Chapter 6: My Best Friend's Confession
Jonathan Miller had been my best friend since college.
We met when we were twenty-one.
He was the kind of man who remembered birthdays, showed up when someone needed help, and never forgot a favor.
When Sarah and I married, Jonathan stood beside me as my best man.
When Leo was born, he was the first person outside our family to hold him.
When Maya arrived, he bought her a tiny silver bracelet.
And when Leo disappeared, Jonathan became my shadow.
He slept on my sofa during the first week.
He drove me to police interviews.
He organized volunteers.
He even paid for a private search team when the official investigation began slowing down.
I trusted him with everything.
Including my business.
Including my home.
Including my children.
Now his face was appearing in photographs connected to my missing wife and a supposedly dead medical examiner.
I stared at Detective Harris.
"You're telling me Jonathan reported Dr. Reeves murdered?""
"Three days ago.""
"Where is he now?""
"At his house. We've been trying to reach him.""
I pulled out my phone.
"I'm calling him.""
Harris caught my wrist.
"Don't.""
"He's my friend.""
"He's also connected to a missing-child investigation and a suspicious death report.""
I pulled away.
"If he knows where my wife is, I'm not waiting for another police interview.""
Harris studied me.
Then he nodded toward one of the officers.
"Put a unit on Miller's address. Nobody approaches him without my authorization.""
I climbed into my car.
Harris got into the passenger seat.
"Where are we going?""
I looked at the photograph.
"To see my best friend.""
Jonathan lived in a large house about twenty minutes from Elena's property.
It was a modern building with floor-to-ceiling windows and a wide stone driveway.
His wife, Rebecca, opened the front door.
She looked surprised to see me.
"Daniel?""
"Where's Jonathan?""
Her smile disappeared.
"He's upstairs.""
"Tell him I need to speak with him.""
She glanced at Detective Harris.
"Is something wrong?""
"Just tell him I'm here.""
Rebecca stepped aside.
We entered the house.
Everything looked normal.
Family photographs lined the hallway. A pair of children's shoes sat beside the stairs. The smell of fresh coffee drifted from the kitchen.
Then I noticed something.
A small framed photograph on the side table.
Jonathan holding Leo at the beach.
The picture had been taken two months before my son disappeared.
I picked it up.
Rebecca noticed.
"Jonathan loves that picture.""
I looked at her.
"Why?""
She frowned.
"Because Leo was like a son to him.""
I put the photograph down.
"Then why didn't he tell me what he knew?""
Her face changed.
"What?""
Before I could answer, footsteps sounded overhead.
Jonathan appeared at the top of the stairs.
He wore gray sweatpants and a white shirt.
His hair was uncombed.
When he saw me, he stopped.
"Daniel.""
I looked at him.
"Where is Dr. Reeves?""
His face went blank.
Rebecca glanced between us.
"What is this about?""
Jonathan slowly descended the stairs.
"Daniel, you need to leave.""
I laughed.
"That's an interesting greeting.""
"Not here.""
"Why? Afraid your wife might hear something?""
Rebecca stepped closer.
"Jonathan?""
He ignored her.
I pulled out the photograph of Sarah.
"Explain this.""
He stared at it.
For the first time in twenty years, my best friend looked genuinely frightened.
"Where did you get that?""
"Outside Elena's house.""
He closed his eyes.
"Jesus Christ.""
I stepped forward.
"Where is my wife?""
He looked at Detective Harris.
"Can we speak privately?""
"No," I said.
"You can speak right here.""
Jonathan rubbed his face.
"Daniel, Sarah made me promise.""
"Promise what?""
"That I would never tell you.""
I felt my jaw tighten.
"She was my wife.""
"I know.""
"She's the mother of my children.""
"I know!""
"Then why did you help her hide my son?""
Jonathan looked toward the staircase.
Rebecca stood there, completely confused.
"What son?"" she whispered.
I turned to her.
"Apparently, I have two more children than I knew about.""
Her hand flew to her mouth.
Jonathan finally looked at me.
"Sarah was afraid of you.""
The same words Patricia had used.
I shook my head.
"Don't start.""
"She found something in your office.""
"What?""
"Financial records.""
I stared at him.
"What financial records?""
Jonathan looked at Detective Harris.
Then back at me.
"Four years ago, your company made several payments to a private medical organization. The payments were hidden through shell companies.""
I frowned.
"I never authorized anything like that.""
"You signed the documents.""
"Show me.""
Jonathan shook his head.
"I don't have them anymore.""
"Then who does?""
"Reeves.""
My hands curled into fists.
"What did I supposedly pay him for?""
Jonathan swallowed.
"Medical research.""
"What kind?""
"Genetic research.""
The room went silent.
