Evelyn's Perfect Living Room
Chapter 07 - Evelyn's Perfect Living Room
Evelyn Bennett lived in a mansion where nothing was ever out of place.
Not the cushions.
Not the flowers.
Not even the family photographs.
Claire had once admired that about her.
Now it made her uneasy.
Alvarez questioned Evelyn while Claire and Daniel sat across the room.
The seventy-two-year-old widow appeared insulted rather than frightened.
“Yes, I knew June Carter.”
Claire’s stomach turned.
Daniel leaned forward.
“You told me you barely knew Lydia’s employees.”
“I said I barely remembered them.”
“You paid her rent.”
Evelyn calmly lifted her coffee cup.
“I helped many people.”
“For four years?”
“She was struggling.”
Claire could no longer remain quiet.
“She had my son.”
Evelyn's hand stopped.
Only for half a second.
But Claire saw it.
So did Alvarez.
“You knew,” Claire whispered.
“No.”
“You knew.”
“I did not.”
Claire stood.
“Look at me.”
Evelyn did.
Claire had spent years trying to earn this woman’s approval.
Now she saw only fear behind the expensive makeup.
“When did you find out Noah was alive?”
Daniel stared at his mother.
Evelyn said nothing.
“Mom?”
Her composure cracked.
“I was trying to protect this family.”
Claire nearly laughed.
“From what? My child?”
“From Lydia.”
The room went still.
Evelyn set down her cup.
“Your sister was ill, Daniel.”
He shook his head.
“No.”
“She lost three pregnancies. Then her marriage. She became convinced Noah should have been hers.”
Claire felt sick.
Evelyn continued.
“The day Noah vanished, Lydia came to me.”
Daniel stood.
“What did she say?”
“That she'd made a terrible mistake.”
Claire could hear herself breathing.
“She took him?”
Evelyn's eyes filled.
“She said she only wanted one day.”
“One day?”
“She took him from the park. June helped her.”
Claire crossed the room so quickly Alvarez stepped between them.
“Where was he?”
Evelyn began crying.
“I didn't know.”
“You paid June!”
“Years later!”
“When?”
Evelyn looked at Claire.
And Claire understood before she answered.
“Three years ago.”
The same year Daniel received the phone call.
Claire turned toward her husband.
Daniel looked stunned.
Perhaps, for once, genuinely stunned.
Evelyn whispered, “June called me. Lydia was dead. She said the boy was alive.”
Claire's voice became almost inaudible.
“And you paid her to stay quiet.”
Evelyn began shaking her head.
“No. I paid her because she threatened to disappear with him again.”
“Then why didn’t you call the police?”
Evelyn looked toward Daniel.
May you like
Her answer made Claire realize that saving Noah had never been her priority.
“Because if the truth came out, Lydia's name would be destroyed.”
