As Bethany's thirteenth birthday approaches, her parents start acting much stranger than usual: Her mother won't stop crying, and her father won't leave Bethany alone for a moment. One morning, he puts the whole family in the car, crosses several states, and leaves Bethany with an aunt she didn't even know existed. Bethany has no idea what's going on. She's afraid her mother and father are running away from some kind of trouble, but she can't find out anything because no one tells her where they're going. The only clue she has is a few words she overheard when her father was talking to Aunt Myrle: 'She knows nothing about Elizabeth.' But neither Aunt Myrle tells Bethany who Elizabeth is, nor does she explain why the people in their small town react as if they've seen a ghost every time they see her. The mystery deepens when Bethany receives a package from her father containing four different birth certificates from four states, each with a different last name - as well as thousands of dollars in cash. And when a stranger shows up asking questions, she discovers she's not the only one desperately seeking to uncover the secrets of her past. In this thrilling mystery novel, Margaret Peterson Haddix weaves a gripping story full of surprises and twists that will captivate the reader until the last page. [Excerpt from the text on the back cover of the edition]