She Was Hired to Finish the Book—But the Last Chapter Was a Confession
CHAPTER 8
Mara refused to believe her.
Celia was the victim.
Ethan was the controlling husband.
June was the missing child.
The story seemed obvious.
But mysteries became dangerous when they seemed obvious.
Margaret gave Mara a key.
“There’s another room.”
“Where?”
“Under the house.”
Mara followed her through the basement.
Behind a row of shelves was a narrow staircase.
At the bottom stood a steel door.
Inside was a small archive.
Boxes.
Photographs.
Letters.
Audio tapes.
Mara opened the first box.
Celia had been investigating her own family.
The second box contained financial records.
The third contained photographs of June.
Alive.
Different ages.
Different locations.
Mara found one photograph dated six years earlier.
June was sitting beside Celia.
But Celia looked terrified.
On the back:
She knows what I did.
Mara’s hands went cold.
“What did you do?”
Margaret stood behind her.
“She caused the accident.”
Mara turned.
“What?”
“Celia pushed Ethan’s car.”
“Why?”
“Because Ethan was taking June away.”
“Where?”
“To disappear.”
Mara stared at the photographs.
“Why would he?”
Margaret shook her head.
“He wasn’t.”
Mara frowned.
Margaret continued.
“June wasn’t Ethan’s daughter.”
Silence.
“Celia had an affair.”
Mara looked at the photograph.
“With Richard Mercer?”
Margaret nodded.
“June was Richard’s daughter.”
Everything shifted.
Celia had lied about June’s parentage.
Ethan had discovered it.
But that still didn’t explain the accident.
Margaret handed Mara a letter.
It was written by Celia.
Ethan found out June wasn’t his.
I thought he would kill her.
So I made him believe she was dead.
I took her away.
I told everyone she drowned.
But Richard found her.
Then everything became complicated.
Mara looked up.
“Richard wasn’t dead.”
“He disappeared.”
“And June?”
“Alive.”
“Where?”
Margaret hesitated.
“Vermont.”
Mara suddenly understood.
The patient.
Jane Mercer.
She wasn’t June.
She was Celia.
Mara’s breath caught.
“Celia is in that facility.”
Margaret nodded.
“And Ethan knows.”
