Your sister.

Bobby felt the air get sucked from his ears, which started to ring. He felt his balance let go, and Tara righted him before he fell. She was just as stunned, however.

"My sister?" he asked.

"His sister?" Tara said at the same time.

"Well, it turns out that your mother had given her up for adoption a long time ago," Munroe explained. "They just recently made contact. They were supposed to meet today for the first time."

"Oh, that poor woman," Tara said sadly.

"So...so...wait a minute," Bobby spluttered. "I don't have a sister."

"Half sister if you want to be technical," Munroe corrected.

"I...I don't...this isn't happening," Bobby said, gripping his head. The woman was still crying. She hadn't noticed Bobby yet.

"I know it's a shock. I've already contacted the adoption agency and the private detective she hired to find your mother. It checks out so far, mate. I'm sorry."

"I don't believe this," Bobby muttered. His mother had given up a baby?!

"She's five years older than you," Munroe said as though reading his mind. The woman wiped her face now and got out of the car. She spotted Munroe and charged over.

"Are you working on this case?" she demanded of them when she got there. She looked Bobby up and down.

"Ma'am, this here is Bobby Manning," Munroe said, letting it sink in.

"You're my brother," she whispered.

"I guess I am," Bobby agreed.

"I'm Ginelle," she said, holding out her hand. "Ginny for short. I...I really hate that we are meeting this way."

"Me too," Bobby responded, shaking her hand.

"I hadn't met her yet," Ginny went on. "We wrote some letters and had a phone call, but this was our first face to face meeting. I can't believe I will never see her." She started to cry again. Bobby stood there awkwardly, not knowing what to do. Tara jumped in then.

"I'm Tara, Bobby's friend," she said. She put her arm around Ginny. "I'm so sorry this happened."

"It's just not fair," Ginny sobbed.

"Excuse me," Bobby said, stepping away from them and going over to where Munroe had gone.

"She's not taking it well I see," Munroe noted.

"What the hell is happening here?" Bobby demanded. "Where did she come from? This isn't true. There's no way it's true!"

"Bobby, it's true," Munroe told him. "Here. This is the number for the adoption agency. You can go check out the file. She's your half sister, Bobby. I'm sorry you found out this way."

"Ma never said anything," Bobby said.

"I'm sorry," Munroe responded. "Look, I gotta keep working. We'll meet up later, okay?"

"All right."

Bobby looked back at Ginny and Tara, who were hugging now. He had a sister. His world felt completely tossed upside down.

Later

Bobby sat on the porch while Tara fixed them coffee. Ginny was pacing the yard on her phone. Bobby could hear her crying to the person on the other end about how her biological mother was dead.

"She's definitely fragile," Tara said, returning with a mug. Bobby took it from her. Tara stood and leaned against the house, watching Ginny.

"Are we sure she's my mother's blood? I've never seen my mother cry, not like that," Bobby said.

"She grew up in a different environment," Tara said softly. "She wasn't exposed to your mother."

"This all feels so surreal," Bobby went on.

"I know."

"I'm sorry," Ginny said, coming over to them after she hung up. "I'm just...I can't believe this." She sat in the chair beside Bobby, who flinched.

"Me either," he muttered.

"When is the funeral?" she asked. "I...I'd like to be there."

"Once the coroner is finished we can arrange it," Bobby answered.

"Why were they searching the house? How did they die?" Ginny asked, confused.

"They were murdered," Bobby told her, not looking at her.

"Oh my God!" Ginny shrieked. "What?!"

"It's true. I'm so sorry," Tara said. Ginny wailed, making Bobby want to cover his ears.

"But...but...w-w-who?" Ginny spluttered. "W-w-why?!"

"We don't know."

"You're on the c-c-case, though, right?" she asked, looking at them both.

"I am. Tara will be tomorrow," Bobby answered.

"This is h-h-horrible. This is terrible. Oh my God," Ginny whimpered, burying her face into her hands.

"Why don't we go inside," Tara suggested, holding her hand out to Ginny, who took it. Bobby felt annoyed at his newfound half sister then. Couldn't she buck up for five minutes? Yes, it was horrible, but being hysterical wasn't going to bring them back. He got up then and walked off the porch and into the yard. Buster came out from under the porch and followed. Bobby didn't know where he was going, but he knew he just needed to walk.

"Well, Ma," he said to the air as he walked. "Thanks for the surprise sibling. Why didn't you tell me?" As he expected, he got no response. He felt torn up inside. He had spoken to the adoption agency and the private detective like Munroe had suggested, and they confirmed that Ginny was indeed his sister. All this time his mother had kept this secret from him. He felt bad that she felt she couldn't tell him. He even felt a little bad for Ginny for missing the chance to meet her before she died. He stopped at the field gate and watched the sun set. The goats were running around and playing, bleating every so often. Bobby had no idea what to do with the place. He very much doubted that Ginny would want to run a farm, and he lived in the States. It broke his heart to think about it getting sold. Buster came up to him with a stick then, and Bobby was grateful for the distraction. He threw it over and over, knowing that he'd have to deal with everything eventually, but for now, he was simply a man who was playing with his dog.

The Next Day

Bobby hadn't liked the sound of Munroe's voice when he'd called and asked him to come in that morning. Bobby left Tara and Ginny eating breakfast. Buster was waiting hopefully for crumbs. As he drove, Bobby wondered what new information they had found. He was tired of surprises.

"Thanks for coming in," Munroe said once Bobby saw him. He sat down across from Munroe.

"What did you find?"

"When's the last time you spoke to Mac?"

"Mac? Uh, it's been a month at least."

"Were you aware that he was here?"

"What?" Bobby asked, incredulous.

"Mmhmm. We found his prints in your parents' house. Bobby, there's a gun missing from your step father's rack."

"Are you implying Mac did this?" Bobby asked, feeling cold suddenly. He knew Mac had never liked his step father, Dean, but Bobby didn't think his biological father was a killer, just a hustler.

"It's our strongest lead right now. He's missing, and the gun is missing. He was at the house. A bystander described him as being by the restaurant the night they were killed. I have to check it out."

"I'll help."

"I don't think..."

"I know where he hides," Bobby cut him off. "He hid all the time when I was a kid until he finally left and never came back. I'll smoke him out."

"He might already have left the country."

"No. He's here," Bobby said, standing up. "I'm pretty certain I know where to find him." He left before Munroe could say anything else. He fumed as he marched to his truck. If he found out that Mac had really killed them, Bobby wasn't really sure just what he'd do to Mac.

And the plot thickens...

Thanks for reading! :)