Chapter 5: The Brother Who Knew
Richard Harrison lived twelve minutes from the diner in a house that had been paid for, in part, with their father's money.
Arthur had never said that out loud.
He thought it now, sitting in the diner at nearly midnight, watching Leo fall asleep against the window with his jacket folded under his head.
Grace had already gone under, curled against her brother, the stuffed rabbit tucked beneath her chin.
Daniel sat across from him with a cup of coffee he hadn't touched.
"He's going to find out," Daniel said.
"You know that."
"I know."
"And when he does, he's going to say she was lying.
He's going to say the children aren't his.
He's going to make this ugly."
"I know that too."
"So what do we do?"
Arthur looked at the sleeping children.
"First, we find out how Sarah is.
I need an address." He looked at Daniel.
"You still have contacts at Mercy General?"
"I can make a call in the morning."
"Make it tonight."
Daniel looked at him.
"Tonight."
"She sent an eight-year-old boy across the city alone at night with a coin in his pocket and an envelope he wasn't allowed to open," Arthur said.
"Tonight."
Daniel picked up his phone.
While he stepped away to make the call, Claire came over and refilled Arthur's coffee without asking.
She stood at the edge of the booth for a moment.
"They've been here almost two hours," she said quietly.
"Frank clocked out.
It's just me."
"I know.
Thank you for staying."
Claire looked at the children.
"The little one cried earlier.
While you were outside.
She didn't make any noise.
Just tears running down her face." She paused.
"Leo put his arm around her and told her it was going to be okay.
He said it like he'd said it a hundred times before."
Arthur didn't answer.
"She asked him if Mama was going to come back," Claire said.
"He didn't answer her.
He just held on tighter."
Arthur set his coffee cup down.
"Claire.
I need a favor."
"Name it."
"I need you to not mention tonight to anyone.
Not yet.
Not until I've had a chance to sort some things out."
She looked at him steadily.
"Frank saw everything."
"Frank works for me."
"He doesn't like you much."
"No," Arthur said.
"But he likes his job."
Claire nodded slowly.
"I won't say anything." She glanced at the children one more time.
"They look like good kids."
"They are," Arthur said.
Though he had only known them for two hours, he was certain of it.
Daniel came back.
He slid into the booth and lowered his voice.
"She's at Mercy General.
Has been for four days.
She's in the palliative unit." He stopped.
"Dad.
Palliative."
Arthur absorbed that.
"Is she conscious?"
"My contact said she has good hours and bad hours.
This morning was a good one."
"Then we go in the morning.
Early." Arthur looked at the children.
"We'll need somewhere for them to sleep tonight."
"They can come to mine," Daniel said immediately.
"Ellen won't mind.
She'll—" He stopped.
"Actually she'll probably cry, but she won't mind."
Arthur nodded.
He reached across the table and picked up the letter one final time.
He read the last line again to himself.
*That's all I ever wanted.
Someone to protect them.*
He folded it and put it in his inside jacket pocket, close to his chest.
"There's something else," Daniel said.
His voice had dropped further.
"My contact mentioned something.
She said there was a man who came to see Sarah two days ago.
He wasn't family — not listed as family, anyway.
He stayed for about ten minutes and left without speaking to any of the staff."
Arthur looked up.
"She said he was well-dressed.
Fifties.
Going gray at the temples."
Arthur said nothing.
May you like
"Dad." Daniel leaned forward.
"Richard already knows she's there."
