December

PREVIOUSLY…

The Special FX canister finally explodes, giving me enough cover to escape the ring of cops and the chopper. My hunters soon lock onto my position again, but my double–Ryan Spencer–comes to my rescue. We swap clothes and he acts as a decoy, fooling the cops and luring them away from me.

The Caesar shift hasn't revealed anything hidden within the Ormond Riddle, and we wonder if it only applies to the missing two lines. Somehow, we must travel to Ireland, visit the Keeper of Rare Books, and investigate further.

Anxiety is high as Boges, Winter and I talk about the DMO. Just after we realise someone's hacked my blog, repeating ‘November 11' all over the page, we're interrupted by the arrival of cops–Winter's building is surrounded!

I make a terrifying leap from one rooftop to another, and urge Winter and Boges to flee as well. On my run from Lesley Street, I stop by Ryan Spencer's apartment. It turns out his birthday is November 11–the mysterious date from my blog!

Nelson Sharkey thinks he can arrange a fake passport for my trip to Ireland. I hope that the remainder of my gold stash will cover the cost.

We need more money, so Winter decides she'll steal some from the cash-lined cigar boxes in Sligo's ‘scram bag', hidden inside his wardrobe.

The day my blog hacker warned me about has arrived. I'm too nervous to go anywhere, so I keep low in the treehouse that has become my latest refuge.

Boges and I wait outside Sligo's house as Winter attempts to steal his money, while pretending to be over for a swim.

Winter arrives back at the beach rendezvous
point with good news–she snuck out ten thousand dollars for us!

Back at the treehouse, Winter tells me more about the day of her parents' fatal car crash. She wants to move on, but believes she can only do so after she's seen the wreck and confirmed whether the crash really was an ‘accident' or whether something more sinister was involved.

On my way to meet Eric Blair, I am captured by two burly thugs who take me to see Murray ‘Toecutter' Durham. Toecutter is deathly ill, and wants to make a confession. He reveals that he was involved in the abduction of twin babies, years ago, and failed to dispose of them. After a scare with the police, the babies were separated. One was left behind–me–and later returned to the family, while the other was kept by
Toecutter
until adopted out, illegally. This baby was Samuel–my twin–now known as Ryan Spencer.

Back at the treehouse, I call Mum to tell her Samuel is alive.

At the library I find another article about the
twin baby abduction. In it, Rafe was interviewed, showing a side of his relationship with Dad I had never seen. They used to be very close.

Finally I meet Eric Blair. I realise that he is the crazy guy from New Year's Eve who warned me I had 365 days to survive! Blair says he suffered an unknown viral infection and doesn't remember the incident!

While investigating Rathbone's list of nicknames, we discover that he will be soon heading to
Dublin
. He could beat us to the Ormond Singularity!