It was broad daylight, of course. There were other people out on the sidewalks. I’d been in far more dangerous situations. But the pair scared me. There was something urgent in the way they scaled the snowbank on their side of the street and hurried across the salt-covered road. I hadn’t brought my bear repellent or my box cutter into town. All I had to defend myself was a plastic bag filled with carbon monoxide detectors.
I kept going. The hardware store sat at the end of the block. I pictured the kind man I’d met earlier that morning, and figured I’d be safe with him if I could just reach his shop. But the path was icy, and there was only so fast I could go. My stalkers caught up with me before I could get my hand on the door handle.
I spun around to face the two of them. “What do you want?” I demanded.
“Whoa,” one said, putting his hand out as if to fend off a beast that might charge. “Calm down. I know you have to act tough in the city, but do we look like bad guys to you?”
I had no idea what bad guys were supposed to look like. Before Daniel, I suppose I’d had a picture in my head. It wouldn’t have resembled either of the people who were standing before me. The silent one was cute and dopey. The one talking had a face from the 1950s, complete with a smattering of freckles across his nose.
“I asked you what you wanted.”
Freckles glanced over at his friend. “We saw you down by the river earlier, and we just wanted to say hi. That’s Brian. I’m Mike. And you are?”
I didn’t want to give them any of my names—real or fake.
“It’s all right.” This time there was an edge to Mike’s voice, but he kept his smile. The people in Louth were good at that. Back in Manhattan, no one tried quite as hard. “You don’t have to answer. We know who you are, Bram Howland. Your uncle owns the manor.”
“How do you know that?” I asked.
“This is a small town. Word gets around fast, especially if you hang out with people like Nolan.”
“You should be careful,” Brian blurted out, sounding about as dumb as he looked.
“Why?” I shot back. “Are you going to break all my windows next?”
I heard the delicate tinkle of the bell over the hardware store door.
“Hey.” It was Sam’s voice. “Everything okay?”
I felt light-headed with relief. “These two were just welcoming me to town,” I informed him. But when I looked back at Sam, I could see he hadn’t been talking to me. There were three bags in his hands—two from the hardware store and a third filled, oddly, with lemons. His eyes were locked on Mike’s. I don’t know what kind of telepathy those two were using, but there was no doubt that information was being exchanged.
“We were just—” Brian started.
“It’s okay.” Sam cut him off. “You guys should go.”
I didn’t say anything. I just let my eyes pass over them. Three tall, strapping guys in down coats. One navy. One burgundy. One black. In the dark, on a surveillance camera, their coats would have seemed the same color.
The standoff lasted for a few seconds. Then Brian gave Sam a curt nod. “All right, then. See you around,” he said. I couldn’t tell if he was talking to me.
I stood next to Sam and watched them go. Brian took the lead. The snowblowers hadn’t cleared enough sidewalk for two broad-shouldered boys to walk side by side.
“Your uncle’s been looking for you all morning. You headed up to the manor?” Sam asked as soon as they were out of earshot.
I nodded.
“I’m on my way back, too. I’ll walk with you. There’s another storm coming. We should get you home before it hits.”
I turned my eyes to the sky. A few minutes earlier, the sun had been shining. Now I saw nothing but clouds. I felt like I was stuck in a game on survival mode. The world kept changing without warning, and all I could do was race to adapt.
Sam began lumbering down the sidewalk, but I wasn’t ready to follow. “Hey!” I called out. “How do you know those two? Are they friends of yours?”
I could tell he had no idea how scared I’d been. Mike and Brian hadn’t had weapons. They weren’t wearing masks. A six-foot-three quarterback like Sam couldn’t understand how two guys his size might intimidate someone like me. I wondered when he’d last had to fear for his safety. He probably had no idea that some girls fear for theirs every day.
“I wouldn’t call us buddies, but I’ve known them since preschool. They were both on the football team when I was captain. They’re regular guys.”
Regular guys who chase girls they don’t know down sidewalks. “They told me to be careful.”
A car driving by slowed down as it passed us. The passenger was so bundled up, I couldn’t tell if it was a male or a female. Sam raised a hand in silent greeting, and the person did the same. Then Sam looked back down at me. “If I remember correctly, I once told you to be careful, too. I heard you were at Nolan’s last night. I guess you didn’t listen.”
I was on the verge of asking Sam who’d attacked Nolan’s house, when I heard the tinkle of the hardware store bell, and a group of men emerged, all wearing down coats in dark colors.
That’s when it hit me. It really could have been anyone.
“So are we going?” Sam asked.
“Why didn’t you come back to the storeroom to check on me yesterday like you promised?” I asked.
“I did come back,” he said. “Just as you were climbing into Nolan’s car. Don’t worry. I won’t stop looking out for you, even if you have terrible taste in men. Now if you don’t mind, these bags are getting heavy.”
I could see the contents of Sam’s plastic hardware bags. Inside one was a large screwdriver.
“Here, let me take that for you,” I offered, knowing a screwdriver would make a suitable weapon in a pinch.
I relaxed a little when he handed me the bag, but the feeling didn’t last long. Once we were on the road to the manor, the two of us were alone. The word “alone” had a different meaning in Louth. There weren’t any cars passing by, and the forest on either side of us was dense enough to conceal any crime. All sound seemed muffled, as if I’d crammed cotton into my ears. If something happened, there would be no hope of rescue.
It started to snow when we were halfway up the hill. The first lazy flakes floated down through the tree branches and settled in my hair. I’d been in such a hurry to leave the house that morning that I’d forgotten to grab a hat. For a while, it was easy to shake them off. Then the wind picked up and the flakes fell faster. I could feel them accumulating along the part in my hair.