laid out a handful of manila envelopes, which only heightened the shaky feeling I had. Kurt sat beside me, putting his arm behind my head.
“I’ve been collaborating with Steve and offered to help with the more intensive background checks of everyone’s family, friends, and known associates. I did this as well when your neighbor, Jessica, was killed. I’m afraid I missed something.”
The knot in my stomach grew as I waited for the other shoe to drop.
Kurt spoke up. “Go ahead.”
“Sawyer has a sister.”
I leaned forward. “Had. Adriane died during my first year at college. She committed suicide.”
Joe opened the first file and showed me our birth certificates. “When we did the initial checks, I found your parents had two children: you and your brother. I didn’t see any record for Adriane Wade. After being informed about Adriane, we found the original birth certificate buried. The reason we missed it is there were a lot of changes made to the record. The latest change shows a Matilda Locke.”
Matilda was Mattie’s real name. A shiver ran down my spine.
This made no sense. “Why?”
“Your parents went to a great expense to hide her. Adriane’s daughter, Mattie, was listed with the last name as Smith on the birth certificate.” Joe tugged at his tie again.
Smith? I had no idea. Was that the father?
Kurt leaned forward and put his elbows on his knees. “What does Adriane have to do with this?”
Holding up a finger, Joe opened another folder. “I’ll get to that.” He turned to me. “When Adriane died, did you see a body? Not just a casket, but a body.”
I thought back to those horrible days. My parents had asked me to sit away from them. It hurt for them to look at me. So Cameron and I had sat in the last row of an otherwise empty funeral parlor. “No, it was a closed casket. She committed suicide while I was in college. By the time I got home, all the arrangements had been made. They kept it private—family only. No newspaper announcement. They were afraid it would bring shame on the family. Why do you ask?”
They were truly terrible people with the mind games they’d played, and that hurt to admit. It wasn’t until I was free from them that I understood. Fear crippled me, but love freed me.
“We haven’t been able to find a death certificate. Your sister is still alive and living under the name Matilda Locke.”
“Come again?” Kurt asked.
Dread trickled through my body. Adriane is alive? She hadn’t committed suicide.
Joe laid out another piece of paper and slid it across the table. “I’ve combed through everything, left no stone unturned. There is no record of Adriane Wade’s death. This is where I believe Adriane is: West Cedar, an inpatient treatment facility in Denver for severe bipolar disorder.”
I took the piece of paper in my shaking hands. “But we went to a funeral home. There was a casket. A service. Afterward, we spread her ashes. Mom and Dad said they wanted a casket for the service until cremation happened.”
“What about friends and family? Did anyone ask about Adriane?”
All these details seemed so obvious, yet it had made sense at the time. “Yes. Maybe. I don’t remember. After Mattie died, my parents forbade us to ever mention her. But honestly, we were never deeply involved in their lives. We never attended functions or met work associates. It all felt normal to me. I never knew any difference.” A numbness kept spreading inside. “Did you find Mattie’s death certificate?”
“Yes. But your sister wasn’t listed as the mother. An Addie and Greg White were listed. The father died in a car accident not long after Mattie did. Addie was, of course, Adriane but under an alias.”
All the lies. Deceit. My parents did this. “How do you make a daughter vanish?”
“I believe your father’s mob ties were more extensive than I’d initially guessed.”
This isn’t happening. I shook my head, not wanting to believe. “Initially guessed? What the fuck, Joe? Ties to the mob?”
Joe remained calm. “In our discovery, he met with a mob boss named Navarro several times.”
Navarro. I’d heard that name. It had been in all the papers, but I never remembered hearing it before that. I clarified, “The guy killed in the house fire last year?”
“Yes, him.”
I glanced at Kurt, whose mouth was drawn into a tight line. This entire situation was worse than I ever imagined. The mob? My parents? Yes, they were vindictive…but this? There had to be a mistake. “So, you’re saying my dad had ties to the mob?”
“Yes. Someone like Navarro could make Adriane disappear. He could also make fake birth certificates happen. He was a powerful man. Navarro targeted Mr. Shaw last year. That part is complicated, and I’m not at liberty to discuss the particulars. But I believe your parents had been more involved than we originally thought. Navarro was known to be cunning and an expert at deception. He always remained a step ahead of investigators. It wasn’t until Mr. Hendrix told us about your sister Adriane that we were able to find the key and unpeel the layers.”
I massaged my temples to keep the headache that loomed behind my eye sockets at bay. “So what does this mean?”
“Steve and I suggest setting up surveillance on Adriane’s facility as well as on the Wade’s home.”
The anger inside me simmered to a near boiling point when I saw a picture of Matilda. “I want to talk to them.”
Kurt interjected. “Sawyer.”
