What Lies Beneath Page #15

The undiscovered truth of Nicholas Anderson

• Fiction

								


"I will call Officer Dave," he says politely. "You all go and wash up."

They all understood that questioning him would not yield any answer, and they all needed time to reflect on the situation. Therefore, they quietly complied with his instructions. Leo observed as all of his brothers, except for one, ascended the stairs.

"She lo looked like me, b but," Andy said, tearing up for the first time since he had seen her. He let his emotions out. Without thinking, Leo wrapped his arms around his brother, which caused the boy to cry even harder as his shoulders shook.

Leo assures his brother, "I will resolve this matter," as he embraces him more tightly.

***************

That evening, while all the boys were asleep in their respective rooms, Leo had a meeting with Officer Dave, a long-time friend of their late father who had become like an uncle to them over the years. Officer Dave was also one of the people who had assisted Leo in obtaining custody rights over his younger brothers.

They were currently seated in Leo's home office, each holding a glass of Scotch in their hands.

"As much as I enjoy our time together, indulging in fine liquor," Dave stated, holding up his glass, "I must ask what is the urgent matter that necessitates my hasty arrival here at midnight."

"I would like to learn more about the accidents that my mother and sister were involved in," Leo said as he sat up straight and put down his glass. "I am interested in knowing how the case was handled, who was involved, and if anyone survived," he said, looking directly at Dave with a serious expression on his face.

Sensing the heaviness in the room, Dave also places his glass down before rubbing his forehead as if that will help him remember things more clearly. "I don't understand why you're asking about this now, but I can tell you what I know," he says, bending over and placing his elbows on his knees and collapsing his hands. "I wasn't one of the officers on call that night; it wasn't my case, and due to my close relationship with the victims, I couldn't take up the case. However, as a favor to your father, I followed it up and also read the files on it."

"Can you please tell me anything you know about the accident?" Leo asked desperately.

"Of course, I'll do my best to help. As you may recall, there was a heavy downpour that night. The cause of the accident is still unclear, as there were several factors that could have contributed, such as the rain, slippery roads, darkness, and the narrowness of the road. Additionally, the toxicology report revealed that the driver of the other car had taken a significant amount of antidepressants. Considering all these factors, the authorities concluded that it was an accident. Road safety officials had advised against driving during the storm, but some people believe that the driver of the other car may have been at fault. However, since both drivers passed away, it is pointless to assign blame. Therefore, the case was closed," Dave explained respectfully.

"Regarding the survivors, there was only one, a two-year-old girl. She was found on the side of the hill and is believed to have fallen out of the man's car as it was going down the hill. This is because the windows of his car were down and he did not have a child safety seat. Fortunately, she only suffered moderate injuries, including head trauma. The reason they believe she was the man's daughter is because the other driver, your mother, was holding a little two-year-old girl when they found her."

"Hence, they presumed that she was our sister," Leo exclaimed.

Dave sat up straight, slightly startled by Leo's outburst, but he quickly regained his composure. "Due to the fire from the explosion, the bodies of the man, woman, and one of the little girls were left unrecognizable. Therefore, the family was called to identify them. Your father and you had to examine your mother's and sister's bodies. As for the man, his brother was called in to identify his body, and he ended up taking custody of his niece. Since he was the immediate family member who responded and did not doubt the girl's identity, he took her in less than a week, as the case was closed and the girl needed a family."
"This implies that no one verified if the other girl was not our sister," Leo insisted.

"Well, it's not common for people to adopt a child they are not familiar with. So..." Dave paused as he recalled a crucial detail. "One of the officers who spoke with the brother mentioned that the man stated he was not close to the brother and that they had grown apart."

"May I ask the reason behind taking in the daughter of the brother you have animosity towards?"

"This is a crucial aspect. The police officer stated, and I quote, 'The man did not appear to be concerned about his deceased brother. In fact, if he had not been residing in Philadelphia, I would have suspected his involvement in this case. However, he seemed even more delighted about obtaining his brother's daughter, rushing the process.' Upon further investigation, I discovered that he had lost his 17-year-old daughter to cancer a few months prior, which explains his desire for a daughter."

"Therefore, he accepted his brother's daughter as a replacement," Leo inquired with astonishment.

"It appears that way. They abruptly abandoned their four-year-old son with the nanny when they came here. Honestly, their parenting skills are questionable, but they were well off and had no prior criminal records. As a result, there was no compelling reason to deny them guardianship."

"Excuse me, but leaving a four-year-old with a nanny and celebrating your brother's passing does not reflect well on your parenting abilities for a two-year-old," Leo fumes.

Once again, disregarding Leo's outburst, Dave politely asked his own question, "May I know the reason behind your sudden curiosity?"

Instead of answering the question, Leo asked another, "Was the brother's last name Anderson, and was his son's name Nicholas Anderson?" Leo recalled the name Rick had mentioned when he had asked about the new friend he and Ray had made, considering they hadn't made any new friends since kindergarten. However, he understood that it wasn't his place to judge, being just as bad.

"How did you know-"

Getting his answer, Leo cut him off. "I think-no, I know-they have our sister, Dave. I saw her with my own eyes. She looks just like Andy." Leo tearfully expressed his certainty that the girl he encountered today was his long-lost sister, whom he believed had passed away. The striking resemblance of her radiant blue eyes to those of their mother served as an undeniable confirmation.

Dave understood that no matter what he said, he could not change his mind, and he had no intention of doing so. In fact, he was determined to discover the truth, and if she was indeed their sister, he would personally make it his mission to bring her back home where she rightfully belonged.

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