Page 47 of The Escape Plan

The expression on his face is so intense, I don’t bother to question him. Instead, I slip off the piece of jewelry and hand it over.

Beckett holds the ring up to examine it and immediately stills.

A few moments pass where he remains unnaturally silent, spine ramrod straight and expression frozen. I bite my lip as I watch him.

“I assume the writing inside is Irish?” I ask when I can’t take the suspense anymore. “I don’t know what it means.”

My voice seems to snap him out of his reverie. He looks me dead in the eye. “I do.”

Chapter Seventeen

Beckett

Callan

Becks, let us know what you find out today.

Aoife

Aye, call us after. I still can’t believe Gran had this whole scandalous past none of us knew about.

Becks

We don’t know anything yet for sure. I just found a ring like hers, it could mean anything. She could have given them to all of her friends here.

Aoife

Nah, that’s not it. There’s a scandalous story here, I’m sure of it. Gran was a dark horse, and she had to have some sordid secrets up her sleeve.

Mam

Your Gran was not in any way sordid or scandalous. She was an upstanding member of the community.

Niamh

She for sure had a wild side. Remember Ronan McGinty’s wedding?

Eoin

Was that the night she drank too much Baileys and got Father Houlihan on the dance floor to do a jig with her?

Aoife

Oh, I remember that… Father Houlihan threw his back out, didn’t he?

Callan

Fair play to him, though—the old man’s got moves. And Gran was totally oblivious coz she was trying to get everyone up to do Rock the Boat.

Mam

Hush, now! Your grandmother will be turning over in her grave with all this chat!

Eoin

Ach you gotta admit though, Mam, that was a fierce good night.

Mam

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