“Anyway, I think you should know about upstairs. I just went to the third floor. It’s not an attic. It’s a dorm or something.”

I rolled over and faced her.

“What do you mean?” I said.

Murphy smiled a little, like she was glad I’d cracked and spoken to her.

“I mean there are like ten bunk beds up there,” she said. “With sheets and stuff. It’s all set up for people to come and live.”

The Farm. The congregation. They were coming back. I was so happy I could hardly stand it.

“Don’t you think that’s weird?” she said.

“Yeah,” I said. “Crazy. I wonder what it’s all about.”

“I don’t have a clue, but I’m going to find out.”

“How?”

“Well, while you were laid up in bed all day being hungover, I was up on the roof cleaning the gutters, and I got a pretty good view of the place. I mean, the whole Farm—the pond and the trees and the fields and everything. And I saw something in the woods. Something big and metal glimmering out there in the sun.”

“What was it?”

“I don’t know,” she said. “But Grandma’s hiding something, and I’m going to find out what it is. Are you sure you don’t have any idea?”

“Nope,” I said. “I don’t know a thing.”

Murphy climbed up to my bunk so we were at the same eye level.

“Why don’t I believe you?” she said.

“That’s your choice, Murphy,” I said. “I can’t do a thing about it.”

Murphy scowled.

“Whatever. I’m going to check it out.”

“In the rain?”

“Yes, in the rain. It’s like eighty degrees out, I’m not going to catch the goddamn cholera or something.”

“Well, good luck.”

“You’re not coming?”

“No, I’m not coming.”

“Seriously? You’re going to send me into the woods to investigate something in a rainstorm alone? What kind of brother are you?”

“A smart one,” I said.

She glared at me. “If only Mom could see us now.”

Why did I suddenly feel like she actually could? Why did I feel like Mom was in the room with us and speaking to us, begging us to listen, but neither of us had the eyes to see her or the ears to hear her voice? Maybe I did need to go with Murphy. After all, the third Gentleman had said there was a still a secret in the woods, hadn’t he? I’d thought he meant Jeremiah’s grave, but maybe there was something else out there. Maybe Murphy would lead me to it tonight.

“Okay,” I said. “I’ll go with you.”

“I knew you’d come around.” She aimed the flashlight at her face. “It’s time to go exploring. Into the woods. Into the darkness.”

And she clicked the light off.