Page 16 of Secret Dynasty

I plucked the hospital bracelet from her fingers and studied it for a moment. It didn’t tell me much. Kerrigan’s name and the date of admission. It was from nearly 2 years ago. But why? The name of the hospital was the strangest part.

It didn’t sound like a hospital at all.

“Do you know anything about Maison de la paix?”

“Sounds French. Never heard of it,” Eliza said. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” I said quickly. I dropped the bracelet back in the bag and thrust the whole thing towards her. “Take it with you.”

“The whole thing? I only need the travel kit,” she pointed out.

“I don’t care about the bag. You might as well have it.”

“Are you sure? It’s gotta be worth —”

“Take it,” I said firmly. “I don’t need it.”

“That’s generous,” she muttered.

But something about the way she said it made me stop.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered. “I’m being a bitch, I just want to know what’s going on and finding things like hospital bracelet just makes me ask more questions.”

“We’re going to find all the answers. I promise,” Eliza said as she zipped up the bag. “I guess I should get out of here before anyone starts asking questions.”

“Thank you.” I gave Eliza a tight hug. Then pulled back and leveled a serious look at her. “You have everything you need. The forms? The money?”

“I have more than I need,” she told me. “Wait. What about the DNA sample from Tod?” She asked.

I shook my head. “I don’t think it’s necessary. Everything in that bag is definitely hers.”

“Are you sure?”

I stared at it. It could be another trick, something planted by Tod to throw me off track. But somehow, I knew it wasn’t. This hadn’t been left for me to find. I was certain that Kerrigan had hidden it. It was as if she wanted to forget it existed. “It’s hers.”

“Okay.” Eliza seemed content to drop it. “I’ll call you as soon as I have them. You sure you don’t want me to stay?”

“Unless you have a fetish for funerals, I’d get out of here while you have the chance,” I said dryly.

“Well, I am dying to get back to my job.” We both laughed, but it was half-hearted. So much had happened during her short visit, and neither of us had processed it. There had been far too much drama and not enough girl time.

“Next time we get together it’s going to be pedicures and margaritas,” I promised her.

“Deal. You better get ready.”

She picked up the bag, but before we reached the door, someone knocked. It was as if a timer had gone off. I was being called back to duty. They were no longer avoiding me. When I open the door, I found Giles standing in front of it with a sheet of paper in his hands.

“Let me guess. You have an itinerary?” I said, stepping to the side and doing my best to avoid making eye contact with him. Even death had a strict schedule to follow around here.

“Not exactly.” He moved into the room and stopped when he saw Eliza. “I apologize. I didn’t know you had company.”

“It’s okay. I was just leaving,” she told him as she holstered the bag higher on her shoulder.

Giles glanced at the Louis Vuitton and stared at it for a moment. I could see the wheels turning in his head. He knew where Eliza lived. He knew she was a waitress like me. He knew there was no way she owned a bag like that. “Is that...”

“I gave her some things,” I cut him off. “They are mine to give, right?” Disdain dripped from my voice. I couldn’t hold it in. He had been part of this. He had played along with Tod’s schemes. If Giles knew that I wasn’t Kerrigan and wanted to stop me from doling out her possessions, he’d have to admit it. Otherwise, I had him backed into a corner.

He pushed the bridge of his glasses higher on his nose and mumbled, “Not at all. I hadn’t seen that bag in a long time.”