Nick rubbed at the stubble on his chin as he stared across the table at Lionel. “You don’t have to explain it. I totally understand, and I can’t explain it either, other than by saying that something doesn’t feel right. We’ve been doing this for what seems like forever, and there has never been a real blip. This is something I’ve not experienced before on this job with you guys. At first I wasn’t going to say anything because I thought you all would think I had gone bonkers. It will be interesting to see what Dom has to say when he finishes his shift. You want a root beer, Lionel?”

“No thanks. I’m going to pull out that cot over there and catch a few z’s. If you think of anything, or if something goes down, wake me right away. And lock the door.”

Root beer bottle in one hand, cell phone in the other, Nick walked over to the clubhouse door and double-locked it. He looked around, grateful that there were no windows in the clubhouse. His eyes narrowed, his shoulders trembled, and he didn’t know why.

He was safe.

For now.

From what?

Knowing there wasn’t going to be an answer to his silent questions, Nick reached for his laptop and opened it up. He had a paper due in two days and was behind on two other assignments. He needed to crack the books, and now was as good a time as any; it had the added benefit of taking his mind off whatever mystery was going on at Happy Village.

Two hours later, Nick turned off his laptop, satisfied he’d done a good job on his five-thousand-word essay. As an exchange student, he found American academics much easier than those in England. He sighed, rolled his head on his shoulders, then got up and did some stretches. He was about to drop to the floor to do some sit-ups when he heard an ungodly whoop from the far corner of the room, where Lionel was sleeping on the cot.

“What the bloody hell! Did you fall off the cot and break something? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing is wrong! Suddenly, everything is all right. Didja hear me, Nick, I figured it out when I was sleeping. I know what I missed. You missed it, too, and so did Dom. Think, man, really think. What didn’t you see and smell tonight?”