Chapter 3 - The Family No One Knew ExistedBy noon, they were seated in Corinne Voss's quiet Seattle office overlooking Elliott Bay. Corinne was in her early sixties, silver-haired, with the measured manner of someone who'd spent decades safeguarding secrets. A wooden archival box sat on the table.

She opened it. Inside were several letters, an old notebook, and a faded photograph — Camille's mother, Evelyn, as a young woman, standing beside another woman holding a newborn. Corinne placed an adoption document beside the photo.

Then she turned to Beckett. "Your mother, Serena, was adopted shortly after she was born."

Beckett stared. "My mother never told me she'd been adopted."

"She may not have known until later in her life." Corinne looked to Desmond. "Serena's biological mother was Evelyn."

His stomach tightened. "Camille's mother?"

Corinne nodded.

The truth landed all at once. Serena Rowe had been Camille's older half-sister. Which meant Beckett was Camille's nephew.

And Ivy's cousin.

Beckett rose abruptly. "So Camille helped me because she felt responsible?"

"No," Desmond said.

Beckett turned to him. Desmond surprised himself with the steadiness in his own voice. "Camille didn't spend every Saturday listening to your music because she felt responsible. She didn't remember your favorite pieces or worry about your train fare because she was repaying some debt."

"You didn't even know she was doing it."

Desmond glanced at the documents. "No. I didn't."

Beckett's expression tightened. "Then maybe you didn't know her as well as you thought."

It hurt. Desmond didn't argue.

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"Maybe I didn't know every side of her. But I knew the way she loved people. Quietly. Sometimes so quietly the rest of us understood too late."

Corinne pulled out another envelope. Camille had written Desmond's name across the front. His hands trembled slightly as he opened it.