See Jane Run

Chapter Five

FIVE

Nerves like steel bands wound around Riley’s heart. She tried to swallow but found her mouth was dry. She looked into JD’s eyes and thought about their detention week. He was funny; he was nice—he was smart. She licked her lips.

“I really don’t know who Jane is. I came here trying to find out.” To her surprise, JD didn’t laugh. “OK. So if you don’t know who she is, where did you get the name?”

The birth certificate was burning in Riley’s pocket. She took a deep breath and slid the paper across the table. She scrutinized JD as he opened the folded paper, his hazel eyes scanning it, then meeting hers.

“This is a birth certificate.” Riley nodded. “I know.”

“For Jane. But you don’t know who she is.”

“No.”

“She must be someone pretty important if you’re willing to hop a train and come all the way out here for her.”

Riley swallowed. “You hopped a train and came all the way out here.”

The waitress broke in, sliding an enormous pizza in between them. She turned away and JD already had a giant bite of pizza in his mouth. He swallowed. “So you have no idea who Jane Elizabeth O’Leary is?”

Riley pulled a slice of pizza onto her plate but couldn’t bring herself to eat. “I’ve been trying to figure that out, but I keep coming up empty.”

Recognition flashed across JD’s face. “The hospital, the hall of records.”

“I couldn’t find anything.” She picked at an ancient glob of cheese stuck to the Formica table. “So, I—I’m beginning to think that Jane Elizabeth O’Leary is me. I’m her.”

She waited for JD to drop his pizza or reel in stunned silence. She waited for him to grab his phone and dial 9-1-1.

Instead, he took another huge bite and asked, “So you’re adopted?”

Riley’s mind was blazing. “No,” she said quickly. “No, I wasn’t adopted. That’s not even my birth date.”

“So then you’re not Jane.”

Riley was getting exasperated. “I think I was Jane.”

“So your parents changed your name and your birth date? That’s weird. Why would they do that?”

“Exactly. Why would they?” She looked around, suddenly feeling very exposed. She dropped her voice to a hoarse whisper. “I think I may have been kidnapped.”

JD stopped chewing and put his slice on his plate. “Why do you think that?”