Chapter 12: "She's Alive!"
Ever since the day that Erica had asked Jack to review the report on Kendall, he was withholding some information from her. He had told her to let it go, but he was unable to do the very thing he had told her to do. He had a gut feeling that things weren't right. He had not been completely forthcoming with what was in the report to Erica. He had gone to Joe Martin to ask if the medical examiner had made a mistake. He had admitted that it was a possibility, but it was highly unlikely.
Jack was not content with that explanation that he had gotten. Some of the information in the report bothered him, but he would have to get some conformation before proceeding forward.
Jackson had done his own investigation and had come upon a startling discovery. He called Bianca and Ethan over to Erica's penthouse to share what he had learned. Bianca and Ethan had arrived at about the same time. Erica, however, had not yet arrived back home.
Jackson greeted them both, "Thank you for coming."
"Well, you said it was important Uncle Jack. What's this all about?" Bianca asked her uncle as she entered the penthouse concerned about the look in his eyes and his uneasy demeanor. She wondered to herself what was so important that she and Ethan needed to be there.
"I will tell you but, we need to wait for your mother. She hasn't returned. What I have to say, will impact everyone in this room and that includes Erica." Jackson explained to Bianca.
"Is this about Kendall? " Bianca questioned him knowing that could only be the reason that Ethan would be included in this meeting.
Before Jack could answer Bianca's question, Erica walked in, "What about Kendall?" Bianca turned around as both Jack and Ethan looked at Erica.
"Hello Bianca. Ethan hello… What's going on? What about Kendall?" Erica greeted Bianca and anxiously waited for an answer from Jack.
Jack was the first to speak up, "Erica, come sit over her. There is something I need to tell all off you." Jackson grasped Erica's hand to help guide her to the couch.
Erica quickly pulled her hand away apprehensive at the way he was coddling her. "No, Jack. Tell me now. I can see it in your face. Don't treat me like a piece of glass ready to break. I've survived the death of my daughter, so whatever it is Jackson, I can handle."
"Remember, the report you told me to get for you a few weeks back." Jack looked at Erica as he explained to her.
Bianca looked her uncle and her mother confused as to what they were talking about and what this had to do with her or Ethan, "Report, what report, Mom?"
Erica just stared at Jackson and didn't look at either Bianca or Ethan apprehensive to respond to the question. Jack instead answered for her.
"A while back, you mother asked me to look at the autopsy report of Kendall." Ethan and Bianca looked over at Erica horrified at what he had just told them. "Basically, Erica wanted to know how far along Kendall was in her pregnancy."
Ethan interrupted Jack, "Why? Why now?"
Erica did not dare look at Ethan. She slowly sat down while Jackson continued on. "Erica had a confrontation with David at the cemetery and made it know to her that he knew about the baby. It concerned your mother."
"Is that why you wanted to know if we told anyone about Kendall's pregnancy?" Bianca sat near her mother as she slowly nodded to her.
"While I was reviewing the report, for the information your mother wanted, we discovered something."
"Jack no!" Erica adamantly nodded at Jack and quickly shot a glanced at Ethan.
Jackson tried to ease her fears, "Erica wait, let me continue. It said that Kendall was never pregnant."
"That's not true," Ethan shook his head in disbelief. "She told Bianca, she bought the shirt, and they called, they called from her doctor's office. She would never lie to us. It's wrong, the report it wrong, it's a mistake!" Ethan frantically went on.
Jack grabbed Ethan by the shoulders, "Ethan calm down. Let me finish. That's why things did not add up for me. Kendall would never lie about something this important and especially, she would never lie to Bianca. This I'm sure of. There is something else that was omitted from the report. Kendall had a small birthmark on the back of her neck."
Erica looked at Jack puzzled and said, "Yes she does, but what does that have anything to do with this?"
"Well, it was never mentioned in the report. Identifying marks are usually listed." Jack explained to everyone.
"There maybe a simple explanation. Maybe they forgot to put it." Bianca tried to give reasons for the inconsistency.
Jack looked at Erica as Bianca seemed to realize that something was not right. "Uncle Jack, the other day you ask me if Kendall had ever had the birthmark removed. I wondered why you would ask me a question like that out of the blue. Is that why you wanted to know?"
"That's exactly why. But, there's more. All the pieces still didn't add up, so I went to Derek with my suspicions. He thought my theory was that of a grieving parent. I couldn't tell you Erica. I couldn't include you in this part because if my theory turned out to be wrong, I didn't want to cause you anymore pain."
"Out with it Jack. What are you trying to tell us" Ethan sternly told asked Jackson.
He went to sit by Erica's side to tell her his news. "Erica, based on what I already knew, I went to Judge Lambert. I ..uhh, I had Kendall's body exhumed."
"What!" Erica was shocked at what he had done, "Why?"
"What I'm about to tell you is something that may turn our worlds upside down, again. We ran a DNA test. I got some strands of hair from your brush and ran them against Kend… against the sample." Erica and everyone looked absolutely stunned at what Jack was telling them. Jack held her hand, "Erica, the person in that grave isn't Kendall."
Erica heard his words echo in her mind and felt the world start to spin. She felt short of breath and appeared to be gasping for air. She got dizzy and just about collapsed at what he had just unloaded on them. Bianca was on the other side of Erica. She was there to helped support her mother.
Ethan was speechless as what Jackson had just told them. Bianca looked at Ethan, who appeared shaken. "Uncle Jack, I don't understand. Are you saying that Kendall's not dead?" She rambled on, "We were there! That was her in that hospital room. We all saw her. This doesn't make sense"
"Bianca, I know, it makes no sense, but that is not Kendall. I have no idea, why or how this was done. I know it seems absolutely impossible, but …" Jackson turned his attention to Erica while Bianca went over to Ethan who was dazed at all he had heard.
"Jackson, look me in the eyes. If I didn't bury my daughter all those months ago, then where is she? Does this mean that my daughter is alive." Erica voice showed such vulnerability and uncertainty.
Jack expression was serious, but was hopeful, "I'm not sure. The only thing I know is the person in that grave isn't Kendall."
Tears rolled down Erica's cheeks as, "She's alive. I know it, I knew it that night, but I was afraid to believe it. I came back here that night, and she called for me. I just didn't listen. I should of listened Jack." Erica's expression of sadness turned into fury in an instant, "He did this to her, didn't he Jack. I was right, wasn't I. David did this."
Ethan's eyes widened with rage, "Hayward? He's responsible for this. I'm going to kill him." Ethan tried to bolt out of the penthouse to go after David, but Bianca stepped in front of him long enough for Jack to help stop him.
He put his hands on Ethan's chest, "Whoa, we don't have any proof, Ethan. We have to be smart about this. Only a few people know what I just told you all. We can't let anyone else in on the fact that we think that Kendall maybe alive. The only way to find her is to pretend that nothing has changed. Everyone outside of this room must still believe that Kendall is dead."
"Are serious? Everything has changed. Kendall's alive and she out there. She maybe hurt or can't get back to us. I need to find her and our baby."
Erica wearily looked at Ethan, "Ethan! We have to do this Jack's way. Whoever is responsible may hurt her for real this time. I won't lose her, Ethan. I nearly drowned in my grief for her. I can't go through that again." She walked over to Ethan and embraced him, and whispered to him, "She's alive, Ethan! My daughter's alive!"
