Page 25 of Criminology of a Character

“The easiest way to become someone new is by assuming a dead person’s identity,” Olivia said. “Social security and digital histories are already populated, so you become someone real. What if the Anne Blaubart you met is running from something? She needed to disappear, and along came carefree and wild Anne Chambers. If Chambers was the type to get drunk and accept dares that left her scarred, her daredevil nature probably escalated as the years passed. Maybe she attempted something stupid on a dare, and instead of receiving an oddly shaped scar, she died. Perhaps the person who currently holds the title of Mrs. Blaubart witnessed Chambers die, and recognizing her escape from whatever horrors she was running from, she stole Anne’s life.”

“If they’re two different women, the second Anne must have looked similar to Chambers,” Bel said. “Enough to pull off the con, but not enough to fool Kelsey and their friends. That would explain why she went off the grid until after the surgeries. Chambers had no living family. It would’ve been easy to assume her life if the girl on the run had similar features.”

“True, but someone somewhere would’ve eventually noticed the change,” Olivia said. “That’s why she traveled to the island, and with Dr. Blaubart as her husband now, she has access to free procedures. How much of his wife has he changed to hide her from the law without even realizing it?”

“It makes a pretty plot, I’ll give you that,” Bel said. “But it’s kind of far-fetched. Sounds like the opening chapters of a thriller.”

“Is it really that far-fetched, though? To be honest, it’s more reasonable than a man murdering girls before kidnapping youall to make you love him. It’s also more believable than a driver building death traps intended for children on the family’s property without being noticed.”

“Okay, okay, point taken.” Bel rolled her eyes good-naturedly. “You’re right. Stealing identities is far more ordinary than the cases we’ve seen. She had no file at the clinic, though. If there had been, Barry would’ve notified me, but perhaps the island only kept records of criminals dangerous enough to destroy the operation.” She stood with a groan, her voice so aggravated that it echoed throughout the small cabin.

“What’s wrong?”

“As ridiculous as this evidence-less theory is, it makes the most sense to me, and that pisses me off,” she answered. “I don’t want to see crime and conspiracies everywhere I go. I wanted that butterfly to be trash. It still might be, but there’s something off about Anne. People rarely chew that brand of gum. It isn’t popular. And I’ve never seen anyone fold that flavor’s wrapper into that specific origami shape before, but on that island, I saw it twice in two weeks. What are the odds?”

“You said it yourself. We don’t have proof,” Olivia said. “Unless the FBI’s raid uncovers evidence that supports our theory, this is merely us letting our imaginations run wild. It still might be a case of floating trash.”

“Except we both know that it’s not.” Bel plopped back down on the couch. “Coincidences rarely happen by accident. Even if your theory isn’t correct, Anne was there. She knew about that operation. She might not be evil like Gianni or Kinley, but she knew the island’s secrets, and she kept silent.”

“But you didn’t.” Olivia reached across Cerberus and grasped her partner’s hand. “You never rest until you set things right. I realize we’ll probably never resolve this Anne issue… if there’s even an issue, but you should feel justified knowing you recognized something everyone else threw away?”

“I do feel less crazy for obsessing over a gum wrapper,” Bel chuckled. “But it’s bothering me for a new reason now. If Anne Chambers and Anne Blaubart are two different women, what happened to Chambers? And did Blaubart kill her to take over her life?”

The days leadingup to Thanksgiving were slow and uneventful, giving Bel and Olivia too many hours to dig fruitlessly into Anne Blaubart’s past. Every acquaintance they spoke to gave the detectives yet another version of Kelsey’s tale. Anne had been vibrant and carefree, even after her parent’s death, but she cut all ties with her former life when she graduated college and eventually married the surgeon. Nothing in her past warranted suspicion, and by the time Bel left the station Thanksgiving afternoon, she resolved to put the whole obsession behind her. The nagging in her gut would have to fester unsatisfied. Anne had been in that facility, but without evidence, this mystery was one Bel couldn’t solve.

Olivia had flown south to visit her family for the holiday, so Bel worked the early shift, the newer officers drawing the short straws for the night. Eamon and Cerberus were already waiting in the parking lot for her as she strode out into the crisp air, and together, the trio drove through the traffic to her father’s house. It was dark by the time they reached Reese’s home, but her father promised that Thanksgiving wouldn’t begin until all his daughters were under his roof.

“Looks like Wendy and the boys are already here,” Eamon said as they parked on the car-studded street. Bel became friends with Wendy Darling after she and Eamon rescued herbrothers from their kidnapper, and she’d invited the siblings to dinner since they had no living family.

“I hope they aren’t overwhelmed without us,” she said, helping Cerberus out of the backseat as Eamon grabbed their bags.

“Your dad will make them feel welcomed,” he said.

“My sisters too,” she added. “You, though? Not so much.”

“How do you mean?” Eamon paused on the front walkway.

“You met my dad by accident before we started dating. He never got the chance to do the former chief-of-police father bit with you, but I have five older sisters. I’m the baby of the family, and you’re the first serious date I’ve brought home. You’re about to walk into an interrogation.”

“I am not afraid of their questions,” he chuckled.

“You should be,” Bel said. “Where do you think I learned my interrogation skills? They’re ruthless. They’ll eat you alive.” She grinned as she lifted her knuckles to the front door. “Are you ready?”

“She’s here!”A feminine voice shouted as the front door flew open, and Bel’s oldest sister Briar lunged for her. Bel grunted as the woman wrapped her in a suffocating hug, and within seconds, the hallway boomed with rushing footsteps.

“Come in, come in!” Briar yanked Bel into the house as the rest of her sisters descended upon them. For minutes, it was a flurry of arms and shrieks and laughs and barks as the siblings reunited until a masculine voice broke through the chaos.

“Let your poor sister take her coat off.” Reese squeezed through his girls to pull Bel into a hug. “How are you, sweetheart? Was the traffic bad?”

“A little, but I wasn’t driving, so what do I care?” Bel laughed.

“Eamon, so glad you could join us.” Her father released her and extended a hand to the towering man hovering in the doorway.

“Thank you for having me,” Eamon answered, and Bel’s sisters fell deathly quiet as his voice dragged over their skin. He had a way of hiding in the shadows, of remaining unseen when he wished to be invisible. He’d held back to allow Bel to greet her family, but there was no hiding his presence now.

“Guys, this is Eamon,” Bel said, unhooking Cerberus’ leash. The dog bolted straight for the sounds of kids playing, and she smirked at his excitement as she hung her coat on the hanger. “And these are my sisters. From oldest to youngest, this is Briar, Odette, Rose, Luna, and Giselle.”

“Briar, Odette, Rose, Luna, Giselle, and Isobel,” Eamon repeated, looking down at Bel with softness in his black eyes as he spoke hers. “Lovely names for lovely women.”

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