“We won’t tell her. We’ll tell Max, and he can deal with his son.”

Amelia grabbed her purse and camera, and headed for the door, then turned around. “Mike, Miriam’s on a field trip with her class. I said I’d pick up Sadie at Caster Elementary at two this afternoon. Will you do it for me?”

“Sure. What classroom?”

“Second grade. Mrs. Becker. Try to get there about a quarter of two.”

“Be careful, Amelia, please.”

She came to him and kissed him lightly on the cheek. “Thanks, Mike, for worrying about me. You’re a good friend.”

Amelia’s palms were clammy. Her heart raced. Grace had said, “Meet me on the corner of Sunset Street and Old Sycamore Road.” Amelia did not know where that was but she followed Grace’s directions and was surprised when, turning off Main Street in Weaverville, she saw Sunset Street on a green post on the right. The road curved down and around and dead-ended at Old Sycamore Road, a quiet, pleasant, tree-lined street of older, well kept-up homes.

Grace, hardly a sleuth, crouched behind a dogwood hedge, her arm raised high, motioning Amelia to move her car farther down the street.

Feeling ridiculous, Amelia parked and joined Grace behind the bushes.

“He went in there, 488 Sunset Street. Several men have gone in, and no one’s come out.”

The house was a two-story, light gray clapboard with dark gray shutters and a porch that ran the length of the front, with wide steps going up to it.

“Do you think it’s a house of ill repute?” Amelia asked.

“That’s an old-fashioned way of putting it,” Grace replied. “I hardly think this is the neighborhood for that kind of thing. Let’s go up on the porch and have a peek in a window.”

Amelia held back, pulling at Grace’s arm. “We can’t do that, can we?”

Grace turned to Amelia, exasperation in her eyes. “Look. You stay here if you want to. I’m going to have a look.” Grace slipped from behind the shrubs.

“I’m not staying here alone. What if someone comes by? What if the cops come along and see us?”

“Amelia. Stop it. You’ve been to too many police movies. Let’s go. Stay close.”

Crouching, as if somehow she would be less rather than more conspicuous if seen, Grace headed for the house and reached the steps, with Amelia trailing behind her. She hesitated a moment, looked to right and left, then marched up onto the porch and headed for the first window. The window shade, though lowered, did not completely hide the room, and by stooping low, Grace could see inside. She beckoned to Amelia. “Come on over here. You’ve got to see this.”