10

FOLLOWING IN THE DARK

When they came home, Marie-Grace and Alice helped Aunt Isabelle and Aunt Odette and the other girls make supper in Aunt Lissie's kitchen. Marie-Grace peeled potatoes, while Alice cut carrots. They were having mashed potatoes, pot roast, and vegetables for supper. There was also a strawberry cake baking in the oven, for dessert.

After they had finished their work, Marie-Grace and Alice set the table while André, the older girls, and women finished with supper.

When they were ready, everyone sat down at the table.

"We've been eating in Aunt Lissie's house ever since Marie-Grace and Uncle Thaddeus came," Marc noted.

Aunt Isabelle ruffled his sandy hair and said, "Oui, Marc, but don't you like eating here?"

The little boy nodded enthusiastically, and Marie-Grace smiled. She liked eating at Aunt Lisette's for supper, too. She knew Uncle Pierre's and Uncle Alex's tables weren't big enough to seat everyone. Marie-Grace also enjoyed helping cook the meals with her aunts and girl cousins.

"Marie-Grace, will you pass the potatoes?" Gilbert asked, grinning.

Marie-Grace handed him the platter, and he spooned a generous helping onto his plate.

"Grace," Papa suddenly called, from across the table.

Marie-Grace grew still and watched Papa's face intently. He looked serious.

Papa adjusted his spectacles, then picked up his dinner fork, fiddling with the greens on his plate before he spoke. "Grace, when I went to town with Pierre today, I saw wanted posters. Apparently there is a criminal near Cairo."

Oh, no! Marie-Grace thought. He saw Clancy Bond's wanted posters!

"I've been wondering if you and Alice are safe, going to town so much," Papa said. He cleared his throat before continuing. "The criminal's name is Clancy Bond."

"Yes, Papa, Alice and I have seen the posters," Marie-Grace told him.

Papa looked shocked. "Grace, why didn't you tell me! I'm sure Uncle Pierre is just as concerned about the safety for you girls as I am!" He paused a moment. "So I was thinking that—since it seems as though you girls might be in danger, and I don't want to take any chances—I've decided that you won't be allowed to go to town—"

"Papa!" Marie-Grace protested.

"—by yourself," Papa finished. "I don't mind if you go with one of the older boys or an adult, but I just don't think it's safe for you and Alice to go to town by yourselves."

"Yes," Uncle Pierre spoke up. "I agree. The criminal looks dangerous. I wouldn't risk something happening to you girls before the police catch him. And this new rule goes for all the younger children, too."

Marie-Grace knew there was nothing more she could say, so she glanced at Alice sitting beside her.

Alice seemed to be thinking the same thing Marie-Grace was: How are we going to solve the mystery, now?

– ❧ –

They went to bed early, and Alice fell asleep instantly. But Marie-Grace lay awake, thinking how they could possibly find more evidence against Clancy Bond and Mr. Anon—especially now that they weren't allowed in town without the older boys. The boys would probably be reluctant in going to town with the girls, so that wouldn't work.

Then Marie-Grace wondered if the murderer of Mayor Potts even was Clancy Bond and Mr. Anon. They hadn't actually seen the criminal in Cairo.

What if she and Alice were all wrong in their thinking?

But, she reminded herself, Mr. Anon has been acting suspicious.

So Marie-Grace fell asleep, the image of Mr. staring at the bank coming to her mind, wearing his black boots.

– ❧ –

"Marie-Grace!" she heard Alice's voice hissing in her ear.

Marie-Grace sat up in bed and rubbed her eyes. Through her cousin's bedroom window she could see it was still dark outside. Alice was still shaking her shoulder.

"Marie-Grace!" Alice whispered. "I saw men pass by our house!"

"What?" Marie-Grace asked groggily.

"There were two men. One was tall, and the other was tall, too, but shorter than the first man, and the shorter man had dark hair."

A big man, and a tall, dark-haired man? The descriptions reminded Marie-Grace of something.

A fuzzy memory came to her mind of a shadow of a dark-haired man. Was he behind a curtain, which made him look fuzzy?

Marie-Grace blinked her eyes. Then she sat up straighter. No. The descriptions reminded her of the two men she had seen though the window in the cabin, the day before. And the shorter man had had dark hair.