I thought about Noah.
The twins.
The missing registration.
The photographs.
The red notebook.
"What does that have to do with my children?""
Jonathan looked down.
"Sarah discovered that your medical records had been altered before the twins were born.""
I felt my stomach turn.
"Altered how?""
He hesitated.
Then he said, "Someone had changed your blood type.""
I stared at him.
"That's impossible.""
"Sarah found the original test results.""
"Why would anyone do that?""
Jonathan looked toward Rebecca.
She had begun crying silently.
Then he turned back to me.
"Because the company was conducting an illegal experiment involving embryo selection and genetic compatibility.""
I felt dizzy.
"Are you telling me my children were part of some experiment?""
Jonathan nodded.
I stepped closer.
"Who authorized it?""
He didn't answer.
"Who?""
His voice cracked.
"You did.""
I slapped him.
The sound echoed through the hallway.
Jonathan stumbled sideways.
Rebecca screamed.
Detective Harris stepped between us.
"That's enough!""
I struggled against his arm.
"You're lying!""
Jonathan wiped blood from his lip.
"I wish I were.""
"Why would I do that?""
"Because you were promised a fortune if the research succeeded.""
I stared at him.
I had built my company from nothing.
A medical technology firm specializing in diagnostic software and laboratory systems.
I had worked sixteen-hour days.
I had missed birthdays.
I had missed school performances.
But I had never knowingly authorized anything illegal.
"Show me the documents," I said.
Jonathan nodded slowly.
"There's a storage unit.""
"Where?""
"Northside Industrial Park. Unit 314.""
"What's inside?""
"The original medical records. The payment receipts. And the consent forms.""
I felt a cold weight settle in my chest.
"Consent forms?""
Jonathan looked directly at me.
"Your signature is on every one.""
I turned toward Harris.
"Get a warrant.""
The detective nodded to an officer.
Jonathan suddenly grabbed my arm.
"Daniel, wait.""
I looked at him.
"What now?""
He leaned closer.
"There's something else.""
I pulled away.
"Say it.""
"Sarah didn't just discover the experiment. She discovered that one of the children was born with a genetic condition the researchers wanted to study.""
I thought of Leo's frail body.
Noah's pale face.
"Which child?""
Jonathan shook his head.
"They didn't know at first.""
"What does that mean?""
"Both boys were tested.""
I felt sick.
"And?""
Jonathan looked toward the front door.
Then he whispered:
"One of them wasn't biologically yours.""
I stared at him.
"Which one?""
He opened his mouth.
But before he could answer, Rebecca suddenly screamed.
A man had appeared outside the front window.
He was standing on the driveway.
Wearing a dark suit.
Holding a phone against his ear.
Dr. Michael Reeves.
The supposedly murdered medical examiner.
Jonathan stumbled backward.
"He's here.""
Detective Harris reached for his weapon.
"Nobody move!""
Reeves smiled.
Then he raised his phone toward the glass.
It began ringing.
My phone.
I looked down.
Unknown number.
I answered.
"Hello?""
Reeves spoke calmly.
"Daniel, you need to listen very carefully.""
I stared at him through the window.
"Where is my wife?""
He smiled again.
"Your wife is exactly where she chose to be.""
"Where?""
"At the place where all of this began.""
"Tell me!""
He looked directly into my eyes.
Then he said:
"Ask Jonathan who really fathered Noah.""
I turned toward my best friend.
Jonathan's face had gone completely white.
Reeves continued.
"And Daniel, before you make another mistake, there's something else you should know.""
I tightened my grip on the phone.
"What?""
His smile disappeared.
"Your wife didn't give birth to twins.""
A cold silence filled the room.
"She gave birth to triplets.""
Then the call ended.
I slowly lowered my phone.
Jonathan sank onto the staircase.
Rebecca covered her mouth.
Detective Harris looked at me.
And somewhere upstairs, a child's bedroom door creaked open.
A little girl stepped into the hallway.
She looked about four years old.
She was holding a stuffed rabbit.
When she saw me, she stopped.
Then she looked at Jonathan.
"Daddy?""
Jonathan began crying.
The little girl walked down two steps.
"Why is that man here?""
I stared at her.
She had Sarah's eyes.
Sarah's nose.
And the same small dimple on her left cheek.
The girl looked at me again.
Then she said something that made the entire world disappear around me.
"Are you my other daddy?""
I couldn't breathe.
Jonathan covered his face.
Detective Harris turned toward him.
"Mr. Miller...""
But I couldn't hear anything else.
Because I had just discovered that my wife had given birth to three children.
And the little girl standing on the staircase was apparently the third one.
May you like
The child nobody had told me existed.
The child who had been living in my best friend's house all along.
