Button Hill by Michael Bradford

Author:Michael Bradford
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: JUV037000, JUV013070, JUV001000
Publisher: Orca Book Publishers
Published: 2015-01-31T16:00:00+00:00

Fourteen

Dekker stared at his watch. Monday, 6:15 AM. Only one more hour until his mother got up and left for the city. He would have to leave the freezer soon and sneak back into bed so she wouldn’t wonder where he was. Out in the basement, the antique phone was ringing again. That’s the third time in the last hour, he grumbled to himself. Stupid phone. Maybe it will stop if I take it off the hook. He climbed out of the freezer and lifted the receiver. The air buzzed with static. He held the phone away from his ear. “Hello? Who’s there?”

The crackling rose and then faded away, as if someone had turned a dial. A tinny, faraway voice finally spoke. “Dekker, is that you?”

“Yeah, who’s this?”

“It’s Harper. I’ve been calling forever. How come you didn’t answer?”

“You mean, answer the old phone in my aunt’s basement that’s not even connected? Yeah, I’m really going to hop right up and grab it.” Dekker’s arm began to itch, and he remembered he was supposed to be trying to be good. “Um, what I mean is, I didn’t know who was calling. To tell the truth, I might not have answered if I had.”

“Look, Dekker, I’m sorry about what happened. I really am. Things didn’t work out for me the way I thought they would either.”

He lowered his voice. “Easy for you to say—you’re still in one piece. At least you don’t have to sleep in a freezer.”

“That’s crazy. What did your mom say?”

“She doesn’t know yet. She’s not here very much, and when she is, she thinks Riley and I spend all day looking after Riley’s cow, Bluebird, at the 4-H club.”

More static squalled from the earpiece. “…how long this connection is going to last. I know you’re mad at me, but I need your help.”

“You need help. And you’re asking me.”

“You’re the only one who can help me.”

“What do you want?”

“I’m in Understory. The city on the other side of the gorge. Where my mom lives.”

Dekker frowned. “If you want my help, telling the truth would be a good start.”

“I’m sorry. It’s not the kind of thing I can talk about with most people.”

“News flash: thanks to you, I’m not most people anymore.”

“I didn’t mean to come here, Dekker. My mom’s the governess, and she’s in a royal snit. Your heart is here, and she wants it. It’s to be sold at auction.”

“If your mom’s the frikkin’ governess, what does she need my heart for?”

“She won’t tell me. I wouldn’t help her, so she grounded me as soon as I got here. I’m stuck in her ridiculous mansion.”

Dekker scowled. “Why should I trust you after what you did?”

“Because I can help you get your heart back. How soon can you get here?”

“What about Cobb?”

“Mom’s guards apprehended him. She says he’s out of the picture. I’d forgotten about him, to tell you the truth.”

Dekker’s mind was racing, but he tried to sound calm. “I don’t know. I’ll have to think about it.

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