Several months later, they were finally able to get Mrs. Wheeler to confess her true identity. She was Sheridan's "late" mother Katherine Crane. The mystery of Martin's disappearance and its connection to Sheridan's nightmare's soon unfolded after. Alistair, in his youth, was rejected by the true love of his life: Katherine's sister Rachel Barrett. Rachel died in a freak boating accident, and Alistair married Katherine as a substitute. But when Katherine learned that Alistair never really loved her, and was constantly cheating on her, she tried to leave him. Alistair, however, refused to accept it and began raping and beating her to keep her in line. Martin tried to stand up to Alistair on Katherine's behalf, but in a sadistic twist Alistair stabbed Martin in the back with a letter opener causing him to pass out in the Crane living room—which made him the body that Sheridan found as a child. Alistair promptly made arrangements to have Martin buried, but Katherine rescued him and the duo stowed away in the middle of the night fearing for their lives. Alistair then faked Katherine's death rather than let it be made public that his wife had abandoned him.