11
HIDING IN THE CABIN
Marie-Grace found Alice kneeling on the floor in the cabin, looking through one of the sacks.
"Marie-Grace!" Alice exclaimed, her eyes shining with excitement. "There is jewelry in this bag that matches the description of Mrs. White's jewelry, perfectly! Except, the ruby necklace is missing . . ."
"The one we saw at Mr. Gregory's store!" Marie-Grace interrupted, just as excited.
She went to look in the other sack.
"I didn't look in that yet," Alice told her.
Marie-Grace found papers in the sack, with signatures on it. There was also money.
"They must have stolen this from the bank," Marie-Grace said grimly, holding up a wad of cash.
Alice glanced up at her. Suddenly her face blanched white. "Someone's coming!" she hissed, springing to her feet.
Marie-Grace could hear footsteps on the porch, over her pounding heart. Then the door rattled, and the doorknob turned.
As the two men entered the cabin, the bigger man, Clancy Bond, set a sack he was carrying on the floor, which was identical to the two sacks in the cabin. The shorter man bent to stoke the fire.
Marie-Grace and Alice were hiding behind an old cabinet near a wall. Marie-Grace's heart was pounding so loudly in her chest she hoped the men didn't hear it.
Alice was sitting directly behind the cabinet, so she couldn't see the men, but she listened intently.
The door of the cabinet was swung open to the wall. It was a large, heavy door, and Marie-Grace was sitting behind it, where she had the advantage of peeking through a keyhole in the door to watch the men.
"We need to leave," the shorter man muttered. His dark hair looked orange in the light of the fire. Marie-Grace thought his voice sounded familiar. She recalled Mr. Anon's voice, but it somehow didn't match this man's tone correctly.
Though she still thought he was Mr. Anon. She was sure of it. From the fire's light, and the light of the lantern the bigger man held, she could make out the shorter man's—Mr. Anon's—black, polished boots. But his back was to her, so she couldn't see if the toes were pointed.
". . . stay another night . . ." the big man muttered gruffly. Marie-Grace strained to hear their talk.
". . . need to get out. The sheriff—"
"I know!" the big man cut Mr. Anon off. "But it's too risky. I think . . ." His voice again became a hushed whisper.
Marie-Grace could see the big man clearly. He had Clancy Bond's exact face from the wanted poster. His beard was a little longer, though.
Clancy Bond muttered something. Marie-Grace wished the men would talk louder so she could hear them. ". . . sleep the night here," he muttered.
Marie-Grace wanted to cry. If the men were going to sleep in the cabin, how were she and Alice going to escape? Her back was already beginning to hurt, pressed up against the wall.
"We'll need firewood," the smaller man said.
Both the men went out the door, and Marie-Grace and Alice scrambled to their feet instantly.
Marie-Grace's legs trembled.
Alice grabbed her hand and dragged her out the door.
They were in such a hurry that Alice carelessly let the door slam closed.
"Hey!" Clancy Bond shouted, from behind the cabin.
Marie-Grace gasped, and she and Alice ran away as fast as they could until the cabin was out of sight.
They finally slowed a little, but still running quickly.
"What if they're . . . following us?" Alice gasped.
Marie-Grace couldn't reply, her heart was pounding so hard. Her legs felt like jelly, trembling.
They ran for a long time, gasping, sometimes slowing to catch a bit of their breath. Then Marie-Grace remembered Clancy Bond and the other man, and imagined them chasing her and Alice, and she sped up.
They finally arrived at the cluster of Aunt Lisette's, Uncle Pierre's, and Uncle Alex's houses.
Alice surprised Marie-Grace by running into Uncle Alex's house. Marie-Grace quickly followed her, not wanting to be left outside, alone in the dark.
As Marie-Grace came through the door, which Alice was holding open for her, Alice whispered, "We need to get one of the boys to take us to town, so we can tell the sheriff about the men."
Marie-Grace nodded.
They tiptoed through the house, and Alice went in a door. Marie-Grace supposed it was the boys' bedroom.
Bruno and Gilbert were fast asleep in their beds. Bruno's bed was closer to them, so Alice went over and shook his shoulder.
The boy blinked his eyes and sat up when he saw Alice. "Quoi?" he asked. He spied Marie-Grace and looked at both the girls curiously.
"Nous avons besoin de votre aide," Alice told him.
Marie-Grace listened as her cousin explained everything quickly, in French.
When she was finished, Bruno nodded and climbed out of bed. He was wearing trousers and a loose, white cotton shirt.
He grabbed a coat off a chair. Gilbert was still snoring as he slipped his arms into it. Bruno also grabbed a pair of boots and quickly put his feet into them.
"What did you tell him?" Marie-Grace whispered to Alice.
"Everything," Alice murmured. "That we found two criminals in the cabin in the woods, who murdered Mayor Potts and stole Mrs. White's jewelry, and we need him to take us to town to get the sheriff."
Bruno finished buttoning his wool coat. "Hurry," he told the two girls quietly.
They went out of the bedroom, and through the hall, out of the house. They started following the worn path to town in the dark.
And as Marie-Grace hurried on, shivering and rubbing her arms, glancing at the trees, every shadow seemed to resemble Clancy Bond.