“I don’t know. And I guess maybe she didn’t. The plastic bag with the medallions smelled a lot like

you know

the kind of smell you’d smell in a barn.”

“Let’s just hope Winnie still uses the barn for a safe. And we can also hope she stashed the prop gun there and hasn’t gotten rid of it already. It’s a long shot, but we have to look.”

“I wish it wasn’t we,” Andrea muttered, taking a deep breath as they stepped up to the front of the barn. “How are we going to get inside, again?”

Hannah explained for the third time that evening. “The door slides to the side and it’s got a counterweight. I’ll pull it open just far enough for you to slip inside. If I open it up all the way, it’ll probably make a loud screeching noise. Most farmers don’t grease the barn doors on purpose. It’s like a burglar alarm.”

“Smart,” Andrea said.

“And a lot cheaper than hiring an alarm company. Once you’re inside, I’ll let the big door close and you’ll use your flashlight to walk to the small door and unlatch it.”

“Right. There’s just one thing.”

“What?”

“Aren’t the cows going to see me when I come in?”

“I don’t know. Why?”

“Well, what if they don’t like me and they start doing what they do in Away in a Manger.”

“Huh?”

“You know

when the cattle are lowing. What’s lowing anyway?”

“That would be mooing.” Hannah thought fast. If her sister suspected that the cows would be awake, she might refuse to go inside the barn. “I don’t think you have to worry about any mooing, or lowing, or whatever. The cows are probably sleeping. They get up early, you know.”

“You’re right. I saw that commercial where the rooster wakes them.” Andrea stopped and took a deep breath. “Okay, Hannah. I’m as ready as I’m ever going to be.”

“Watch out for the trench by the door. That’s for the runoff when they clean the barn.”

“Run-off?”

“Never mind. Just step carefully, that’s all. The minute you’re inside, I’ll go stand by the small door.”

Hannah used every muscle she had to push open the heavy door so her sister could slip inside. Once Andrea was safely past the trench and she’d snapped on her flashlight, Hannah let the door close and tromped around the side of the barn to the smaller door. There she waited. And waited. And waited. She was about to go back and try to force open the big door again when she heard Andrea draw back the latch, and the smaller door opened.