Chapter 13 - The Dead Son
Daniel Mercer existed in no current public database.
His birth certificate listed Helen Mercer as his mother and no father.
His death certificate stated that he died at age seven from complications related to leukemia.
The attending physician was Dr. Howard Pell.
Nathan stared at the name.
It was the same doctor whose credentials had later been used in Grace's fake psychiatric record.
Evelyn circled the connection on a whiteboard.
"Pell appears wherever the family needs a medical fact to become unchallengeable."
Mills requested the original death file.
It had been destroyed in a courthouse flood eleven years earlier.
The cemetery record showed Daniel buried in a private Cole family plot.
Nathan had never known the grave existed.
By afternoon, a court authorized examination of the burial site.
The casket was there.
It was almost empty.
Inside were sandbags wrapped in a child's blanket.
Grace looked away from the photographs.
Nathan did not.
He forced himself to see every piece of what his father had built.
"So Daniel was hidden," Mills said.
Edwin sat under guard in the conference room.
"Yes."
Nathan turned on him.
"You knew."
"Not then."
"When did you know?"
"Years later."
"How many?"
Edwin looked down.
"Three."
Nathan laughed bitterly.
"Everyone knew everything except me."
"Nathan."
"No."
He pointed at Edwin.
"You do not get to use my name like we're still family."
Edwin lowered his eyes.
Nathan continued.
"Where was Daniel sent?"
"Switzerland first."
"Why?"
"Treatment."
"And after he recovered?"
"Richard kept him abroad."
"Why fake his death?"
Edwin's answer came slowly.
"Because Caroline had discovered the affair."
Nathan understood.
"A living child proved it."
"Yes."
"And after my mother died, why not bring him back?"
Edwin looked ashamed.
"Richard believed Daniel could become leverage over Helen."
Nathan stared at him.
His father had transformed a child into a bargaining chip.
Again.
"Where is Daniel now?"
"I don't know."
Mills leaned forward.
"You said you learned he was alive."
"I received documents from Richard regarding a trust when Daniel turned eighteen."
"What trust?"
"A private maintenance fund."
"Who administered it?"
Edwin hesitated.
"Victor Kensington."
Nathan closed his eyes.
The trap had existed for decades.
Daniel had been financially controlled by the same man implicated in Caroline's death.
"How old is he now?"
"Twenty-seven."
Grace looked at Nathan.
"About the same age you were when Lily was born."
Nathan nodded.
Marcus traced payments from Daniel's maintenance trust to properties in London, Geneva, and Boston.
The most recent payment went to a New York consulting company called D.M. Advisory.
Its office was three blocks from Kensington Capital.
Nathan smiled without humor.
"He's been here."
The company's registered agent was a lawyer associated with Victor.
A building camera showed Daniel leaving the office two days earlier.
Nathan stared at the image.
Daniel had Richard Cole's jaw.
There was no mistaking it.
He also had Helen's eyes.
"My brother," Nathan said quietly.
The word felt foreign.
Grace touched his arm.
Nathan looked at her.
"I have a brother who was declared dead before I was old enough to understand why my aunt stopped visiting."
Grace's voice was soft.
"You didn't do that to him."
Nathan's expression hardened.
"My family did."
"You are not the same thing as your family."
He looked toward Lily.
"I spent my whole life acting like I was."
Grace did not answer.
Nathan called the number listed for D.M. Advisory.
A receptionist answered.
"May I speak with Daniel Mercer?"
"May I ask who's calling?"
"Nathan Cole."
Silence.
Then the receptionist said Daniel was unavailable.
Nathan gave her his direct number.
"Tell him his brother wants to talk."
Grace watched him end the call.
"Do you think he knows?"
"If he doesn't, someone will tell him now."
Daniel called seventeen minutes later.
His voice was controlled and unfamiliar.
"You should not have said that to my receptionist."
Nathan almost laughed.
"Which part?"
"Brother."
"Is it inaccurate?"
A pause.
"Biologically, no."
Nathan felt a strange pressure in his chest.
"Then meet me."
"No."
"Why?"
"Because every person who gets close to you becomes a target."
Nathan looked at Grace.
"You're already involved."
Daniel laughed quietly.
"Nathan, I was involved before you were old enough to drive."
"Did you hire Karen Holt?"
Silence.
"Daniel."
"Yes."
Grace stiffened.
Nathan's voice dropped.
"Why?"
"Because I needed her inside Victoria's operation."
Nathan frowned.
"She went on television and accused Grace of being mentally ill."
"That was not the plan."
"Then your plan failed."
Daniel exhaled.
"Victoria changed the script after Karen was already committed."
"Why use her at all?"
"Because Karen's sister works for Northstar Medical Consulting."
Nathan remembered the triangle payment.
"The company that handled Grace's fake records."
"Yes."
"Where is Karen now?"
Daniel paused.
"Safe."
Nathan looked at Mills.
"You took her."
"I extracted her before Victor's men arrived."
"She screamed that they found her."
"Because she thought we were Victor's men."
Nathan's anger rose.
"You could have told her."
"I didn't have time."
"You could have told me."
Daniel laughed without humor.
"You are Richard Cole's son."
Nathan went still.
"So are you."
The line remained silent.
Daniel's voice changed.
"Do not ever say that to me again."
Nathan understood the hatred immediately.
"He hurt you too."
"He erased me."
"He erased my daughter."
Another pause.
For the first time, they shared something neither wanted.
Daniel spoke more quietly.
"Then maybe you finally understand what your name costs."
"Help me stop them."
"No."
"Why?"
"Because I don't trust you."
Nathan stared at the city through the conference-room glass.
"Then trust Grace."
Daniel was silent.
Grace looked at Nathan in surprise.
"She has nothing to gain from protecting the Cole name," Nathan continued.
"She has spent five years running from it."
Daniel finally said, "Put her on."
Nathan handed Grace the phone.
"Hello?"
Daniel's voice softened slightly.
"Grace Miller?"
"Yes."
"I'm sorry about Karen."
Grace's response was immediate.
"Sorry doesn't undo national television."
Nathan almost smiled.
Daniel did too, judging by his breath.
"Fair."
"Why should I trust you?"
"You shouldn't."
"Good answer."
"But I can prove Victoria knew about Lily before you entered Nathan's house."
Grace's face changed.
"How?"
"I have her messages to Edwin."
"Where did you get them?"
"From Edwin."
Nathan looked sharply at the older attorney.
Edwin stared at the floor.
Daniel continued.
"I also have a recording of Victoria discussing a plan called Clean House."
Grace's grip tightened around the phone.
"What does that mean?"
Daniel hesitated.
"It means you were never supposed to survive the night Nathan came home."
Nathan took the phone back.
"Meet me now."
"No."
"Daniel."
"There is one condition."
"Name it."
"You publicly renounce the Cole legacy trust before I give you anything."
Nathan frowned.
Evelyn shook her head violently.
"If I renounce it, Victoria gets control."
"Temporarily."
"She could gut the company."
"Exactly."
Nathan understood what Daniel wanted.
"You want me to prove I care more about Lily than the company."
Daniel's answer was quiet.
May you like
"I want to know whether you are Richard with better manners."
The call ended.