“No, I’m serious. Why in the world would they pretend their daughter committed suicide and blame me? That is so fucked up. I don’t understand. I have carried around the guilt of Adriane’s death. It was all a sham. Every part of it. I deserve answers. You don’t get it! I used to come home from college for the weekend, and no one would say a word to me. They wouldn’t even cook enough food. I was invisible to them for years!” I took a calming breath. “I always tried to see the best in them. They’re my parents. But I don’t want them to be a part of my life in any way. None.”
Kurt raised his hand. “Okay. We’ll call them. But don’t you want to talk to Cameron first?”
Cameron. What would he think? In all my anger, I’d forgotten about him. He deserved to be part of this. “No, you’re right. I need to calm down. And Cameron should know before I do anything.”
This was a nightmare I was unable to wake up from. Mob. The word bounced around my head like a pinball machine. “Why wasn’t I told about their mob dealings when they were uncovered?”
Joe met my eyes. “I’ve been instructed to let Mr. Shaw answer that question. He and Mrs. Shaw will be returning from his parents’ shortly to talk with you.”
Joe left the room, and I stared at the files. I turned to Kurt. “Did you know?”
“Not to this extent. I knew they had a meeting with Navarro. But it was about a loan. I figured it wasn’t important. You knew about their financial problems.”
At least he’d told me. “Did you know before or after LA?”
“Before. After LA, we weren’t in a good place, and things with your parents seemed fine. Normal. I honestly didn’t think about it until Joe just brought it up.”
I leaned back into Kurt’s arms. “This is a clusterfuck.”
“Yeah, it is. I wish you didn’t have to deal with this.”
“Me, too.”
A few minutes later, there was a knock. Garrick walked through the door as if he’d just left a business meeting; Knoah was by his side. She looked worried as she chewed on her lip.
I cocked my eyebrow. “Shaw, I want answers.”
Garrick sat on the edge of the couch across from us and met my eyes. “I will answer what I can. Navarro was a nasty man, and there are some things I cannot discuss.”
“Why’d you keep it from me?” That was the worst part—feeling like an outsider to all this. Everyone knew except me. And my best friend knew, which felt a little like betrayal.
“I thought your dad was a businessman in trouble. I’ve seen it multiple times. Desperate people gray the lines between right and wrong. I thought Navarro saw his weakness and targeted him to try to get to me. When it appeared to be just one of Navarro’s games, I let it go. Why ruin a family unnecessarily for a bad decision? Your father never acted suspiciously.”
“This is such a mess.” I put my hand on my forehead.
Garrick responded, “Yes, it is.”
Knoah hadn’t said much, but she fidgeted with her fingers. I knew she had known. But oddly, I understood their reasoning. I didn’t like it, but I got it. If Kurt needed me to keep something private, I would. I had. Inside I felt a little at odds with my emotions. In spite of the feelings of betrayal, if they had told me, I would have been devastated at the time and might not have believed them. It had been a no-win situation for everyone involved.
I stood and opened my arms to Knoah. “Don’t worry, I get it. I’m a little hurt, but I get it.” Sighing, I continued, “This is on my parents. Not you guys. You guys weren’t the ones who did it.”
Knoah threw her arms around me. “I would never want to hurt you. Know that. I thought they were good parents. I still can’t wrap my head around the fact that you have a sister or that they faked her death.”
“Me, either. Appearances can be deceiving. You and I know this.”
Knoah teared up, which caused my eyes to sting. “I’m so sorry.”
“It’s not your fault.”
Suddenly, I was exhausted. Kurt came to my side. “I think we’re going to rest for a bit. We’ll catch up later.”
Touching my stomach, Knoah said, “Take care of yourself. Don’t let them complicate the pregnancy. You, Kurt, and Dylan are what you focus on.”
“You’re right. It’s just hard to not want to grab my baseball bat and smash out their windows while I demand answers. I’m so angry and done with them.”
She hugged me. “I’m here for you. Get some rest. We’ll talk again when you’re ready.”
Quietly, Kurt and I walked back to my room. I paused. “Oh my gosh! My bedroom stuff!”
The whitewood bedroom set with mint green bedspread was a sight for sore eyes. He nuzzled my neck. “I figured since you had me in your bed every night, we didn’t need all the Reverence stuff surrounding us.”
“Whew…good thing. I was starting to dream of Sykes.”
Kurt chuckled and rolled his eyes. “You’re a funny one.”
I gave a tired chuckle. “A riot, for sure.”
Silently we stripped for bed, and I cuddled next to him. In my mind, I kept going over everything I’d learned, not wanting to believe it was true but knowing it was.
After a few minutes, Kurt asked, “How are you, really?”
“Hurt. Sad. Mad. Furious. Livid. Crushed. And every other descriptive emotion. But Knoah was right. They’ve been out of my life for so long…really, they were never plugged in. And now I have a family. Is it weird that I want answers, but it won’t matter what they say? I can’t ever have them back in my life. Ever.”
“No, not at all. I’m just not sure you’ll get the answers you want.”
Neither was I. And that probably bothered me the most.