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“How old was the sister when she died?”
“Almost twenty-five. Just a few years into her career, when she took the family sailboat out on Lake Erie and got caught in a freak storm. The body was never recovered. The boat was later found washed up on shore. The death certificate lists drowning as the probable cause of death.”
“What’s this have to do with Zoey Mills?”
“I believe the woman you know as Zoey Mills is actually Lillian Abigail Milano.”
A rush of what…fear, excitement…thrummed in his veins. “Are you certain of this?”
“Yes. I’ve compared pictures I found online with the one you sent. It’s the same woman. She’s disguised her looks and eye color, but there’s no disguising the face.”
Tristan’s heart lurched like a broken engine before roaring to life. All the clues he’d been holding onto suddenly came together, like he’d plugged in the missing digit in a complicated computer code. Zoey and Hannah were sisters, which explained the facial resemblance between the two. And Zoey—or Lillian, as he needed to think of her—wore a wig and contacts, so her hair and eye color could be more like Hannah’s. “Why the alias?”
“We don’t know yet. From what we’ve uncovered, Lillian led a pretty normal life until she faked her death. No jail time, no record of criminal offenses, not even a traffic ticket. She had a student loan and was paying down a car loan, but no other large debts.”
“Where did she work?”
“In the emergency room at a major Cleveland hospital called the Pullman Clinic.”
“I’m familiar with the Pullman Clinic. My mother once participated in a study there.”
“We talked to someone who worked with Lillian. From all accounts, she showed up on time, did her job well, didn’t take time off. And the patients loved her.”
“Was she married?”
“No marriage license. No children…lived in a small apartment in North Royalton at the time of her supposed death. I’ll include the address in the report I send you.”
“Any threats on her life?”
“None that we’ve discovered.”
“What about miracle cures for her patients?”
“That I don’t know. No one we talked to mentioned it. But I’ve got staff checking into her mother’s death. Give me a little more time, and I’ll see what I can find.”
“Okay, great work, Brian. See if you can find any connection with the family and Dominic Raines, the CEO of a genetic research company called Kinetica. Lillian seemed frightened when she met him today. Perhaps there’s a link. I’ll pay double if you call me with new information within the next couple of hours. Send me your bill.”
Tristan ended the call and stuffed his cell phone in his pocket. Zoey was not Zoey at all but Hannah’s missing sister, Lillian. And Frank was their father.
He stood and crossed to the window, even though he couldn’t see through the frosted glass. It would take some getting used to thinking of Zoey as Lillian. He pictured her as he saw her earlier, sea-colored eyes filled with fear and sadness as she told him she had to leave, hinting there was someone else.A lie.She wasn’t married. And her eyes probably weren’t green—colored contacts were likely part of her disguise.
He pressed his fingertips against the cool glass, creating a fog handprint on the window. Lillianwasa nurse—this, at least, she hadn’t lied about.
If he was smart, he’d let her leave and run like hell the other direction. But what if Lillian were in danger? He didn’t want to see her hurt. Whatever Lillian hid from was so terrifying she’d faked her own death and left her family.
He scrolled through his favorites until he found his housekeeper’s number. Before Lillian left, he needed to convince her to trust him with the truth of her situation. Once he understood the threat, he would find a way to protect her.
“Did you see Tristan? I think Hannah spooked him.” Her dad craned his neck the moment Lillian reentered Hannah’s hospital room, as if she hid Tristan behind her back.
“Yes, we ran into each other…literally. Said he needed to make a phone call, and he’d be back in a little while. You guys know who he is, don’t you?”
Hannah’s eyes widened. “Are you kidding? The Video Game King? Everyone in Cleveland knows him. He told us how you met. So romantic.” Hannah batted her eyelashes.
Lillian narrowed her gaze. “Hannah Milano. I’m not happy about what you did. You’re barely recovered from near death. Why would you attempt to read him?”
“He was growing suspicious of you, and I couldn’t stop myself. The heat is so high when you guys are together, it could melt steel. I needed to know how he felt about my sister.” She widened her eyes. “Did something happen between you just now?”
Lillian grimaced. “Quit the innocent act. He’s a burner. He gives off an extraordinary amount of energy, which is why I asked him to visit you in the hospital last night. I was desperate. It was the only thing I could think of to save your life. Imagine my surprise when he agreed.”
