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"Was that why she took us there, so she could meet you away from our house? My father didn't know about you, did he?"
"No. We agreed a long time ago that it was better if no one knew that either of us had a sister."
"Why was it better? What were you involved in?"
Before she could answer, we heard someone coming down the stairs. "We have to get out of here," she said.
I nodded, then pushed open the door behind me. We exited the building near the parking structure and ran inside, ducking behind a truck. As we watched the door we'd just come thru, a young woman exited the building. She was on her phone and didn't look at all threatening.
I blew out a breath. "We're okay," I said.
"We're not okay. Where's your car?"
I led the way to my vehicle, flipping the locks so we could get inside.
She put on her seat belt and said, "Drive."
"Where?"
"Somewhere that isn't here. We need to get away from this hospital."
I started the engine and pulled out of the space, keeping an eye out as I left the lot. I drove a few blocks, not sure where to go next.
"Turn left at the next street," Rachel said.
I followed her directions, realizing we were heading toward Golden Gate Park, and my misgivings came back.
"I'm not going to the park," I said flatly.
"No, we're going to the beach. Just go straight. We'll run right into it."
I had a million questions to ask her, but they were all jumbled up in my head, so I drove to the end of the road and entered the parking lot next to Ocean Beach. The fog was just off the coastline, the waves large and wild.
I turned my gaze away from the sea to Rachel. "Tell me why my mother is in danger."
"There was trouble a long time ago," Rachel said, turning to face me. "Actually, Laura and I were born into trouble."
"What does that mean?"
"We lost our parents when we were young. A neighbor took us in after that. Mrs. Hursh was really good to us. She was a music teacher. That's when Laura learned how to play. She started with the piano and then moved to the violin. She was a natural. I had zero talent. But then the county caught up to us being on our own and we got split up for three years. It was the longest three years of my life."
"How old were you?"
"Fourteen. After high school, we managed to find our way back to each other. Laura got a scholarship to NYU to study music, and she told me to come with her. I could sleep in her dorm room and go to community college, get a job."
"So, you were in New York," I said, another piece of the puzzle falling into place.
"It was probably the worst place we could have gone. More trouble found us, and we had to scramble to survive."
"Did that trouble involve a robbery and the death of a security guard?"
Rachel started at my question, her gaze narrowing on mine. "Why would you ask me that?"
"Because Mom was sending cash to the guard's family for a long time. They didn't know why, but I think it's because she had something to do with that robbery."
Rachel shook her head. "That's not true, Brynn. Your mother didn't have anything to do with that."
"Then why would she have been secretly sending money to the security guard's widow and child?"
