Chapter 10 - The Child on Paper
Maya traced the paternity template to an internal server used by Archer Family Guardianship Services.
The document had been created by an administrator account called AURORA.
"Who is Aurora?" Nathan asked.
Maya shook her head.
"Not a person. A legacy access profile. It predates our current security system."
"Who can use it?"
"Anyone with the master token."
"Who has the token?"
Maya hesitated.
"According to the old inventory, your mother."
Rebecca looked at Nathan.
Neither spoke.
Margaret arrived at the hotel an hour later.
Nathan put the laptop in front of her.
"Tell me you didn't create this."
Margaret studied the screen.
"I didn't."
"The token was yours."
"It was stolen."
Rebecca laughed bitterly.
"Everybody's signature is forged. Everybody's token is stolen. Nobody did anything. Convenient family."
Margaret ignored the insult.
"The token disappeared the year Anne died. I should have revoked the profile. I didn't because the system was tied to old trust records."
Nathan rubbed his face.
"So Graham could have it."
"Yes. Or Thomas. Or Pruitt. Or any senior administrator who knew where it was kept."
Lucy wandered in from the adjoining room carrying her red bucket.
Margaret's face changed when she saw her.
"Hello, Lucy."
Lucy hid behind Rebecca.
Margaret did not move closer.
"You look like your grandfather."
Nathan's chest tightened.
Lucy peeked out.
"Which one?"
Margaret smiled sadly.
"Thomas."
Lucy frowned.
"I know Grandpa Tom."
The adults froze.
Rebecca turned sharply.
"What did you say?"
Lucy looked confused.
"Grandpa Tom. The man in Mom's old picture box."
Rebecca exhaled.
"She means photographs."
But Lucy shook her head.
"No. The real man."
Nathan felt the room tilt.
"Lucy, when did you see him?"
"At the library."
Rebecca crouched.
"Sweetheart, Grandpa Thomas died before you were born."
"No, he didn't."
Lucy sounded annoyed now.
"The old man with the cane. He gave me the red bucket."
Nathan stared at the bucket.
He had assumed it was a toy from the park.
"When?"
"Last birthday. Mom was talking to Miss Nora outside. He said not to tell because it was a surprise."
Rebecca's face had lost all color.
"Nora never told me."
Margaret sat down as if her knees had failed.
"Thomas used a cane for three months before he died."
Nathan took the red bucket from Lucy.
There was a sticker on the bottom.
A small gold archer symbol.
Not the modern Archer Foundation logo.
His father's private mark.
Nathan looked at his mother.
"If Dad is dead, who gave my daughter this?"
Margaret whispered, "I don't know."
For the first time, Nathan believed her completely.
Then Lucy added one more thing.
"He told me to give it to you when you finally found us."
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