“You don’t think,” I swirled my finger in front of her, “this all might be a bit much?”

She arched an eyebrow.

Nora was wearing a full-length black velvet jacket that had about a million buttons running down the front and laced, pointy-toed boots.

“Is there a broomstick that goes with this outfit? Maybe a peaked hat?”

“Don’t tempt me. I’m not in the business of dressing to make others comfortable.” Nora brushed by me, then trotted down the front steps in a manner I never would have attempted in those boots.

Izzy came to my side and linked her arm through mine as we watched Nora stride toward the sidewalk.

I met my aunt’s worried eyes with my own. “Tonight’s going to be a disaster, isn’t it?”

“I would think so. Yes.”

Nora suddenly stopped her march and looked back at us. “Well, are you coming? I’m sure there’ll be enough room on the pyre for all of us.”

Izzy and I let out identical sighs, then followed Nora into the night.

• • •

The sense of dread I was feeling dissipated a little as we approached the retired fire hall. It was a cozy old place, and the warm yellow light spilling out from the windows into the darkness was a welcoming sight.

As we got closer, I spotted the man I had been looking for all day. “You two go on ahead,” I said to my aunts. “I’ll be right there.”

“Where are you going?” Nora called out testily, but I ignored her and hurried over to John Graves.

“Hello, girlie,” he said. “Wasn’t sure if you and yours would show up for this circus tonight.”

“I could say the same about you.” I returned the smile he was giving me, but my palms had begun to sweat under my gloves. This wasn’t exactly how I wanted to give him the letter. The guilt of keeping it from him, though, had become nearly unbearable. I knew how I would feel if Adam had left a letter and it had been kept from me.

I reached into my bag. “I have something for you.”

The younger Graves brother frowned. He took the letter and stared at it a good long time before looking back up at me. “Where did you get this?”

Just then someone caught my attention. A few people had gathered outside by the front doors of the fire hall, but only one was staring at me. Maureen Graves. There was no mistaking the look of warning on her face. “The person who gave it to me asked that I not tell you where it came from. They want to explain how—”

“It’s been opened,” John said, holding up the envelope.

“I know. I can promise you I haven’t read it. And if the person who passed it along to me doesn’t come to you soon, I’ll tell you everything I know.”

“That’s not good enough,” he said.

“I know it’s not, and I’m so sorry for that. I really am.”