Page 45 of Ten Years Later
Night turned to day.
Cora cried.
Her mother wailed, angrily shouting at Keaton, “It’s your fault!”
Keaton, along with Zane and Leo, determinedly searched. Day two transitioned to three. Three rolled to four.
“Vivian!”
“Vivian!”
“Vivian!”
“It’s your fault!”
Keaton jerked awake. His chest rose and fell with quick breaths. He sat up, wiping tears. He stared through the bars of his cell out into a dimly lit hall. What time was it?
A tray of food had been brought—a ham and cheese sandwich and a green apple.
Where was Emily? Did they have Mia in a cell also?
Did anyone tell Cora yet?
Detective Sparks gave Keaton one call. He chose to phone the private investigator, Tessa Gray. Thankfully she answered.
“I only have a few minutes,” Keaton had said.
“I talked to Sparks,” Tessa said. “I take it you’re still in jail?”
“Yes. What did you find out about Mia Ferguson?”
“She is who she says she is. A realtor. Adopted Emily after her friend passed. I looked into the friend, Dana Zielchrist. She died in Washington state during a home fire. Before that, she lived in Oregon. With the fire, everything was lost. I did find a record of Dana giving birth to a little girl that she named Emily.”
Keaton’s chest hurt.
“Let’s not jump to conclusions. I’ll let you know when I get the DNA results, though Sparks will likely get hers first.”
Keaton had thanked her and hung up.
Back in the jail cell, he stared at the ham and cheese sandwich. All that stuff the private investigator said could be faked—birth certificates, death certificates, adoption records…
Because Keaton absolutely knew that Emily was Vivian.
Down the hall, a door opened. Detective Sparks walked toward Keaton’s cell carrying a folder. He stared at her face, searching for a hint of the DNA findings, but she kept her poker expression in check.
She opened his cell and sat beside him on the single mattress. Opening the folder, she handed him a single sheet of paper.
“I’m sorry, you are not Emily’s father.”
31 /CURRENT DAY
Keaton triedto absorb the words, but they ricocheted through his mind, not taking hold.
“I’m sorry, you are not Emily’s father.”
Detective Sparks said, “I’ve been in contact with Tessa Gray. Her results came back the same, in case you were wondering.”
Keaton closed his eyes. Emily’s face floated in the darkness trailed by her unique raspy laugh. Her coconut scent surrounded him, comforting him.
