Page 91 of Once a Hero

“Predating World War II.”

“Yep. Someone took the brooches and turned them into what we think is a map—or at least a locator.”

“Your father?”

“I don’t know.” She sat up slowly and put on her shoes. She picked up the brooches. “Would you like to see the safe?”

Jake nodded. Wouldn’t hurt.

“Thank you for trusting us.” Beatrice led him down a stark hallway.

At the end of the hallway, a nondescript door opened to a cluttered office. It was small and cramped. On the walls were digital maps with pins everywhere, one map per continent, except Antarctica.

“All the places you’ve been?” Jake asked, leaving the door behind him ajar to give them both some privacy and so that nobody could say they weretoo alonein the room by themselves—if there was such a thing as beingtoo alonetogether.

“All the places stolen World War II artwork might have been stashed.” Beatrice had unlocked the safe while Jake was distracted by the maps.

“It’s a noble cause.” Jake wasn’t happy with himself for not paying attention to what Beatrice was doing.

“Someone has to deal with it.” Beatrice placed the two brooches in the safe.

“Why?”

“Why not?” Beatrice locked the safe. “Before Dad got sidetracked hunting for the Amber Room, he help his many Jewish friends look for lost family heirlooms.”

“So you’re continuing his legacy.”

“The good side.” Beatrice’s voice was quiet, perhaps tinged with shame.

Jake wondered what he could say. “We’re not our parents. The skeletons in their closets are theirs, not ours.”

Beatrice nodded. “That’s one way to look at it.”

“Their penances are not ours,” Jake emphasized.

Beatrice led the way toward the office door. “Easy for you to say because your parents are normal. And biological.”

Jake chuckled. “Imagine if your biological parents were nefarious and irreformable criminals of the war crimes kind.”

Beatrice stopped. Turned toward Jake. “Why are you doing this?”

“Doing what?” Jake was reaching for her hand.

“Trying to make me feel better? Some things will always hurt, you know.”

She had a point there, but Jake wanted to keep trying. “I don’t mean to suggest that you look for your biological parents to see what kind of people they are.”

“Oh, they could be worse than Dad…and Mom.” Her voice tapered off, as if calling Molyneux “Mom” was to commit an unpardonable sin.

“Just to know, though? Maybe to avoid genetic illnesses.” Jake heard something from outside the door, but he ignored it. It could be unfamiliar sounds to him because he had never been in this building before.

Beatrice tilted her head. “Are you trying to distract me from my current quest?”

She didn’t seem to have noticed the sound of potential scuffling out there. Maybe it was an echo. Maybe Jake was hearing things.

“I was just saying.” Jake shook his head. Yep, he was hearing things. “Maybe you won’t feel bad about your adoptive family if you also knew about your biological heritage.”

“I’ll think about it later.”

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