Encore of the Avenging Muse (Sylvia and Rupert)

Sylvia bent down to pick up the piece of paper from the floor-and froze.

Chris looked over, puzzled. "What's up? Why are you just standing there?"

She held up the two slips of paper in her hand, showing him. "Take a look at this."

Chris barely glanced at them at first, but then his face went blank. "Whose numbers are these? Why does the handwriting look exactly like mine?"

The way the 9s, 6s, and 1s had those little tails-it was just how he wrote them, a habit he thought was unique.

No wonder Sylvia had felt a sense of déjà vu after getting the note from Ms. Ward. She'd seen handwriting like this before-on Chris's medical records.

Suddenly, her mind flashed back to what Ms. Ward had said about being set up with a doctor.

She looked Chris dead in the eye. "You're on a blind date? Is her last name Ward?"

Chris blinked, caught off guard. "How did you know? But I haven't even had time to meet her yet, I—"

They stared at each other, and realization dawned at the same time.

Chris's expression turned sour. "When Caleb was a kid, he got grounded after bombing a test. My dad whipped him, and ever since, he started copying my parents' signatures. Later, he got so good at forging anyone's handwriting, you couldn't tell the difference."

He grabbed his phone to call.

Sylvia stopped him, hands shaking. "You're telling me he can forge anyone's handwriting?"

he needs a little time to practice. But yeah, he's that good. Let me call

turned away, dialing

stood there, paralyzed. Memories from her past life came flooding back. The person who'd handed her

before she died, Rupert was still talking about getting custody of Stella after the divorce-like he didn't know Stella

who had signed

head began to throb. At that moment,

Ms. Ward—but the

tied up,

I say," the message read. "I'm

Sylvia instinctively glanced around

medical charts or keeping patients company, nothing looked

to Chris, just a

phone buzzed again. This time, it was a photo of Ms. Ward being slapped, her mouth

it. She turned and

was frantically dialing Caleb-five calls, five

Just then,

Xxnurse called from the

therapy room. "Is someone here for Naomi?

help coming in."

around-Sylvia was

spine. He quickly tried calling her-once, twice, both calls

keep an eye on Naomi, then