Chapter 39: Lydia

It had been a week since Dianne’s phone call and Drake and Lydia still hadn’t found any new information in regards to Amelia’s disappearance. Martin had ran an inquiry on Amelia Kirkpatrick, but nothing came up except a sealed record from right before she’d come to the Whittenberg Manor. Martin was working on getting the record unsealed to see if it would give them a new lead, but unsealing records was a long process and time wasn’t on their hands.

Samuel had already called Drake twice inquiring on when he was coming back, he was insistent upon Drake’s return stating he couldn’t get married without his brother beside him. While Samuel sympathized about Drake’s fallout with Lydia, he still felt like Drake should attend his wedding. Drake hated keeping secrets from his brother, but he’d agreed with Lydia that they should keep their reconnection a secret as well as their investigation. Lydia didn’t want the wrong information getting into the wrong hands. She was still positive that Gregory and Dianne had something to do with Amelia’s disappearance.

One morning Lydia woke before Drake, and started to shuffle through all the information they had obtained about Amelia. Each new piece of evidence was pointing towards Amelia being a sociopath. Lydia began to wonder how no one could see Amelia for what she was. As she shuffled through the papers once more, an article caught her eye. Lydia and Drake had only read through the articles pertaining towards information about Amelia, they’d never thought to read the other articles from that day. The article that grabbed Lydia’s attention this time around was titled, *WHO AM I?* and below the title a woman was pictured who shared similar characteristics to Amelia. If Lydia, hadn’t known better, she would’ve assumed the woman was an elder sibling or some other relation to Amelia dearest.

***WHO AM I?***

***The body of a woman suspected to be in her mid twenties was found late last night in the back alley of 33rd and 1st street. A passerby noticed a human hand sticking out between two dumpsters directly behind the QuickMark. Authorities have yet to release any information regarding the death of the woman; but they have shared the picture (Posted Above) and are asking for anyone who can identify the deceased to call their office immediately.***


While Brownsville was a ways away from the Upper West Side, Lydia couldn’t help but feel like this case was connected to Amelia in some way, on a hunch she decided to look into the mystery woman’s murder. She opened up her MacBook Pro and did a quick google search on young woman murdered in Brownsville, New York in 1984. She cringed at how many different articles populated in the search results. Way to many women were slaughtered every day in New York.

Lydia narrowed down the search by adding in the street coordinates and the name Matilda Delores pulled up. Matilda was the woman pictured in the original article from the August 1984 news article clipping. Lydia scrolled through the first few websites that had pulled up and glanced over the stories seeing if there was anything that really stuck out to her. The details of the murder were what really caught Lydia’s eyes. She was sexually assaulted and beaten with an inch of her life. She was left between the garbages behind the QuickMark where she later died from her injuries. The coroner put the time of death at noon, and Matilda’s body wasn’t found until 10:00PM that same night.

Lydia pulled out her phone and sent Marvin a quick text in the group chat that included Drake as well, “Found something interesting. Please look into Matilda Delores and get back to me ASAP.”

Lydia heard a phone chime directly behind her, startling her, making her jump and her phone and paperwork go flying.

“Oops, I didn’t mean to scare you.” Drake replied rubbing his hands up and down Lydia’s arm trying to calm her.

“No, don’t worry. It’s not your fault, I was just really zoned into my research. I didn’t hear you approach.” Lydia replied to Drake as she turned into him and planted a quick kiss on his lips.

“What’s going on?” Drake asked, taking a seat at the table beside her.
“Well I’m not even sure if it’s related by I saw this article,” Lydia begins pointing towards the article that spoke of Matilda, “And I couldn’t help but feel drawn to her case. I have the strongest hunch that all of this is connected somehow.”

“If you have a hunch, then yes, let’s look into it. At this point, any lead is better than nothing.” Drake states, his eyes flickering over the photo of Matilda, “She looks familiar, and no, not just because she looks like Amelia. I feel like I’ve seen her personally before.”

“Well that’s interesting.” Lydia replied, “Hopefully Martin’s research will come back quickly.”

