Chapter 10

MAY 20 – SATURDAY 12:04 PM

R en

"It's so good to see you," Aunt Nadia said as we walked in the door. She wrapped me up in one of her famous hugs, and I closed my eyes as I hung onto my aunt. I pulled back and looked at her. She hadn't changed a bit. Not that I was gone that long, but it was nice to come back to things that were the same and what I'd always known.

"Nadia, this is my friend Ivy, and this is my…Myles, Blake, and Theo," I said, deciding it was best not to tell my sweet but very conservative aunt that I was dating more than one guy. I wasn't embarrassed. But did I want to get into a morality debate? No. There was no way to explain to her how I'd fallen in love with two guys, and no matter what she said, I wasn't giving them up. This vacation was to help me recharge, get some answers, and reconnect with those I missed. Arguing over something that in my heart felt right was not on my list.

Worse yet, after the race yesterday, I was having trouble seeing Theo as the strait-laced guy I usually wanted to choke. He shook my aunt's hand and then adjusted his glasses, and it was tripping me up. All I could see when he looked at me was the guy in racing gear, sitting on a bike that made me want to fan myself. Myles had been surprisingly cool and calm, but he was extra affectionate in the car and then had me sit on his lap to watch a movie.

"All of you come on in and have a seat. I'm going to run out and get some take-out shortly, but I set the photo albums you wanted to see on the dining room table," she said.

"You didn't have to order us food," I said as I kicked off my running shoes. Other than a fresh coat of paint, the house looked the same. Nadia had always loved dark accent walls, and each room had one as the focal point to add a punch to your senses. The living room displayed a rust-colored wall with barnboard accents and a stunning farm landscape that my mum had done for her. I smiled as I glanced at the oil painting that made me feel warm, like a hug.

"Nonsense, it's not every day that I get to spoil my niece or meet her friends." Nadia wrapped her arm around my shoulder and ushered me into the kitchen. "Okay, out with it. Who are the hotties," she whispered, making me swallow hard. "And don't say they are just your friends because they are not looking at you with friend eyes." Her eyes were hard, but the corner of her mouth was turned up in a smile. So much for keeping it secret.

Clearing my throat and rolling out my shoulders, I prepared for the worst response. "I'm dating Myles and Blake, but Theo came along for the summer adventure. He'd never been to Canada." I wasn't going to freak her out with all the drama surrounding me and whatever it was that involved my father. She would worry, and I didn't want to do that to her.

"Two?" I held my breath, waiting to see if we were all going to get thrown out of the house. "Wow, how things have changed from my day," she said, but pulled me into another hug, shocking me. "Your mother would be so proud of you. You look beautiful and healthy and…." She stepped back and grabbed tissues to dab her eyes. I held my hand out for some as my eyes filled up with tears. I'd been doing okay, but seeing my aunt was tough, and her accepting my decisions just as my mum would've was too much. The tears leaked out, sliding down my cheeks.

"I'm sorry I only called once," I said, looking down. "It's just that…talking to you was…."

Nadia cupped my cheeks. "I know, sweetie. Don't worry about it. I needed to heal, too, and as happy as I was to get your call, seeing you and talking to you makes everything that happened seem so much more real. I still can't believe Lily is gone." She sniffed and then smiled. "Okay, no more sadness. I'm going to get the food, and I'll be back shortly. Make yourself at home." She pointed to the fresh pot of coffee. "Coffee is made, and cold drinks are in the fridge. Help yourselves."

"Thank you. It really is amazing seeing you," I said, and she grabbed my arm.

"You too, dear. I'll be back."

I watched her leave and shook my head. Weird. Wandering into the dining room, I sat down to go through the albums. I was looking for photos that I could scan to have of my mum. I had lots of her and me together but very little of all of us.

"Does your aunt have any kids," Ivy asked as she came to sit beside me while the guys turned on a baseball game.

I shook my head. "And she's never been married, as far as I know."

