Griff looked serious. “To write about my grandfather with Vera’s help. What else could I want?” He looked back at the gate. “She sure is pretty, isn’t she? You should have seen her with that bow! She was Artemis come to life. The sun lit up her hair. And her eyes... They were like gold. She—” He caught himself and looked back at Miguel. “Sorry. I mean, she seems really smart and I’d like to work with her. If that’s possible. But I guess you and Vera are all I need.” He stood up. “I better go. I haven’t had anything to eat all day. Where can I get food?”

Miguel was still stretched out on the grass, leaning back on his forearms and looking up at Griff. “Go through the gate, past the rides, turn left. Ask people until you find Forey. Fortunata. Tell her you’re my guest and she’ll feed you.”

Griff was walking backward. “Thanks, and, uh, sorry about what I said about your daughter. And what I did to her boyfriend. I’m sure he’s a nice guy. I’ll see you later, I guess.”

“Meet us at the schoolhouse in an hour,” Miguel called after him. “Forey will tell you where it is. We’ll start going over things.”

“Will do.” Griff hurried away.

Miguel watched the young man. He and Vera had come to like him very much. They’d had a lot of talks that lasted into the night. They cooked meals together, confided about their lives. Miguel knew about Griff’s past girlfriends, and he’d talked to Griff’s family via Skype. A few times, Miguel had told stories about him and Vera. But they’d never said much about Michaela. And by silent mutual agreement, he and Vera hadn’t told Michaela anything about Griff.

The closer Griff got to the gate, the faster he walked. In a hurry to get to Michaela? Miguel thought. Interesting that her new boyfriend lied to Security. He used his local ties to get rid of someone who was...what? Looking too hard at his pretty girlfriend? Miguel got up, smiling. Artemis, was it? Eyes like gold? Sunlit hair?

As he cleaned up the area, Miguel looked around. The cellar may no longer exist, but there were other places where young people could meet. He needed to unlock the schoolhouse, then keep Vera busy for a few hours. He didn’t want anyone interrupting Griff and Michaela.

He called Kyle. “Are you doing anything today?”

“Becks gave me a dozen things to do. I’ll pay you to get me out of them.” He paused. “I’ll make Dad do them.”

“In that case, I definitely have a job for you. I got the idea that you aren’t enamored of Michaela’s new boyfriend.”

“Pompous, know-it-all jerk. What does she see in him?”