“So…” Bailey cleared her throat. “What do you think happened? Do you have a theory?”
“We think whoever killed your mother took you.”
“And you think they left her in the Mortons’ yard?” Ryan asked, finally putting the pieces together.
Sharpe nodded. “That’s what it looks like. Bailey was found in the Mortons’ yard eight days after your mother was killed.”
“Where is he, my biological father? Does he know?” Bailey asked, her voice finally coming to its full volume. “Of course he knows. His son-in-law tried to have me killed. I imagine he knows a lot more than I do.”
Sharpe waited a moment to allow Bailey time to calm herself. She didn’t need the moment, though. She needed answers, and he must have seen that in her expression.
“He’s not far, believe it or not. He lives in Sacramento,” Sharpe said.
Bailey turned to look at Ryan, and at the same time, he turned to her. “Sacramento. He was that close?” She looked back at Sharpe. “Why didn’t he find me?”
“We’re pretty sure he never came looking in Appleton, Wisconsin,” Sharpe said.
“It seems the police suspected family involvement, so they didn’t push for national media coverage. Your father submitted his DNA the day he found out about the database, about five years ago. He’s been waiting ever since for a match.”
Bailey stopped breathing, fighting to keep from crying, but she was losing the battle. Ryan lifted her hand and held it to his chest, rubbing her arm, and, at the same time, Lucas rested a hand on her shoulder. It helped her focus. When she inhaled, then exhaled slowly, she felt more in control.
“What—” She stopped when her chin quivered. “What’s my name?”
“Marianne Alexis Spatz,” Sharpe said quietly. “Your father is Alexander Spatz.”
Bailey’s breathing hitched again, and her hand began to jitter once more.
Ryan squeezed it and looked from her to Sharpe. “Can she have a moment?”
Sharpe raised his eyebrows and nodded. “Of course.”
Lucas stood and said, “We’ll step outside for a while.” They both slowly wandered out the door and toward the beach.
* * *
Bailey slowly stood, and Ryan saw she was still in a lot of pain. “Talk to me, Bailey,” Ryan said, standing with her.
“I’m speechless. What can I say? Everything in my life is a lie. I went to bed in a world I knew, but woke up in a world where…where the color blue is no longer blue and where mothers…” She violently shook her head and went straight-faced. “No, I’m not doing this.” She closed her eyes and inhaled again. “Oh, my God, I…” She covered her eyes with both hands. “I just don’t know what to say, Ryan,” her voice squeaked out unusually high. “Tell me what to do.”
“You’re going to take one breath at a time.” He rubbed a hand up and down her back. “Then we’ll figure the rest out slowly. It doesn’t have to be today.”
She nodded and planted her hands on her hips. “No. No, I’m not ready for this. My God, Ryan.” She covered her face again and eased back down on the loveseat. “I was sleeping with my sister’s husband.”
“You couldn’t have known. Nobody, and I mean nobody, had any idea Dex was married. Of all the things I thought he was, I never suspected he was married.”
She pulled her hands from her face and rubbed them on her pants. “How did he find out who I was?”
“I have no idea.” Ryan sat down next to her. “He must’ve known his wife had a missing sister. He probably just figured it out after you started seeing each other.”
“How can I have a relationship with these people now? How am I going to have a relationship with…my…s-sister?” She stuttered the word as if it hurt to say.
“One day at a time, Bailey.” It hurt him to his bones to see her struggle with this. Bailey had always wanted siblings. She had always wanted a sister and a large family, but she only had him.
“You’re right.” She nodded. “I just need time. I need to recover and have a little time to process everything. Maybe then I can meet them.”
Ryan stood and walked to the screen door. He poked his head out and said, “Agent Sharpe.”
Sharpe and Lucas both turned back toward the house.
“Agent Sharpe,” Bailey said. “Thank you for coming here and being so patient.”
“Of course.” He sat down across from her. “The next step would be to set up a meeting between you and your family.”
“We’re going to need a little time,” Ryan said. “Bailey wants to have a little time to recover from her injuries before she meets them.”
“Okay. That’s okay. We can put it off for a while.” He met Bailey’s eyes and said, “You know, you don’t have to meet them. Normally, an interview comes first, and you’d have time to decide if you wanted to be reunited with them. Of course, things are happening a little differently because of the circumstances.”
Bailey laughed, but there was no trace of humor in it. “Because the entire world knew about my family before I did. The entire world heard my story before I did.”
“Bailey,” Ryan said. “We had to. It was necessary for the FBI to share some information with the press to help us find you.”
“I know. I understand.” The smile dropped from her face. “I’m sorry, Agent Sharpe. I would like to meet
