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A small upraised part in the wood at the bottom makes me peer down and I see that it’s a false bottom.
Mom really did go all the way.
Removing it is not difficult but its reveal makes my jaw drop, even more than after seeing the money.
“These are forged passports,” I whisper, staring at my own face under different names. There are three of them, along with identity cards, bank accounts, and fake birth certificates for me. But what is most surprising is that there is none for my mother.
Because she knew, she would never get away, but for some reason, she knew I would.
Why?
“Halley.” Jace grasps my wrist.
I look up at him, shaken.
He has a strange look in his eyes. “Do you trust me?”
Right now, I don’t know who to trust.
“I know your mother said not to trust anyone but can you trust me?” His tone is urgent.
Without thinking, I nod my head.
He stares at me. “Caleb has a lot of connections, even those in the underground world. I think we should bring him in. If anyone can help us, he can.”
I hesitate but I can’t help but recall the warmth with which Kendall has treated me and the way Caleb came to my defense, even when he didn’t know me.
I know if I refuse, Jace won’t push the issue, and he’ll keep everything a secret. I don’t know how I know but his integrity is something I believe in with my eyes closed. So, if he trusts Caleb, then I should try to as well. Besides, money like this must be nothing to the billionaire who runs the company. I nod. “Ok... So, we take this with us?”
Jace hesitates. “We need, like, a large sheet to bundle it in. I don’t want it to be very obvious.”
People in this town can be pretty nosy and they’re not exactly shy about asking questions. “We can take one of the sheets from downstairs. But…” I pause, “There must be some old suitcases in the attic. Nobody will look twice at a suitcase.”
Jace departs for the attic.
I look around the room.
As a child, I would often play in here while my mother worked. Of course, at that time, I didn’t know she was doing something which could potentially ruin our lives. Sitting cross-legged on the floor, I suddenly remember one of those days when we had been sitting in here and she had received a phone call. She had looked frightened and had locked me inside before going downstairs. I had heard a man’s voice arguing with her, and when she returned, the side of her face had looked swollen.
How had I forgotten that? It happened a week before everything took place.
Hearing shuffling, I look up to see Jace bringing in a small suitcase. It is dusty and quite familiar.
As we put in everything we’ve found, I recount the incident to him.
Jace says, “She might have been running from this person. Except she started making preparations months before that.”
Suddenly, I feel drained with all these new revelations and excitement.
Jace carries the suitcase to the car as I lock the door and then stand on the porch, studying his figure, feeling lost. I watch him turn to look at me and we stand like that, two lone figures just watching each other. A strong gust of wind ruffles my hair.
Jace approaches me, his gaze steady. When he reaches the bottom step, he asks, quietly, “What are you thinking?”
I don’t know how to put my feelings into words, so I chew on my lower lip, trying to find the right ones. “You know how you go through life, thinking you’re self-sufficient and don’t need anybody.”
His eyes glint as he climbs up one step, getting closer to me. “Yes.”
“A-And then one day you meet somebody and—and…” My words falter.
