Page 22 of One Last Step

They hang their heads.“Okay,” Sophie says reluctantly.“Can we have the journal back, please?”

“No.You took this without asking.I assume your grandmother doesn’t know you have it?”

Color comes to her cheeks, answer enough for me.“I’ll take it with me and return it to her in the morning.I know it’s frustrating, but you must ask permission before taking things that don’t belong to you.”

Sophie rolls her eyes.“Fine.I’ll ask Grandma tomorrow.I didn’t mean to do anything wrong.”

“That’s all right.But come on.It’s time to go upstairs.”

I take the children upstairs and leave them whispering and giggling to each other in Sophie’s room.I take the journal with me to my room.Iwillreturn it to Elena tomorrow, but first, I intend to read it from cover to cover.

The handwriting in the journal is that of my long-lost sister, Annie.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

My hands tremble so badly as I open the journal that I have to set it on the table to read it.I have come across remnants of Annie’s past before, but this is the first time I’ve come across anything that contains her own thoughts.

This is my sister.This is her.This is who she was after she left me and started a new life that eventually led her here to the city where I now am.

How did Elena obtain this journal?How does she have one of Annie’s diaries?Did they know each other?

I realize that I’m staring at the page without reading it.I take a deep breath and force myself to read the first entry.

March 5th,

Today brought me even more reasons to love Geneva.I have to admit that I was a little upset that Carl wanted to live in another city after I’ve spent my entire life living in cities, but I am completely over that now.He understands my need for adventure very well, and this city has plenty of it.

There are so many places to explore!I could spend all day just walking around Old Town.

And that’s exactly what I did.I walked around Old Town.It felt like I was brought back in time to the Renaissance!The buildings here are so beautiful, and they have actual cobblestone streets!I can’t believe it!

The coolest thing I've found so far, though, was a museum full of clocks.Like, alotof clocks.Big clocks, little clocks, old clocks, new clocks, cuckoo clocks, grandfather clocks, watches, these weird-looking electric clocks from the 1910s with exposed gears so you can see how they work… It's crazy.I didn't know people cared so much about clocks, but I ended up spending three hours looking around.I think I'll go back.I heard that spies used to send messages in the compartments of antique clocks..Maybe if I can get a chance when no one’s looking, I’ll see if I can open some of them.I know it’s snooping, but whatever.It’s not like I’m going to keep anything.I mean,probablynot.

Yeah, I know.I guess I’m still a little childish sometimes.Good thing I have Carl to balance me out.

Anyway, good night.Ttyl.

Laura.

I release a sigh of relief so powerful it comes out as a groan.Not Annie.Some woman named Laura.Judging by the writing style and, of course, the handwriting itself, she was very similar to my sister in temperament, but it wasn’t my sister.

When the first wave of relief finishes washing over me, I frown.Why am I relieved?This could have contained all of the answers I needed.It could have told me what happened to my sister.Why am I running from these answers once more?

I close the journal and begin pacing, my arms crossed over my chest.This is a problem with me that Sean has pointed out as well.I claim to want answers to Annie’s disappearance, and I do, but each time I have a chance to obtain one, I feel this odd reluctance.At first, it was only a momentary hesitation, but now it’s a powerful anxiety that leaves me nearly prostrate as it does tonight.

It’s those letters.Those damned letters.I’m afraid of learning about how cruel I was to her.That’s what it really is.I’m afraid that I’ll find the answers I seek and learn that most of them were, “Mary was a bitch, so I got away from her.”

Saying it out loud seems utterly foolish, but realizing that hasn't done nearly as much to help me as it ought.I sigh and force myself to change for bed again.Enough for tonight.In the morning, I'll return the journal to Elena, then have a serious conversation with myself about whether I should just finish the search for Annie at all costs or forget entirely about it.No more of this will I or won't I nonsense.

I lie down in bed, take a deep breath, and close my eyes.

And, of course, that's when the clocks go off again.

My eyes open, and I glance at my phone.Midnight.Whatever Francois did to repair the instruments, it wasn’t enough.Sleep is a luxury I won’t find here, it seems.

What could be causing them to go off like this?Could the thief have damaged them looking for some hidden wartime message?

I sigh and force my eyes closed.I won’t go down to investigate again.The mention of hidden compartments in Laura’s journal corroborating Sophie’s story of messages passed by spies during the Second World War intrigues me, but I’m exhausted physically and mentally, and anyway, Elena already thinks I’m a thief.No need to get myself caught red-handed digging through old clocks and cement that suspicion in her mind.

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