"I think it's the criminal and Mr. Anon!" Alice whispered.

Marie-Grace protested, "But they sound like the men we saw in the cabin!"

Alice gasped. "What if those men we saw in the cabin were Clancy Bond and Mr. Anon!"

Marie-Grace shivered at the possibility. It made sense that the two criminals would hide out in an old, abandoned cabin.

Alice hopped out of bed, and Marie-Grace saw she was wearing a thick wool coat over her nightgown, and boots on her bare feet.

"What are you doing?" Marie-Grace asked, frightened.

"I'm going to follow them!" Alice declared. "If it's Clancy Bond and Rupert Anon, then I need to see where they're going and what they're doing. Maybe I'll find some evidence against them for the police! Now, are you coming with me?" Without waiting for an answer, she headed toward the bedroom door.

"Wait!" Marie-Grace said.

She was trembling, but she slid out of bed and slipped her feet into her shoes, and put on her coat. "I'm coming." The idea of following possible criminals—anyone—in the dark made icy shivers run up her spine.

"Good!" Alice said, grinning.

They went outside, but the girls couldn't see anything. Alice had brought matches and a kerosene lamp, but she didn't light it.

"No one's here," Marie-Grace said. "We should go back inside."

"Look!" Alice cried. She pointed to a bobbing light in the distance. "They're carrying a lantern! We'll have to keep quiet as we follow them."

The girls hurried after the light.

When they came closer, dodging behind trees to keep out of view, Marie-Grace could see the outlines of two men.

The girls didn't speak a word, just kept walking quickly after the bobbing lantern.

After walking a long ways, Marie-Grace had an idea where the men were going.

She wasn't surprised when they came to the cabin in the woods. The bigger man, holding the lantern, opened the door. He went in first, the shorter man following. He seemed to be carrying something, like a large sack, in his hand. The shorter man looked to be carrying a sack, too.

The door closed behind him.

Alice gestured with her hand that they should hide under the cabin's window. So she and Marie-Grace darted forward and pushed themselves against the wall of the cabin, under the windowsill. Then they inched upward, just peeking over the window frame, into the cabin.

Marie-Grace saw the two men standing in front of a fireplace. The smaller man set his sack down. Another sack was already on the floor. Both the men's faces were turned toward the fireplace, which the bigger man had just lit. He threw the match into the flames, then reached into a sack and took out something. He threw it into the fire, also, and stood as it burned.

Marie-Grace was sure it looked like papers. It's Mayor Potts's documents! she told herself.

Then the men took out other things from the sacks. What they held glinted in the firelight.

The bigger man suddenly came toward the window, and Alice gasped, ducking low into a crouch, yanking Marie-Grace with her. "It's Clancy Bond!" she hissed.

"Did you see the other one?" Marie-Grace whispered.

Alice shook her head, petrified by fear, too terrified to speak.

The wind was cold; it stung Marie-Grace's cheeks.

"And that is Mrs. White's jewelry that they are holding!" Alice said.

"I think what they burned were Mayor Potts's papers," Marie-Grace told her cousin quietly.

The girls stayed in their position, not daring to move an inch. Finally, after what seemed like hours, Alice slowly peeked in the window again. Marie-Grace did the same.

She saw the big man sitting on the floor. From the light of the fire, she could see his face clearly. It was the spitting image of the criminal's picture from the wanted poster.

"We have to get the sheriff!" Alice hissed under her breath.

Suddenly, Marie-Grace remembered. "Oh, but Papa told us we weren't to go in town alone!"

Alice thought a moment. "We'll get the boys," she decided, and they crept away.

Marie-Grace wasn't sure if Gilbert and Bruno would like being woken up at night. But she didn't dare disobey Papa.

The view of the cabin cabin was growing smaller as they walked away. Marie-Grace glanced back over her shoulder one last time, then stiffened as she saw the door open. Her heart raced as the two men stepped in the doorway, one of them holding a lantern. Then they left the cabin, walking around and behind it, and Marie-Grace quickly told Alice what she had seen.

"We should search the cabin while they're out!" Alice decided. "Then we'll know for sure if they have Mrs. White's stolen jewelry in there!"

Before Marie-Grace could argue, Alice raced back toward the dilapidated house.