Lydia looked like she was going to say something more, but her phone started ringing. She looked at the caller ID, when she realized it was her mom’s hospital calling s he began to worry. “Hello?” She says quietly into the phone her voice shaking.

“Uh yeah, this is Rosalie, over at Presbyterian hospital in New York, is this Lydia Hunt?” A soft female voice spoke into the phone.

“yes, this is her.” Lydia managed to get out, her heart racing through her chest.

“Lydia, it’s time.” Rosalie simply states into the phone, “You’ll want to get to the hospital as quick;y as possible, so you can say your goodbyes.”

Tears started to flow freely down Lydia’s face as chest wrenching sobs poured out of her body. Drake held her tightly against him as he called down to bottom floor to have his car and driver readied out front.

“Shh love,” He whispered into Lydia’s ear as he walked her down the stairs, “I will talk to the board of directors.”

“No, it’s time Drake, it’s time for me to let go and say goodbye. I can’t keep letting my mom live in this state. She’s always been a free bird, she’d hate to be kept in a cage.” Lydia replied to Drake, as she tried to steel her emotions and prepare herself for her final visit to the hospital.”

Entering into Presbyterian hospital, the hospital itself sounds eerily quiet and it smells like death, but Lydia didn’t seem phased by it. Why would the hospital seem alive, when the one person who made the sun shine on the darkest days was having her own light snuffed out. Lydia hardly noticed as Drake pinned a visitors badge of both his and Lydia’s chest before taking her hand and leading her to the fifth floor VIP suites where her mother was being held.

Wen they entered into the room Dr. Verma was there waiting. “Mr. Whittenberg, Ms. Hunt.” The doctor says nodding his head towards Lydia and Drake.

“Dr.Verma, has something changed?” Drake asked, Lydia still seemingly too shocked.

“No, Mr.Whittenberg. Nothing has changed. It’s just Ms.Hunt’s mother has been on life support for almost a year now. The board, the hospital, and I, we’ve all decided to force someone to continue to live with the help of a machine for more than a year isn’t humane. When or if, Ms.Hunt’s mother were to wake up, she would be the shell of the woman that she once was.” Dr. Verma stated, not bothering to sugar coat his words.

Drake seemed like he was going to argue with their judgement, but Lydia spoke up first, “Thank you Doctor. I completely understand. I’m just glad it wasn’t me who had to make this call. It wasn’t me who had to make the decision to give up on my mother.”

“I’m sorry it has come down to this Ms.Hunt.” Dr. Verma says as he bows his head towards Lydia before walking out the room.

“Lydia, you don’t have to make this decision today, we can come up with a different plan.” Drake says as he holds Lydia’s hand.

“No Drake, the doctor is right. I’ve let this carry on for too long. My mother wouldn’t want to live like this.” Lydia replies calmly, her decision made.

A few moments later the room is filled with nurses, who begin the end of life care for Lydia’s mother. They slowly remove the ventilator, and then they remove the feeding tubes, and finally the Iv’s. The last nurse turns off the machines, and silences the heart monitor.

Lydia sits on her mother’s bed and holds her hand as she gives her her support one last time. “It’s okay mama,” Lydia whispered into her mother’s ear, “You can let go now. You don’t have to worry about me, I won’t be alone anymore.”

Drake sat quietly in a chair at the back on the room as he watched Lydia say goodbye to her mother. Drake was grateful for once, that he wasn’t close with his mother or father. He couldn’t imagine having to go through what Lydia is currently.

Lydia.

His beautiful Lydia.

His courageous Princess.

She was as strong as she was beautiful.

Drake promised himself then and there that he would take care of her from this day forward, that he would be her shoulder to lean on, that he would help carry any of her pain or her burdens. Lydia would never have to go through life alone again. He’d help her carry some of that weight on her shoulders.

***AUTHORS NOTE***
**Another chapter is currently in the works. It wil be posted by tomorrow night at the latest. Thank you once again for your continued support and I hope you continue to enjoy the story. Don't forget to like the chapter and leave your thoughts below. XOXO Marriah.**