The Inheritance Games, #2
The Hawthorne Legacy
by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Contents
CHAPTER 70
Overview
Avery connects Toby's apology to Hannah's sister with Kaylie Rooney, the girl killed in the Hawthorne Island fire, and realizes Kaylie may have been Hannah's sister. An online search reveals a photo of Kaylie's mother, whom Avery and Max recognize as likely Avery's grandmother.
The discovery deepens Avery's suspected family tie to the Hawthorne tragedy and suggests Hannah may have cared for the man she believed caused her sister's death. Avery becomes determined to obtain Tobias Hawthorne's hidden police report and investigative files at once.
Summary
Avery fixates on Toby's apology to Hannah about Hannah's sister and connects it to another postcard mentioning Kaylie Rooney, the girl who died in the Hawthorne Island fire. Because Toby said Hannah hated him after nursing him back to health, Avery concludes Hannah may have known Toby was responsible for Kaylie's death.
Avery searches online for Kaylie Rooney again, using new terms tied to family. She finds an interview with Kaylie's mother, who accused the rich people involved of killing her daughter. The article includes a photo, and Avery realizes the woman may be Avery's grandmother.
Max enters, joking that she is armed only with sarcasm, and looks at the photo. Max immediately confirms the resemblance, saying the woman looks like Avery's mother, which makes Avery's suspicion feel more real.
Max questions why no one has already connected Avery's mother to Kaylie Rooney's family, especially given the public search for a link between Avery and the Hawthornes. Avery cannot explain the silence from Rockaway Watch or from people who knew Hannah, but the discovery strengthens her determination to see Tobias Hawthorne's safe-deposit box contents immediately.
Who Appears
- Avery GrambsPieces together Hannah's possible connection to Kaylie Rooney and demands the hidden police report.
- MaxEnters Avery's room, confirms the family resemblance, and questions why no one noticed earlier.
- LibbyPrompts Avery to clarify her reasoning about Toby, Hannah, and Kaylie's death.
- OrenPresent as Avery's security while Max enters the room.
- Kaylie RooneyDead girl from the Hawthorne Island fire, possibly Hannah's sister and Avery's aunt.
- Hannah RooneyAvery's mother, newly linked to Kaylie's family and Toby's post-fire recovery.
- Toby HawthorneAbsent but central; his postcards suggest guilt over Hannah's sister's death.