Chapter 4 - THE SON WHO ALREADY KNEW
Bradley walked into Helen’s study while I was still holding his letter.
He stopped.
“What are you doing here?”
I almost laughed.
“I live here.”
His eyes moved to Mark.
Then the paper.
The color in his face changed.
“Where did you get that?”
“Your mother’s drawer.”
“That was private.”
“So was her email.”
His jaw tightened.
Mark stood.
“I’m going to suggest everyone stays calm.”
Bradley ignored him.
“You went to the cabin.”
It was not a question.
“Yes.”
“And met her.”
“Carol.”
“Whatever.”
“You know her name.”
“Unfortunately.”
I stared at him.
“Who is she?”
Bradley laughed.
“Ask Mom.”
“She’s dead.”
That landed.
For one second.
Then his face closed.
“She’s nobody you need to worry about.”
“You threatened your mother over her.”
“I protected Mom.”
Mark said quietly, “Bradley.”
“No.”
Bradley pointed at the letter.
“You don’t know what was happening.”
“Then tell me.”
“Some woman appears online with a DNA match and suddenly Mom is driving to Clearwater twice a month, paying medical bills, transferring property—”
“Medical bills?”
He stopped.
I saw it.
“What medical bills?”
Bradley looked away.
“Ask Carol.”
“You already used that line.”
“Because apparently you believe strangers now.”
“I believe documents.”
Mark murmured, “That sounds like Helen.”
Bradley ignored him.
I held up the DNA result.
“You matched Carol.”
“Yes.”
“When?”
“Years ago.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because it was obviously some mistake.”
“Seventeen hundred centimorgans is not a mailing-address error.”
His eyes narrowed.
“You’re an engineer now and a geneticist?”
“No. I can read.”
“She could be a cousin.”
“That isn’t what the report says.”
“Those sites guess.”
“Did Mom test?”
Silence.
“Bradley.”
He stared at the floor.
“Yes.”
“Did Carol match her?”
Another silence.
Mark looked between us.
“Eugene.”
I understood the implication.
If Carol matched Bradley closely but did not match Helen, the relationship came through me.
My throat tightened.
“Did she?”
Bradley finally said, “Not significantly.”
The room seemed to empty of air.
I sat.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because Mom asked me not to.”
“That letter says otherwise.”
“Later.”
“What happened earlier?”
“I saw the match. I blocked her.”
“You what?”
“I didn’t know who she was.”
“So you blocked her.”
“I have money, Dad.”
“Your mother and I have money.”
“Exactly.”
The distinction was revealing.
Bradley continued.
“People do this.”
“Do what?”
“Find families through DNA and start asking questions.”
“Questions frightened you?”
“I knew where they led.”
“Where?”
His voice rose.
“Money.”
Mark closed his eyes.
I stared at my son.
“Did Carol ask you for money?”
“No.”
“Did she threaten you?”
“No.”
“Did she contact Helen?”
“Eventually.”
“How?”
“She found Mom’s address.”
“After you blocked her.”
“Yes.”
“And Mom met her.”
“Yes.”
“Then tested herself.”
“Yes.”
“And learned Carol wasn’t related to her.”
“Yes.”
My hands shook.
I placed them flat on Helen’s desk.
“Then she knew.”
Bradley said nothing.
“She knew Carol was connected to me.”
“She thought.”
“You knew too.”
He looked at me.
“I knew something ugly was about to happen.”
“Ugly?”
“Dad.”
He leaned forward.
“Mom was dying.”
“Not then.”
“She already had symptoms.”
I frowned.
“What symptoms?”
“Fatigue. Weight loss.”
“That was before diagnosis.”
“Exactly.”
“So?”
“She didn’t need some forty-something woman showing up demanding a place in the family.”
“Carol did not demand anything.”
“You’ve known her two days.”
“And you’ve known about her three years.”
That stopped him.
Mark intervened.
“Bradley, I think it would be wise for you to leave.”
“This is my mother’s house.”
“No.”
Mark’s voice sharpened.
“It was your mother’s residence with Eugene. Estate administration does not make it yours today.”
Bradley laughed.
“Everybody is suddenly protecting Dad.”
“From what?”
“Reality.”
He turned to me.
“You want to play family with Carol? Fine.”
“I don’t know what I want.”
“You’ll find out.”
He grabbed his car keys.
“Just remember Mom didn’t tell you either.”
That hit.
He knew it.
“She lied to you every time she drove to that cabin.”
I said nothing.
Bradley continued.
“But somehow I’m the villain because I didn’t want to watch her hand our family to a stranger.”
He walked out.
Mark waited until the front door slammed.
Then he sat across from me.
“He’s right about one thing.”
I looked at him.
“Helen kept this from you.”
“I know.”
“You’re allowed to be angry at her too.”
I stared at her empty chair.
“She isn’t here to argue back.”
“That doesn’t make anger disloyal.”
My phone buzzed.
Carol.
I almost ignored it.
Then answered.
“Eugene?”
“Yes.”
“I found the blue folder.”
I stood.
“Where?”
“Not in the box.”
“Where?”
“Helen hid it behind the access panel under the kitchen sink.”
Of course she did.
Helen knew I would inspect plumbing eventually.
“What’s inside?”
Carol’s voice became quiet.
“Payments.”
“To you?”
“Some.”
“What else?”
“Bradley.”
I stopped.
“What about him?”
“Helen kept a list.”
“Of what?”
“Money she gave him.”
I waited.
“Eugene, it’s more than nine hundred thousand dollars.”
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My son had spent the morning accusing a stranger of coming for family money.
According to Helen’s records, he had already taken almost a million dollars himself.
