STEWART

I'm on my own. There's no way they can understand me now.

Just when I was starting to figure things out.

Stewart sat on the bed in the nurse's room, watching the woman wrap his hands in blinding white bandages. He flinched as she pulled the wrap too tight. She nodded and loosened it slightly.

The maids and I have the best conversations, Stewart thought dismally. Of course, the exact opposite was true.

Stewart turned his thoughts back to more important issues. Something was different about that picture. What was it?

The nurse finished with his right hand and moved on to his left.

The outfit? Yes, that was different, but that's not weird. People wear different clothes all the time.

The hair? Maybe it was less gray, but it was just the same, nonetheless.

There were no new facial features. Goatee was the same, nose was the same, eyes....

Stewart stopped as he thought back to what he had seen. The eyes were not the same.

He realized what it was now. Louis King had amber eyes. He had noticed their resemblance in the picture because J. Q. King's had been the same color.

But they're supposed to be blue.

Stewart couldn't wrap his mind around the discovery. Why are his eyes a different color? Colored contact lenses maybe. But why would he wear those?

A tiny spark of an idea ignited in Stewart's mind. It was unlikely—extremely unlikely. He felt crazy just thinking it. But since nothing that had happened in the mansion ever since he had arrived could be considered normal, he decided that his idea wasn't very odd in comparison.

When the maid finished wrapping Stewart's hands, he jumped to his feet. Her eyes widened, and she looked as if she wanted to say something like, "Where are you going? Sit back down!" But of course she didn't, and Stewart rushed out the door.

I have to find it, Stewart thought. I'm going to search this mansion from top to bottom until I find it...whatever it is.

He also thought that a little bit of internet research wouldn't hurt. However, with one glance down at his hands, he realized that he wouldn't be able to do that very easily.

I'll do it, Stewart assured himself. I don't care if it takes forever. I will find answers.