Flipping open the binder, I started going through the pages. Ivy pointed to a few, and I was soon lost in telling stories that seemed like yesterday and yet also a lifetime ago. I held up a picture from when we all drove to Vancouver and stayed at the beach. That was when my father wasn't acting so strange, and I thought our lives were perfectly normal and boring like all the other middle-income families.

Seeing my dad with his arm around my mum and them both smiling hurt so much more than I ever thought it would. Was it all a lie? Did he ever really love my mum? When did he fall into trouble with Lawrence? I just wished I had answers to all the questions swimming around in my head.

I scanned the photo and then opened my text messages, and sent it to him.

R: Found this photo. Thought you might like to have a copy. Are you okay? Blake said you looked stressed, and I haven't heard from you.

I waited for any sign that he was going to answer, but no little bubbles appeared. I was sure some kids wouldn't care after all that had happened. Some might even say good riddance, but I'd never been like that until now, and I was struggling. I didn't have much family and had hung on with both hands to the little I did have.

R: I guess you're busy. When you get this, can you at least let me know you're alive?

"Is this your mom?" Ivy held out a photo to me. I took it from her and stared at it.

It was definitely my mum, but she was younger, and I didn't recognize the man she was with or the buildings in the background. Flipping the photo over, I read the back. This was taken before I was born. But who was Yuliana? There was a letter I couldn't make out. The name had been smudged, and I couldn't read it. Could be an F, T, E, or maybe a C.

I flipped it over again and squinted my eyes like that would help me figure out what I was looking at.

"Where did you find this," I asked.

"It fell out from behind another photo. The album is old, and I think it just came loose. Why is something wrong?" Ivy sat up straighter.

"Hey, Snowflake, you all good over there," Myles asked. I jerked and looked at him and the other two guys, who were staring at me as if sensing my confusion.

"Yeah, I'm just stumped." Like I'd waved a red flag, they all came over, and I handed Myles the photo.

"That's definitely yer ma. But who is the guy?" I shrugged.

"I don't know. Flip over the picture."

They all stared at the names just like I'd done. "I thought yer ma's name was Lilianna?"

"It was, so who is Yuliana?"

"Does your mom have a middle name," Blake asked.

"Lilianna Yuliana Davies? Seems unlikely."

"Could it be a nickname, like a bastardized version of her real name," Theo asked, and I rubbed my lip.

"I guess it could be, but why? More specifically, why not mention it to me?"

"I just got shivers," Ivy said and rubbed at her arms. "That's just weird."

Myles held the photo down to me and covered up the Yu. "I think it's either a misspelling since it's messy, or Theo is right, and Lilianna wasn't her real name. She might not have liked her name, Snowflake. You go by yer middle name. Do ya go around tellin' everyone that?" Myles had a point.

I looked up at him. "I know what you're saying is logical and probably true, but I was her daughter. She would've told me something like that, right? Or I would've seen it on official medical records? I helped with her care and saw all the paperwork and prescription bottles."

He shook his head. "Who knows? Take the photo, and let's see if we can find any more with the mystery person. That building looks familiar. Theo?"

Theo grabbed the picture and stared so long that I didn't think he was going to answer. "I can only think of one place that building matches from memory, and it's in Moscow." He snapped a pic of the photo before handing it back. "I'll look it up when we get back to your house to be sure."

"Moscow? What would my mum be doing in Russia?"

The door opened, and my aunt's happy voice sang into the room. "I'm back. I think I got too much food," she laughed and then looked into the dining room at us, her smile falling. "What's wrong?"

"Nadia, was my mum ever in Moscow before I was born?"

She turned and set the bags on the kitchen table. "Um, I think for a business trip. An art thing. You're pulling on old memories," she said and smiled over her shoulder at me. "Why?"

I was reading too much into everything. Just because I hadn't traveled anywhere didn't mean that no one did. My mum could've traveled the world and dated fifty guys before she settled down with my dad. I slumped in the chair. For just a second, I thought I was getting closer to figuring out some answers.

"Do you know who this is," I asked, holding up the photo. Nadia walked over and took the picture from me. "Or why my mum's name is spelled wrong on the back?"

