A board creaked out on the loft, and then the handle turned, and the door opened.Jem slipped into the bedroom without making eye contact with Tean.His face was closed.That was new.It wasn’t that Jem was always easy to read.And it wasn’t that Jem didn’t know how to dissimulate, for lack of a better word.Jem was better at hiding himself than almost anyone Tean knew.But this expression, like a wall, wasn’t something Tean recognized.
“I’m sorry,” Tean said.
Jem shook his head.
“I shouldn’t have pressed her.I should have let you talk to her.”
“It’s fine.”But Jem still hadn’t met his eyes.“She’s going to take something and try to sleep.”
While her children are missing, Tean thought.
And again, it was like Jem heard him, because his head came up, and he set his jaw.“She’s upset.”
“I know.”
“She lost her husband yesterday.Her children are missing.She’s terrified.”
“Jem, I know.”
Jem made a motion with one hand like he was dismissing the subject.But a moment later he said, “Anybody would be having a hard time.And she blames herself.That’s why she got defensive.She—she was in a bad place yesterday.She wasn’t using her best judgment.She knows she made a mistake, and when you asked, it brought up a lot of bad stuff for her.”
For her, Tean thought.
But all he said was “I’m sorry.”
Jem gave a weary shake of his head.
Tean nodded.“I don’t think the children were here last night.The beds weren’t slept in.Their luggage is gone.And you said you didn’t see any tracks, which means that between whenever the storm stopped and the time we arrived, no one went in or out.”He felt like he had to add, “I’m not trying to pick a fight.I’m telling you a hypothesis.”
“She doesn’t know the last time she saw them.”Jem picked at something on his sleeve.“She won’t say it, but I think she was drinking.”
Or, Tean thought, she took something to help her sleep.
“Jem,” Tean said, trying to find a way through the tangle of words.“Their luggage is gone.”
Rubbing his chin, Jem nodded.
“I’m worried that this isn’t as simple as the kids getting bored and deciding to try the arcade.”
“What do you mean?You think someone took them?”
“I think someone is desperate.They murdered Gerald.Then they murdered Tafton and tried to frame him.They almost killed you.If the killer—or killers—thought that holding the children hostage would help them, I don’t think they’d hesitate.”
It felt like a long time before Jem said, “Okay.”
“I called Vaughan.He’s going to start searching the lodge.”
“They might be out there,” Jem said.
He didn’t need to say what he meant byout there.Tean nodded.“They might.But right now, that doesn’t seem likely.They’re smart kids.They wouldn’t have gone out into the storm alone.The most likely explanation is that they’re somewhere in the lodge.”Tean tried to lighten his voice.“They probably think they’re having an adventure.”
“Unless they were kidnapped.Unless they’re already dead.”
The sunlight through the window fell on the back of Tean’s neck, a weak, thin warmth.Like it was almost nothing at all.
“Let’s go back to the lodge,” Tean said quietly.“We’ll start there.”
Jem nodded, but he said, “I’m going to check on her before we go.”
