Page 80 of Blindsided
“Open it,” Declan urges, his usual reserve cracking with anticipation.
My hands shake slightly as I flip the latch and lift the lid. Inside lies a folded piece of paper, yellowed with age but still intact. I unfold it carefully, revealing what appears to be a hand-drawn map with detailed directions.
“It’s a route,” I say, studying the paper. “To a cabin in the woods.”
Without a word, we all file out down the stairsand onto the next wild goose chase.
∞∞∞
Twenty minutes later, we were all standing on the porch of the cabin, waiting for someone to answer our knock. The door swings open to reveal an elderly woman with silver hair pulled back in a neat bun. Her face is weathered but kind, deep lines etched around eyes that widen slightly as she takes me in.
“You look just like him,” she says, her voice soft with a slight tremor. “Same eyes.”
“Are you Marie?” I ask, my heart hammering against my ribs.
She nods, stepping back to allow us entry. “I am. Please, come in.”
The cabin interior is simple but comfortable—worn furniture, handmade quilts, shelves lined with books, and small carved wooden animals. A fire crackles in the stone hearth despite the mild day outside.
“We’re looking for Ella,” I say, unable to contain myself any longer. “Is she here?”
Marie’s expression shifts, a shadow passing over her features. “No, I’m afraid she’s not. Ella left about six months ago.”
The hope that had been building inside me deflates like a punctured balloon. “Left? Where did she go?”
Marie gestures for us to sit. I sink onto a worn sofa, Kori beside me, her hand finding mine in silent support.
“With Tomas,” Marie says, settling into a rocking chair across from us. “My George passed three years ago—God rest his soul—and when Tomas finally came back, Ella decided it was time to go with him.”
“Tomas was here?” Declan asks, leaning forward intently. “After all this time?”
Marie nods, her hands folded neatly in her lap. “He visited over the years, though never for long. Always worried about being followed, he was.”
“And where did they go?” I manage to ask through the tightness in my throat. So close, yet still so far from finding my sister.
“To Canada,” Marie says. “Someplace out west, that’s all I know. Tomas said it would be safer there, away from the Russians.”
“The Russians are still looking for her?” Wren asks, concern evident in her voice.
“So Tomas believed,” Marie replies with a slight shrug. “Whether it’s true or just an old man’s paranoia, I couldn’t say.”
I struggle to process this information. Tomas is alive. Ella is with him. They’ve gone to Canada—possibly even near Toronto, where I’ve been living all this time without knowing they were there.
“Did Ella know about me?” I ask, the question burning in my chest. “Did she know she had a brother?”
Marie’s eyes soften. “Yes, dear. Tomas told her everything before they left. It was part of why they went—he wanted to find you, to bring the family together at last.”
“But why the elaborate treasure hunt?” Kat asks, frustration edging her voice. “Why not just contact Kane directly?”
“Tomas always had his ways,” Marie says with a small smile. “He left something for you, though.” She rises slowly and crosses to an old bureau, retrieving an envelope from the top drawer. “He said to give this to Declan if you came looking.”
Declan takes the envelope, surprise evident on his face. “For me? Not Kane?”
Marie nods. “Specifically, for you, he said.”
Declan stares at the envelope for a long moment before carefully breaking the seal. He unfolds the letter inside, his eyes scanning the contents. His face remains impassive, but I notice the slight tightening of his jaw.
“What does it say?” I ask, unable to contain my impatience.
