In the opening chapter, Paloma explains that she has a special box in which she keeps mementoes of her father. In addition, when her mother shares an anecdote or detail about her father with her, Paloma writes the information on a notecard, then places it in the box. In this way, she develops a catalog of memories of her father; she is able to look back through the notecards as if she is watching a film of her father’s life. The cards are a tangible way to preserve the father that she never knew, making him vivid to her. They symbolize Discovering Family Heritage.

When Paloma visits Mexico, she uses the notecards for a different purpose: jotting down bits of Spanish and other facts that she learns of Mexico. Though on one hand these notecards serve an educational purpose, learning about Mexico fits with her quest to learn about her father. Thus, these notecards fit seamlessly with those memory notecards about her father.

The notecards then take on a new purpose as Paloma uses them to record clues in the peacock ring mystery. Because other people, such as Tavo, know that she is studying Mexican art and culture—as well as the Spanish language—she can disguise the true content of these cards by pretending that she is recording educational information.