“Do you know the code?” I asked. This was a new low for me, wrangling clues out of a small child.

“Mama said it’s secret.”

I tried Caro’s birthdate, then Teddy’s, then our parents’, and finally my own. Nothing worked.

“Lunchtime!” Gloria called up the stairs. “Get the grilled cheese while it’s hot!”

That made Teddy squeal. “Let’s go!”

I slid the drawer back into place and closed the closet door. My heart was heavy as I followed Teddy out of the room. My sister’s secrets were tantalizingly close, but they remained out of reach for me.

CHAPTER 36 DEIRDRE

CHAPTER 36

DEIRDRE

In the afternoon, I took Teddy to the Central Park Zoo. We shared a love of sea lions, so that was a favorite spot. When we got back to the house, the front door was ajar. I paused at the foot of the steps, then turned to Teddy. “Promise to stand right here for a minute?”

“Okay.”

I crept up the stairs, wondering what was going on. Then I heard a sharp voice. “I can’t tell her not to come here. She has a right. She’s his aunt.” It was Gloria speaking.

“I am ordering you not to let that woman in here. She is a monster and can’t be trusted.”

My heart clenched tight. Were they talking about me? At that moment, I noticed Teddy creeping beside me. “Ammy!” he shouted. I followed him in.

“Liebling!” A silver-haired woman with bones barely bigger than a sparrow’s reached down to hug Teddy. Her printed silk dress hung on her like she was nothing more than a hanger, and her crocodile handbag was wider than her hips. She looked for all the world like a lady who lunches, despite the fact she hadn’t been in the same room with solid food in weeks.

“Ursula, you remember Deirdre,” Gloria said. “Caroline’s sister.”

“Yes, of course. How are you, my dear?” Ursula surprised me with a kiss on the cheek. She smelled like pressed powder and juniper.

“Hi,” I said awkwardly. After what I’d just heard, I was expecting her to push me down the steps.

“There are cookies,” Teddy said, tugging at Ursula’s dress. “I smell them.”

“I caught the scent as soon as I came in. Gloria is such a fine baker.” Ursula said it with enthusiasm, but it was clear no cookie had passed her lips this century.

“How was the zoo?” Gloria asked me.

“Cookieeeeee!” Teddy insisted.

“Okay, but just one. You don’t want to spoil your appetite for dinner.” Gloria shook her head as he raced by her. “That boy really loves cookies.”

“The park was great,” I said. “Teddy could hang out there all day, every day.”

“Teddy is lucky to have a nice auntie who wants to spend time with him,” Ursula said. “Unlike his other auntie.”