Chapter 2 - The Woman Holding the Other Red Shoe

Vincent opened the kitchen door.

A woman stood beside the long marble counter.

Thirty-three.

Dark hair.

Same eyes.

Same mouth.

Same small line between the eyebrows when nervous.

She was holding a red leather shoe.

The matching one.

Vincent stopped.

So did she.

Edward stood behind him.

Cassandra beside me.

Nobody spoke.

Then the woman whispered:

“Vincent?”

His face changed.

“You know my name.”

She nodded.

“I have known it my whole life.”

Vincent looked at the shoe.

Then at her.

“Victoria.”

Her eyes filled.

“Yes.”

He laughed once.

No humor.

“My twin sister.”

“Yes.”

Vincent stepped closer.

“You knew about me?”

“Since I was twelve.”

He froze.

“Twelve?”

Victoria looked toward Cassandra.

Then down.

“The Bells told me I was adopted when I was twelve.”

“Did they tell you who I was?”

“No.”

“When did you find out?”

“Seven months ago.”

Vincent looked at Cassandra.

She lowered her eyes.

Victoria continued:

“I took a DNA test.”

“And?”

“It matched a Marino relative.”

Edward nodded.

“Me.”

Vincent turned.

“You?”

Edward looked ashamed.

“I helped.”

Vincent stared.

“You knew she was alive.”

“Yes.”

“For thirty-three years.”

“Yes.”

“And never told me.”

Edward’s eyes filled.

“I was ordered not to.”

Vincent’s jaw tightened.

“By my father?”

“At first.”

“And later?”

Edward looked toward the ballroom.

“By Cassandra’s father.”

Vincent’s expression changed.

Cassandra whispered:

“My father died eight years ago.”

Edward nodded.

“The order did not.”

Victoria looked at Vincent.

“I wanted to meet you as soon as I knew.”

“Why didn’t you?”

She touched the matching shoe.

“Because I was told you would think I was after money.”

Vincent stared.

“Who told you that?”

Victoria did not answer.

Cassandra did.

“My mother.”

Silence.

Vincent turned toward the ballroom.

Then back to Victoria.

“What else were you told?”

Victoria swallowed.

“That your father abandoned both of us.”

Vincent looked at Edward.

“You said he came back for her.”

Edward nodded.

“He did.”

Victoria stared.

“What?”

Edward opened the cardboard box.

There was another envelope inside.

A photograph.

Vincent’s father.

Younger.

Standing outside a private airfield.

Holding a second cardboard box.

On the back:

VICTORIA’S THINGS.

Victoria’s hand shook.

“He came for me.”

“Yes.”

Edward’s voice softened.

“He had both shoes.”

Vincent looked at the one in his hand.

“Then how did the Bells keep one?”

Edward looked at Cassandra’s mother through the open doorway.

“They took it from the box.”

Vincent’s face hardened.

“Why?”

Edward did not answer.

Victoria did.

“Because they wanted me to believe I belonged only to them.”

Silence.

Cassandra whispered:

“Victoria.”

She looked at her goddaughter.

“Your mother loved me.”

“I know.”

“She raised me.”

“I know.”

“That does not make everything she did right.”

Cassandra cried.

“I know.”

Vincent looked at Victoria.

“Why come tonight?”

“Because Cassandra called me.”

He glanced at his fiancée.

Cassandra nodded.

“I told her Edward had returned.”

Victoria continued:

“And because I found something.”

She opened her purse.

A folded piece of paper.

Airfield passenger manifest.

Date:

The night their father disappeared.

Passenger:

ANTHONY MARINO.

Destination:

Montreal.

Vincent frowned.

“Canada.”

“Yes.”

Edward looked stunned.

“I was told the plane went to Boston.”

Vincent looked at him.

“Who told you?”

“Cassandra’s father.”

Victoria handed Vincent a second page.

One more passenger listed.

Not a child.

Not a Bell.

A woman.

LUCIA MARINO.

Vincent froze.

“My mother.”

Edward whispered:

“No.”

Vincent’s mother supposedly stayed behind.

Died the following year.

Victoria said:

“She was on the plane.”

Vincent stared at the manifest.

“No.”

Cassandra looked at her mother in the ballroom.

Vincent asked:

“Then who died the next year?”

Nobody answered.

Victoria looked at Edward.

Edward looked sick.

“I drove Lucia home the morning after the flight.”

Vincent frowned.

“What?”

“She was here.”

“But this says she left.”

Edward took the manifest.

Studied it.

Then his face changed.

“This is not your mother.”

Vincent stared.

“It says Lucia Marino.”

Edward shook his head.

“Your mother’s middle name was Elise.”

“So?”

“Her passport name was Lucia Elise Marino.”

He pointed at the manifest.

“This passenger used Lucia Marie Marino.”

Victoria went still.

“That was our aunt.”

Vincent stared.

“What aunt?”

Edward closed his eyes.

Another secret.

Another missing woman.

He whispered:

“Your father had a sister.”

Vincent laughed bitterly.

“Apparently everyone did except me.”

Edward looked at the manifest again.

“Lucia Marie was Anthony’s younger sister.”

“Why use my mother’s name?”

“To hide who was traveling.”

Vincent looked at Victoria.

“Why would my aunt leave with my father?”

Edward’s face went pale.

“Because she knew where Cassandra’s father had hidden the original adoption papers.”

Victoria stared.

“What adoption papers?”

Edward looked at both twins.

“The ones proving the Bells were never supposed to keep you.”

And for the first time, Victoria looked afraid.

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