Chapter 37 Lilith and the Mystery
\-Lilith-
My mind reeled with questions as I sat in the car, waiting for something—anything to happen, while Mother lingered for at least fifteen minutes before a sleek, black vehicle with tinted windows pulled up.
Her lips curled into a small smile as the rear door opened, and she slipped inside. I waited till the car eased back into traffic, then I followed, my eyes glued on it.
I had to know who she had met. I had to know what they were doing.
The car weaved through the city, but they didn’t go to a hotel, they didn’t stop at a restaurant. At some point, I thought I’d been spotted.
When there wasn’t any strange move by the driver, I knew my cover hadn’t been blown, so I continued until the car slowed near a tall, faded building. The sign made my stomach drop, it was a psychiatric care center.
I blinked. What the hell is going on?
The car pulled into the parking lot, and the car opened.
My heart raced in anticipation as I pulled out my phone, ready to capture the entire thing. And then—
Reginald Blackwell?
“What the actual fuck?” I spat.
He alighted the car, guiding Mother like—I didn’t even know this looked like.
It was so weird.
My fingers tightened on the steering wheel, I wanted to confront them at that moment, but every instinct screamed at me to stay hidden, to watch, to know.
About thirty minutes later, they exited the building, and she looked… off. Her hands trembled by her side while Reginald steadied her as he led her back to the vehicle. They looked like they were hiding something, or even someone.
I swallowed hard. Okay… this isn’t about cheating. This is something else. Something I don’t understand yet.
I waited till they left, and once they were out of sight, I walked into the center.
My heart pounded in anticipation as I matched up to the front desk, but I was determined to get some answers.
“Hi,” I began, steadying my voice. “My mother was just here. I’m her daughter, Lilith. Could you… tell me who she came to see?”
The receptionist froze. Her eyes shifted towards the sign-in book, then back at me. “I’m… I’m sorry, Miss. I can’t disclose patient information,” she said softly.
Damn it.
I felt panic and frustration twist inside me, but I couldn’t stop now. So I had to pull out the pity card.
“Come on, help me out here. My mother’s been acting… strange for the last couple of days. I’m worried… scared even. Just think—if you were me, what would you do?”
The woman opened her mouth to protest. “I’m sorry—”
“Please… anything. Just a hint!”
Her lips pressed into a thin line, eyes darting around like someone might be listening. She leaned closer, swallowed hard, and whispered, “It’s… her sister.”
My eyes widened in disbelief. Sister? My mother never had a sister… did she?
“Uh…thanks, but I’ve got to now.” I murmured.
I returned to the car, leaning back with an exasperated sigh.
“What a weird day. First, a foundation I'd never heard of, and now… an asylum visit with Reginald Blackwell.”
Reginald Blackwell. My chest tightened as I remembered the price of that painting with his name on it.
I shot upright. There had to be something I missed. I wanted to return to the gallery, but it felt too risky, so I decided to go back to the foundation instead.
When I got there, the director had gone for the day. The staff informed me that he only came once in a while, as in, on days my mother came.
I knew I could use that to my advantage. “She misplaced some important files,” I said quickly. “Sent me back to pick them up.”
That was all it took. They handed me the keys to the director’s office without a second thought.
My heart raced with excitement once I got into the office. It felt like I was solving a mystery from a movie.
The desk drawers were locked, and the key wasn’t a part of the bunch, so I had to find them. I scanned the surface and spotted it tucked in a pen holder.
Well, that was easy.
I quickly opened the drawer and pulled out the donation book. The drawer was a mess, papers scattered everywhere, ink smudges, old receipts sticking out. Now I understood why Mother had been so annoyed.
Flipping through, my eyes caught the regular entries: a $50,000 donation… every three months. That was a lot, but okay, maybe she was just generous.
Then I found the ledger. Expenses, purchases, maintenance costs… but something didn’t add up. The rooms were worn, the floors chipping, the walls peeling. The money listed in the books should have made this place look completely different.
I frowned, flipping pages faster. Quarterly donations were massive, yet nothing in the foundation’s actual condition reflected it. Something was off… really off.
I returned home after that and waited until dinner, but Mother didn’t show up.
Could she still be with Reginald? I wondered, poking at my food. I didn’t have an appetite. Somewhere in between, Grandma said something about Celeste and dinner, but I wasn’t paying attention.
Celeste suddenly seemed like a small problem. I didn’t know if I had what it took to bring down Reginald Blackwell.
Mother showed up later that night, and I was the first to meet her in her bedroom.
She admitted it, she had a sister. Reginald had been the one helping her keep it a secret. Why?
“Just because,” she said.
“Are you having an affair?” I asked, questions flooding my mind. “Why is he buying overpriced paintings from you? Why are you two going together?”
I watched her remove her shoes, then her jewelry, one by one.
“I should have known you were up to no good when you quietly agreed to go home,” she exhaled tiredly. “Please, let this stay between us. They don’t know about my sister. I was worried your grandmother wouldn’t approve of me if she knew.”
I followed her toward the bathroom. How could she not be upset that I had followed her around town?
“And the painting? The foundation? You’ve made huge donations, you don’t even like kids, yet you visit often. Why?” I asked
sharply.
She froze in her tracks and turned, her expression hard and cold.
“Look, Lilith… whatever you saw today, whatever you think you know, you don’t.” Her voice was low, but edged with something sharp. “So don’t ask. Don’t pry. Don’t bring it up again. This stays between us.”
I just stared at her, blank, my mind racing.
“Do you understand?” she pressed.
My brows pulled together, but I nodded anyway. “Yes.”
Mother dear...just what the hell are you hiding?