Chapter 3
Jonah knew more.
That was the part I hated most.
Not because he had hidden anything.
Because he had been forced to learn adult patterns quietly enough to survive them.
I sat beside him after Elsie fell asleep.
No guards inside the room.
Just us.
“Did Uncle Gordon talk about another child?”
Jonah nodded.
“Girl with star shoes.”
My heart tightened.
“When?”
“Before Elsie.”
Meaning Gordon had used Molly’s story as a threat.
“What did he say?”
Jonah twisted his fingers.
“That bad kids go away.”
I kept my face still.
“Where?”
“He said nobody asks after parasite kids.”
There it was again.
Parasite.
Walter’s word.
Not Gordon’s invention.
A category.
“What does parasite mean?”
Jonah shrugged.
“Kids whose mommy gets money.”
I closed my eyes.
Family support.
Widows.
Children of dead associates.
People receiving help from Cross.
Walter and Gordon had reduced them to parasites.
And apparently their children paid for it.
Jonah continued.
“Uncle Gordon said Molly’s mommy complained too much.”
“About what?”
“The money stopping.”
My blood went cold.
Rebecca Crane’s support payments had stopped before Molly came here.
Of course.
That created desperation.
Then Walter offered help.
Bring Molly to the estate.
Let us “take care of her.”
Rebecca becomes compliant because her child is under our roof.
A hostage without chains.
A threat without saying threat.
I asked:
“Did Gordon tell you what happened to Molly?”
Jonah whispered:
“He said she picked wrong.”
Everything inside me stopped.
“What did she pick?”
He looked toward Elsie’s room.
“Her brother.”
Molly had a brother?
I did not remember one.
Jonah nodded.
“Baby one.”
That changed everything.
I stood.
Nathan Crane had left behind two children.
The family support records I had seen only listed Molly.
No baby.
Someone had erased a child from my knowledge.
I called Rafe.
“Find out whether Rebecca Crane had a son.”
He returned thirty minutes later.
Yes.
Elliot Crane.
Eleven months old when Nathan died.
And according to Walter’s internal household files—
Elliot had never existed.
May you like
Someone had been hiding not one child.
Two.
