Page 36 of Return Ticket

“Three kids who think they’re legitimate heirs, but who are not,” Ben added.

“Shit.” Trevor leaned back and looked over at Ben. “That’s where you come in. It’ll get ugly.”

Ben nodded. “This is going to shock the circles he runs in, and it will likely devastate his family.”

“Bloody hell, Gabs.” Neeky shook her head. “What a bastard.”

“The thought of how long my mother has held off getting into a new relationship, wondering what happened to him, and there he is, married with three kids.” Gabriella had known that was likely, if he wasn’t dead, but now that she had the actual proof, it was enraging.

“Well, congratulations,” Trevor said. “You did it.”

She nodded. She should feel elated. She thought she would be, if she ever succeeded. But she wasn’t. She felt angry and sad and sick to her stomach.

Careful what you wish for, her aunt had murmured to her when she was saying goodbye to everyone at the Melbourne docks.

Gabriella had understood the warning, but she had thought helping her mother move forward would be worth it.

She still believed that, but it came with a price that was higher than she’d ever imagined.

She wondered if she wanted to see her father in person, and lifted her shandy as Trevor declared a toast to her success. She would put that decision off for another day, she decided as she forced a smile onto her face and took a drink. There would most likely be more than enough time to decide.

They all left together, walking out into a dense fog that had gathered while they’d been in the pub.

Ben coughed. “These pea soupers are happening more and more often,” he said when he got his breath back.

“The one a couple of weeks ago was the worst,” Neeky said. “I was coming home, and I literally couldn’t see my hand in front of my face.”

Gabriella had worked an early shift the day it was really bad, so she’d been home before things got too dangerous. Last night, though, it had been bad for quite a while before the wind came up and started to lighten it.

This morning, when she’d worked the early Saturday shift, it had still been hanging in the air, although a wispy and insubstantial shadow of what it had been the night before.

Ben coughed again.

“You going to be all right?” she asked.

“Yes.” He waved it off. “But I think it’s time for me to get home.”

He and Trev needed to go in the same direction, so they walked her and Dominique to the bus stop and then headed off together.

Gabriella could hear Ben’s cough fade into the distance as she and Dominique stood huddled under the bus shelter.

“I’m proud of you, Gabs. You’ve done what you set out to do.” Neeky tucked her hand into the crook of Gabriella’s elbow.

“Not quite. But at least I’ve found him. There’s a very small chance everyone has got it wrong, and it’s not him, but . . .”

“But you don’t think so?” Dominique asked.

“No.” There were too many coincidences for him to be anyone else. “But it’s going to get ugly, just like Trevor said. I’m going to be upending a family’s peaceful life, and even though it’s my father’s fault, I bet most of them are going to blame me.”

“They’d be wrong to, but . . . yes. You’re the stranger, and he’s their dad or husband. And they’re going to lose a lot because you’ve popped up.” Dominique gripped her arm harder as the bus pulled up, hurrying them both up the stairs and out of the fog and cold.

They sat near the front on the lower level, taking the first two seats together they could find on the packed bus. “Everyone’s calling an early night, what with this weather,” Dominique said, looking around. “It’s horrendous, and I heard on the radio at work yesterday that they’re afraid there’ll be a few more really bad ones before this is over.”

Itwashorrendous. Gabriella looked out at the gray smoke that swirled around the window, impenetrable and slightly otherworldly. There was a pall over the city, a choking, polluted cloud, and she wished suddenly for the uncomplicated, blue skies of home.

“Do you miss Melbourne?” she asked Dominique as the bus driver changed gear and jerked her in her seat.

“I miss the weather. God. I really miss the weather. But the independence is gold, Gabs. Priceless.” Dominique rested her head on Gabriella’s shoulder, her blonde hair tickling Gabriella’s nose.

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