Where Cowards Tread by Sabrina Flynn

Author:Sabrina Flynn [Flynn, Sabrina]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Ink & Sea Publishing

24

Breakthrough

“I don’t know, Tobias. I think there’s laws against that sort of thing.”

The boy frowned at Sarah. “You’re chicken.”

The two children sat on the landing of the third floor with their heads pressed against the railing slats. The view down to the entryway was dizzying.

“I think we should just observe the lodgers for now. I’ll go to dinner again, and you can bring in the trays.”

Tobias snorted. “How ’bout I sit at the table and you bring the trays in?”

“You think I should do that ’cause I’m a girl?” she said, offended.

“Depends. Are you tellin’ me to bring the trays in ’cause I’m a negro?”

Sarah opened her mouth to protest. But Tobias got a sly look in his eye and nudged her side with an elbow. “You know you turn red as a brick when you’re embarrassed?”

She huffed at him. “It’s not fair.”

“You know what’s not fair? You not helping me.”

“We could get into trouble.”

Both children eyed the lower level, looking across the stairwell to a door. It was Mr. Dougal’s door. He seemed the likeliest suspect. He didn’t like anyone. Not children, not Miss Dupree, not the White family. And he was strapped for cash.

“Jin will do it,” Tobias said.

Sarah sighed. Her sister had vanished again.

“She’ll pick that lock in no time,” Tobias said.

“Your ma has the key,” Sarah pointed out.

“You think I’m crazy?” Tobias whispered. “I’m not stealing a key from my ma.”

“But you’ll pick a lock to break into a lodger’s room?”

“That’s different. Mr. Dougal won’t catch us. My ma catches everything I do.”

“What about the maids? We could offer to help them when they come.” Miss Lily did not clean the house or do laundry. She hired outside help to clean and sent the laundry out. Once a day for light cleaning, and once a week for a more thorough one, including the lodgers’ rooms. She didn’t let the hired staff in her kitchen, though.

Tobias gave Sarah an “are you daft?” look. “Ma hires those ladies ’cause she trusts them. They’re gonna tell her I offered to help clean, and ma will be on me faster than a blink.”

Sarah thought about that. It was true. If the two of them suddenly volunteered for chores, it would raise everyone’s suspicions.

“What do you think Jin got up to?” Sarah asked instead.

Tobias shrugged. “Probably picked a fight with a mule.”

“And Grimm? Did he say anything? Did they fight with each other?”

Tobias fiddled with a splinter in the railing slat. His legs dangled over the edge, but he couldn’t fit his head through anymore. “Does he ever say anything?”

“Can’t you make him write it down?” Sarah asked.

“My ma can’t even get a thought out of him.” The boy shrugged. “We aren’t trying to find out what Jin is up to. We need to figure out who wrote that article.”

“I’m not going to break into every lodger’s room to rifle through their drawers, Tobias.”

“You got a better idea?”

The front door opened downstairs, and a soft murmur of voices traveled upwards. Sound carried in the entryway, amplifying it.

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