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Back Strangers She Knows Save as PDF
Chapters (61)
  1. Cover
  2. Back Cover Text
  3. Praise
  4. Booklist
  5. Dedication
  6. 1
  7. 2
  8. 3
  9. 4
  10. 5
  11. 6
  12. 7
  13. 8
  14. 9
  15. 10
  16. 11
  17. 12
  18. 13
  19. 14
  20. 15
  21. 16
  22. 17
  23. 18
  24. 19
  25. 20
  26. 21
  27. 22
  28. 23
  29. 24
  30. 25
  31. 26
  32. 27
  33. 28
  34. 29
  35. 30
  36. 31
  37. 32
  38. 33
  39. 34
  40. 35
  41. 36
  42. 37
  43. 38
  44. 39
  45. 40
  46. 41
  47. 42
  48. 43
  49. 44
  50. 45
  51. 46
  52. 47
  53. 48
  54. 49
  55. 50
  56. 51
  57. 52
  58. 53
  59. 54
  60. BPA
  61. Author Bio

That broke Rae’s heart, and Rae knew that Ruby, while putting on a brave face, was hurt, too. She hugged Ruby and looked into her eyes. “I’m sorry about your baby.”

“Thank you, darling girl.” Ruby pushed Rae’s bangs out of her eyes. “When you read about Patrick and Father and how I lost Aileen…it brought it all back. That’s good, to remember what the events of my life have been, the pains and the joys.” She looked up at Kellen, and her lips trembled as she smiled. “I look at you girls and think that Aileen would have grown up as brave and strong as you.”

“So none of it was true? The stuff my mom said? About you being a spy, and Patrick coming for you, and getting married on the ship, and the twins…?” Rae knew Kellen had made it up, but she clung to the happy ending she had demanded for Ruby.

“I’m afraid none of it is true.” Ruby allowed herself a dramatic pause. “Except for the part about being a spy.”

53

You know, it was funny. Afterward I thought Ruby’s words were like a hair dryer dropped into a full-of-water bathtub. We all jerked as if we’d been electrified.

The questions started, and everyone was asking.

“You were a spy?”

“You went to Japan?”

“You spied for the US?”

Ruby relaxed against her pillows and beamed at the fervor she’d caused, and for one moment, I caught a glimpse of the determined young woman she had been. “Yes. Yes. And yes. If you’ll recall, General Tempe did ask if I spoke Japanese.”

“He had a job for you.” Rae spread her arms wide. “Tell us everything.”

“If I told you, I’d have to kill you.”

Rae collapsed on the bed in despair.

Ruby laughed aloud and patted Rae’s ankle. “The information has been declassified, and I have a journal that I wrote about my adventures. When I’ve passed, the journal will be yours.”

That was all we could get out of her, and by that time, she was worn out.

We left her to rest, stayed overnight and returned to the attic the next day. Ruby filled in some of the gaps.

After Ruby’s father died and she had returned from her search for Patrick, she realized she couldn’t care for the house and the island, and she needed to sell them. But she’d been confined to her attic for so long, she wouldn’t, or couldn’t, leave. She found a buyer in Elia Di Luca and worked out an agreement that she could remain on the island in her attic for as long as she lived. “Of course,” she said with a smile, “I don’t think he believed I would live so long.”