his peripheral vision. Charles couldn’t stop shivering,
lying on the sofa with three quilts over him. Cora and
Minnie had met them in the small library, hair still wet but clothes
changed. Arthur had disappeared somewhere — Thom wasn’t
sure where. It was getting late — soon Mrs. Johnson would chide
them for not being in bed — but none of them were anywhere
near being able to sleep. They wouldn’t be able to until Alden
was gone.
“I still say we should tell Mama,” Minnie said. She looked
small and pale, sitting on the sofa with her legs tucked up beneath
herself. She toyed with a heavy gold locket around her neck that
seemed familiar. “She’ll know what to do.”
Thom shook his head. “If we talk to your mother, Alden’ll
just tell her that we were in his room, going through his
things.” He didn’t say what he thought next, which was if
the man was willing to burn two boys to death, he certainly
would have nothing against harming Mrs. Johnson if she got in
his way.
“What about —” Cora was interrupted by the door being
shoved open with such force it dented the wall.
“What have you done with it?” Arthur shouted, as loud and as
physically here as Thom had ever seen him. Before Thom could
get away, Arthur had rushed across the room, grabbing him by the
collar and shoving him against a bookshelf. The wood dug into
Thom’s back.
“Arthur! Stop it!” Cora shouted, hurrying to pull him off
Thom. Arthur wouldn’t move.
“I know it was you. I want the case back. Now.”
Thom met the other boy’s gaze with a steady one of his own.
“It’s in my room. You can get it whenever you want. I won’t apolo-