He went upstairs with Primmy, found a shirt and tossed it down the stairs to Carly, then he went into the bedroom and closed the door behind him.

“Maybe you’d better lock it,” Primmy said.

“Stone?” The call came from downstairs.

“Yes, Carly?”

“Could I borrow that shotgun anyway?”

“I’ll be right back,” Stone said to Primmy. He went downstairs to Dick Stone’s study, opened the weapons locker and loaded a riot gun for her, then took it into the living room.

“Do you know how to use a shotgun?” he asked.

“Not one like that.”

He showed her how to load it, pump it, and the safety.

“If you hear a beeping noise in the night, it means someone is on the property. We heard that the other night. It turned out to be a bear. If you think it’s a bear, don’t go outside, call me. If it’s a continuous noise, the intruder is in the house, or trying to get in.”

“Got it.” She yawned. “You’d better get upstairs,” she said. “Primmy is waiting to show you that experience is better than youth.”

Stone fled up the stairs. As it turned out, Carly was right.

31

Stone and Primmy came in a rush of yelling, laughing, and moaning. Stone rolled over on his back and took deep breaths. Primmy crept onto his shoulder and rested her head. “That was spectacular,” she said.

“It was,” Stone agreed. “It may have been even nearly fatal.”

She listened to his chest. “Strong and steady. A good heart.”

Then, from downstairs: “Stone! It’s a bear!”

“I told her to call me if there’s a bear,” he said.

“I’m going to shoot her if there isn’t a bear,” Primmy said. “So go on downstairs.”

Stone struggled out of bed and started for the door.

“Stone! Robe!” Primmy shouted. “Let’s not confirm her estimates about you.”

Stone got into a robe and slippers and started down the stairs. As he did, a shotgun went off—in the house. Stone resisted the urge to run down the stairs. “Carly?”

“Come on down, Stone,” she said.

He walked on down and saw Carly standing, peering at the security system controls. “It didn’t beep,” she said.

Stone looked out the back picture window and saw it pockmarked in a tight circle by buckshot. He was impressed that the glass held.

“They were out there,” Carly said.

“There were two bears?”

“Twins.”

“Twin bears? That happens.”

“The Stone twins! I took a shot at one of them, and they ran.”

“You’re sure it was the twins?”

“I felt them, then I saw them. They were dressed in black with masks, just as they were when Tim and I were kidnapped.”

“Did the security system go off?”

“No, that’s why I hesitated to fire.”

“You didn’t hesitate for long,” Stone said. “I’ll order a new window tomorrow.”