“Who is it?”

Tora listened intently to the voice and thought she recognized it as belonging to Jackrabbit Morse, one of the town’s half dozen hermits. Jackrabbit lived up in the mountains most of the year, but during the coldest winter months he came down close to the city, where food was a little easier to come by and there were plenty of warm buildings to spend your days in.

“I’m not kidding, here,” Jackrabbit said. “I don’t take kindly to people sneaking up on me. You tell me who you are, or you’ll be sorry you wandered through this neck of the woods.”

Tora wondered for a moment what Noble would do in this situation, but then she checked herself, deciding to forget Noble and figure out a solution on her own, instead. After a moment’s thought she came up with a plan. If Jackrabbit was going to threaten her, she would call his bluff and do the very same thing to him.

She changed into her human form, cupped her hands around her mouth, and said, “This is the RCMP! We’ve had some complaints of people living in these parts without permission of the landowners…” Her voice trailed off and she listened for any sound.

And there it was—the sound of footsteps, running away from them into town.

“Nice,” said Argus.

“My dress is pretty, isn’t it?” Angelina babbled.

“The coast is clear,” said Tora. “Let’s get this girl to the hospital. Now!”

* * *

Phyllis couldn’t sleep. She had the television on, and the volume off, surfing up and down the channels and hoping the phone would ring with good news from the search. But the phone was silent. She also hadn’t heard anything from Noble’s room for close to an hour—not even the sound of him turning over in bed. Knowing Noble, she wondered if he hadn’t slipped out of the house to join the search for Angelina Abruzzo.

She got up from her chair in the living room and went down the hall to check on him. If he’d gone against her wishes and left the house on his own, she would never forgive him.

Phyllis put her hand on the doorknob and squeezed it tightly, then, in one swift motion, she turned the knob and pushed the door open wide.

Noble was sitting up in bed with a pair of headphones on, listening to music.

“What?” he said, pulling the phones off his head.

Phyllis smiled, not only because Noble was right where he was supposed to be, but because he was looking better. The effect of the taint seemed to be all but gone, and every part of his body appeared to be just where and what it was supposed to be.

“You’re better!” she said.

“I think so,” Noble said. “But my body’s sore all over.”