"Honestly, sweetie, I don't know. Probably someone she met on her trip, and the name is scribbled. It could've been written too fast." She handed the photo back. "I wish I could be more help."

"It's okay, thanks anyway." Myles squeezed my shoulder, and just having him touch me made me feel better.

"Well, come on and eat while it's hot. We can play cards or sit by the pool. I just had it cleaned, and it's all warmed up if you want to go for a night swim."

"That sounds great, Nadia," Blake said.

Instead of finding answers, all I ever did was find more questions, and they just kept me chasing my tail. Apparently, it was a good thing that my career aspirations didn't involve being a private detective.

MAY 20 – SATURDAY 9:44 PM

Theo

I grabbed Myles and Blake's arms as they went to walk inside Ren's home. "I need to speak with the two of you before you go to bed," I whispered.

They nodded as we stepped into the house.

"I'm really sorry. I know it is early, but I'm beat. I think I'm going to turn in early," Ren said, and Ivy yawned, proclaiming the same thing.

"I'm still wide awake. You guys want to play a few hands of poker," I asked, and Blake and Myles agreed, which gave us the excuse to stay up and talk. I waited until the door to the bedroom was closed, and I turned on the music before grabbing the cards and dealing a hand.

"What's going on," Blake asked once we were all seated together.

"I think we've been looking into the wrong family member. That's why we can't find anything on Neil Davies or Ren," I said, and both Myles and Blake's eyebrows shot up.

"Why, what did you find out," Myles asked.

"For starters, have you two not noticed something strange about the Yukon," I asked, picking up my cards and organizing them without really paying attention. They looked at one another and then shook their heads. "Okay, from this moment on, both of you need to start looking closer at everything. And I do mean everything."

"Ya need to tell us what ya know, and by the look on yer face, I'm wishing I'd brought a gun."

"Yes, I'm sure they would've let you through customs with a concealed firearm." I rolled my eyes. "Don't worry. If my hunch is right, we'll find some weapons in this house."

Blake ran his hands through his hair. "Enough with the dancing around. I know you like to draw shit out, but you're getting to my anxiety."

"The Yukon is bulletproof," I said, and their mouths dropped. "Not Neil's car, the one that a mother and daughter would be driving. Not only that, but I'm positive that the building was in Moscow, which would only be mildly strange, but Nadia was lying."

"You think she knows more than what she said?" Myles grabbed drinks from the fridge and set them down for us.

"I do. I wish Liam was here. He is a walking lie detector, but I've been around him long enough to learn a few things, and she was hiding something."

Blake looked down the hall and then stood and went to the stairs, looking up before coming back. "I think Ivy's in the bathroom. We need to tell Ren. She should know that her aunt is lying to her."

"Not yet," I said, tossing a couple of cards down and pulling two more.

"Why," Myles asked.

"Look around you. This is Ren's safe place. Even with the attack, all of her fondest memories are here and with the one person she trusted most in the world. If I'm right, and I think I am, then this is going to destroy everything she thinks she knows. Hell, what we thought we knew so far." I shook my head. "Even I'm not asshole enough to want to do that to her without facts. Right now, it's speculation."

"Alright, I'll keep it quiet," Myles said, leaning back in the kitchen chair and crossing his arms over his chest.

"Same," Blake echoed.

I leaned in closer and dropped my voice as low as I could. "I don't think there was a misspelling of her mother's name." I pulled out my phone and brought up the search I'd been doing while everyone else was swimming and handed it over. Their mouths dropped open at the same time. "Tell me that doesn't look like her mom?"

"Holy shit," Myles and Blake said together.

"Now, do you see why we should keep this quiet? We need to search this house. There has to be something here that we're missing. I always thought it was odd that a random family decided to put a panic room in their home, but some people can be paranoid, so I let it drop. This changes all the facts and turns them on their head."

Sitting back from the table, I cracked the soda can and downed half of it. I needed to talk to Nash, and I needed to do it soon.