“What letters?” Robert whispered—though he already knew.
His heart pounded so violently it felt like it might tear free.
“RMM,” the boy said without hesitation.
“Robert Mitchell for Michael. My dad showed it to me a thousand times. He said it was the most important gift he ever received. Said it was the only thing he had left from his family.”
Robert’s legs nearly gave out.
Thomas jumped up to support him, asking if he needed a doctor, but Robert heard nothing except the roaring blood in his ears.
“Let him go,” Robert commanded.
His voice carried such authority the guards released the boy instantly.
“Bring him here.”
The boy approached slowly.
Up close, Robert saw everything—the bruised feet, the ripped jeans, the shirt that had once been white. But he also saw something else.
The shape of the face.
The crooked nose.
The small scar above the right eyebrow.
He saw Michael.