What Befalls the Children: Book 4 in the Troop of Shadows Series, стр. 41

“More like they used in old western movies for drunkards and troublemakers.”

“Why haven’t I seen evidence of this barbarity?”

Cricket piped up, “Don’t happen that often, Mister Fergus. Most folks avoid the stocks if they can. They usually can.”

Mister Fergus shook his head in disgust, but didn’t comment further.

Pops chose that moment to stomp up the cabin steps.

“Quick. Replace the board, Cricket!” Willa hissed.

“Your grandfather knows about my belongings. Do you think I would hide items as dangerous as these in a house without telling the homeowner?”

“What’s all this about?” Pops said as he walked in the door. He looked even more exhausted than Mister Fergus.

“The children are bored, Skeeter. Perhaps we can find them something productive to do with their time that doesn’t involve breaking and entering.”

“Technically, there was no breaking. Just entering,” Willa offered. “And Mama doesn’t need to know. She has plenty of other things on her mind. Right Pops?”

Her grandfather squinted at her and gave a tired grunt. “You got that right. And just in case you three were thinking about sneaking out of the village, I’m telling you right now, don’t do it. I will personally tell your mother if I catch wind of it. And you know I will catch wind of it...”

Uh oh. Pops was using proper grammar. That meant serious business.

“Who was it that got strung up?” Cricket asked.

“The Tate girl. The one who just earned her place on the Scouts,” Pops replied.

“Adelaide? That’s awful,” Willa said. It was awful, but not catastrophic. Adelaide was a bully. Not only that, she liked to torture small animals when she thought nobody else was around; they’d seen it firsthand on one of their forest adventures. As much as Willa hated the thought of someone getting murdered, at least the village’s next litter of puppies would be safe.

“Right. I know exactly how you felt about the girl, Willa. Coulda been worse, I s’pose. You all get going, now. Your mama’s waiting on you.”

They dashed out the door, dropped Cricket off at the most squalid of all the houses in the village — his drunkard daddy was a ne’er do well — and raced home. Willa beat Harlan to the front steps. She always did. Harlan was stealthy, but she was faster.

“Slow down, you two.” Their mother’s gaze zeroed in on them the second they stormed inside. Willa felt the heat in that gaze. Serena Jo had an agenda. Willa could almost see it floating above the braids, like squiggly lines coming off a cartoon skunk. “There’s something I need to tell you.”

“We already know about Adelaide. Pops told us.”

“There’s something else. Sit down, please.”

Mama was sitting at their wobbly kitchen table, warming her hands on a steaming cup of instant coffee. The taste of coffee was gross, but it smelled heavenly. She’d brought a ton of it with them in the U-Haul, and she only drank it at home so she wouldn’t have to share it.

“I need to tell you something...” she began, then stopped.

Willa felt a sudden unpleasant fluttering in her belly. Serena Jo never hesitated.

After a deep breath, Mama said, “If anything happens to me, Pops will move in here with you. You must promise to mind him just like you do me. I know you love him, but I also know you take adventure of him. And you’ll need to take care of him too. His memory isn’t what it used to be.”

The fluttering exploded into a swarm of angry bees. The notion of Mama not being with them was too dreadful to ponder even for a second.

Harlan signed, Nothing will ever happen to you, Mama. You’re too smart for that scary lady.

Mama smiled. “We don’t know who is behind these murders, but we do know the person is formidable.”

Willa approved the word choice with a nod.

Mama continued. “The person abducted and killed two of our members — people who were quite capable of defending themselves — without anyone seeing a thing. Then he was able to hoist them into a tree and stage them for us to find. So the murderer is either very strong or very clever. And he’s quick. From the time Adelaide was last seen alive until she was found...in the tree...was only an hour.”

Harlan signed, Are you scared, Mama?

“Yes, I’m scared for my family and our people. That’s why it’s vitally important that you two don’t leave the village.”

We won’t Mama. We promised. Then he switched to their twin sign language, I mean it, Willa. Don’t try to bully me this time.

Willa leaned back in her chair and studied her brother through hooded eyes. This rebellious streak she’d been seeing in him lately...she didn’t like it. Not one bit.

“Anyway,” Mama continued, “I just want you both to know that if something happens to me, Pops will take care of you.”

“What if something happens to Pops?” Willa demanded. “He’s no spring chicken, you know.”

“Pops isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. He’s a healthy old goat.”

What if that lady gets him when he’s out on patrol? Harlan’s chin quivered at the thought.

Mama sighed. “We don’t know who the killer is, Harlan.”

I’m not saying she is the killer. I’m just saying she’s out there somewhere.

“He’s got a point,” Willa said, warming to the notion of two potential villains.

“I know you both like Mister Fergus very much, but that doesn’t mean he was truthful about that woman. Something seemed off about his story. But he’s the least of my worries now. He has an alibi for the two murders. It’s someone else, and I’m going to find out who.”