Three days later, Daniel returned to the restaurant and asked for Emily. The girls brought drawings—blue houses, gardens, a woman in red, and a hummingbird. Emily noticed the familiar gesture again: arms crossed over the chest. She mirrored it. Sofia smiled, just slightly.
They ordered hibiscus tea. Lily pointed and said, “Hibiscus.”
From the bar, Claire watched. Mark Reynolds, the manager, warned Emily to be careful. Soon strange things began happening. A tray vanished and reappeared in Emily’s locker. Money went missing. Mark hinted at suspicion.
Then Emily found an envelope in her locker—fake clippings accusing her of manipulating wealthy orphans.
She realized she was being framed.
The girls kept drawing hummingbirds, now with something shiny in their beaks. Daniel remembered a silver bracelet Rachel had worn, with a hummingbird charm. It had gone missing at the hospital.
Emily followed the clue to the clinic. On the wall hung a photo of Rachel wearing the bracelet—and a red ribbon taped to the frame. Behind it, Emily found a broken music box.
When she replaced the batteries, it played You Are My Sunshine.
