Page 64 of Once a Hero

“When I talked to Molyneux in Dad’s office.” Back in Eureka the evening before, Beatrice had told her team about her conversation with Molyneux in the office, but she did not mention the leather pouch in Jake’s presence because she wasn’t sure how much she could trust him.

“Were you surprised she talked to you?” Jake asked.

“I thought she wasn’t going to kill my brother or me. However, she confessed to killing Dad. So I’m not sure we’re off limits anymore.” Beatrice groaned. “What a messed-up family.”

“If you need support, I’m here.” Jake extended his hand across the table, palm up.

It reminded her of the driveway scene at the cabin, when he was trying to get to her.

Beatrice placed her hand in his. His fingers and palm were warm to the touch.

“The good news is that I’m not her biological daughter.” Beatrice retracted her hand. “I was afraid I might be. I don’t know about Benjamin, though. We were both told that we were adopted.”

“And yet I’ve said before that your smile reminded me of Molyneux. Maybe it’s possible for adopted children to take after the traits and characteristics of their adoptive parents.”

“I don’t know.” Beatrice dared not entertain the idea that Molyneux and her Dad might have lied about her parentage.

“Sometimes God brings families together in ways we don’t understand.”

Beatrice laughed. “I don’t understand why my parents are thieves, robbers, killers, murderers.”

“We can’t choose our parents, but we don’t have to be like them.”

Beatrice nodded. “I should like to think we’re not like our parents, but I have a confession—or a few.”

“Uh-oh.” Jake put down his iPad and waited.

“I took something from the cabin office before it blew up,” Beatrice said.

“What?”

“It’s a small leather pouch. Inside, I found an old San Francisco postcard and a golden key—maybe medieval, but I need to have it analyzed.”

“How old is the postcard?”

“Maybe from the fifties.”

“When your dad was a kid? Where was he born?”

“He was born in Connecticut to diplomat parents who then returned to Britain.”

“Has he been to San Francisco a lot?”

“He would have lately, but the postcard was old—although I buy old things all the time.”

“Right. So the age might not mean anything.”

Beatrice didn’t tell him that she had planned to scan the postcard soon.

“Where are you going to stay in Charleston?” Beatrice asked.

“Near your office so it won’t take too long to get there when we plan our next move.”

“I don’t think we’ll be in Charleston long. I hope my brother will come with us, but he’s such a homebody.”

“You seem to look up to him.”

“I love him with all my heart. I feel that I need to protect him, even though he’s five years older. I suspect he’s been looking out for me in more ways than I know.” She didn’t say that she also believed that Kenichi worked for Benjamin.

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