“That’s what the dogs are going to find out,” Amos said. “They’re trained to sniff out the stuff that bombs are made from.”

“They have a job,” Abigail said. “Like Brutus.”

Amos kissed the top of her head. “Exactly. When they get here, we need to let them work.”

“Okay, Papa.” She sighed, a grown-up sound. “Why does he want to hurt us?”

Amos closed his eyes. “He’s bad, baby. Just . . . evil. But Mr. Tom and all the other officers are looking for him. We just need to be brave a little longer.”

Abigail nodded. “We could bake. Miss Irina always bakes when she’s afraid. So do Liza and Mercy.”

The three of them laughed. “You are far too smart, lubimaya,” Irina said. “Come. We will bake. Mercy? Liza?”

“I am so in,” Liza said, but her cell phone began to ring. It was Special Agent Raeburn. “But I need to answer this first. You get started and I’ll help in a bit.”

She went into the laundry room to take the call, shutting the door for privacy. So far, Mercy didn’t know about her job at Sunnyside Oaks, and Liza aimed to keep it that way. Mercy had enough to worry about. “Hello?”

“Miss Barkley, this is Special Agent Raeburn. Are you well?”

“We’re nervous,” Liza said, knowing that he wasn’t asking about her health. “But okay.”

“Good. Very good. I’d wanted to bring you in for a briefing before you start at Sunnyside tomorrow morning, but it’s better that you stay where you are.”

“Has something new happened?”

“Things are . . . in play. For now, let’s discuss your role. First and foremost, you are not to do anything that puts you in any additional danger. You will wear your wire.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Good. You will leave your personal phone with the agents manning the surveillance van. Agent Hunter will make sure you get a burner that you can use in an emergency.”

“Because Sunnyside will break into my locker and search my phone. What’s next?”

“We have custom shoes for you. They have a hollow sole in which you can conceal a small blade that we will also provide.”

“How very James Bond.”

He chuckled. “Isn’t it, though? I assume they’ll search you or maybe even have some kind of metal detector for you to pass through. The blade is ceramic and won’t set off the detector.”

“Yes, sir.” Liza wondered if Tom had told him about recruiting Rafe and decided not to ask.

“Do you wear glasses?”

“Contacts, but I have glasses.”

“Give your glasses to the agent on duty. He’ll be around shortly for them. We’re going to remove your lenses and replace them with nonprescription lenses. The frames will be fitted with a small camera. That way if something happens to the pendant Agent Hunter prepared for you, we’ll still have a visual.”

“I have my glasses with me, so that’s no problem.”

“Good. We still don’t have access to the security network. This puts you at a higher risk.”