I wasn’t sure what I was expecting but I felt a tinge of disappointment in my gut at how inviting his tone sounded. Would a killer sound so normal and welcoming? Then again, it was just a recording and I’m sure a killer would know how to mask their true intentions to the outside world. I decided to leave a message, unable to contain my curiosity.

‘Hi Adam,’ I said, trying to keep any obvious nerves out of my voice. ‘My name is Liz Catalano and I’m Rodrigo Dominio’s great-granddaughter, who I believe was your uncle. I’m trying to connect with my relatives, so I would love the chance to speak with you. If you could please call me back, I would greatly appreciate it.’ I ended the message by leaving my cell phone number.

‘Damn,’ I said, disappointed that he didn’t pick up.

Knowing that Adam was alive out there caused such a tangled web of emotions. On the one hand, I was intrigued and excited to have another relative to get to know. On the other, what if he was a murderer? It would be a relief if it were him instead of Cris. Though, there was still a chance the killer was hiding somewhere in my mysterious father’s side of my family tree, so maybe I would just gain another relative. Massachusetts wasn’t too far away.

Andie pulled the car up outside Gram’s house and parked. She put a hand on my shoulder, pulling me out of my twisted train of thought, and said, ‘We can try again when we get home tonight.’ She smiled and said, ‘Now, let’s do this.’

I grimaced a little but exited the car with her. I closed the car door behind me very slowly, dragging out the moment for as long as I could. Before the truth of my history came to the surface, I would have been eagerly rushing in to see my family. Now my stomach churned with each step I took. I had been skillfully dodging calls from my parents, unsure how to talk to them since uncovering their deceit. I even tried getting out of the visit today but Andie convinced me to tag along, rightly pointing out that I’d have to face them eventually. The longer I avoided it, the harder it would become. At the same time, the nagging part of me always itching to know more wanted to confront them for more answers. I took a deep breath and picked up the pace to keep in step with Andie.