Now that Birdie had found out about the secret, she finally understood something even Emma might not know. Emma didn’t dislike Gordon. She disliked herself. And Junior and Ray failed their brother, so they didn’t allow themselves to succeed at anything in life. She wanted to shake them all until they confessed the secret they were keeping, but after all these years, whatever it was, they’d buried it so deep inside themselves that it was impossible to speak the truth.

Then someone tapped her on the shoulder. She turned around and saw Elliot Graham, the town recluse, standing before her. His hands were clasped against his chest, almost as if in prayer, and he was staring intently into her eyes. To say she was surprised to see him here was an understatement.

“Mr. Graham! How kind of you to come,” Birdie said.

“Your mother asked me to deliver a message to you,” he said.

“I didn’t realize you knew Mama,” she said.

“I didn’t, not in the sense you mean,” Elliot said. “Will you step outside with me a moment? She insisted it be delivered to you in private.”

Birdie was confused by what he was saying, but a message from Mama was something she wouldn’t refuse.

“Yes, of course,” she said, and when he offered his elbow, she slipped her hand beneath it, and they walked out together.

The night was cold, and Birdie was wishing she’d grabbed her coat when Elliot immediately removed his and slipped it over her shoulders.

“Thank you, sir, but I’m puzzled. If you didn’t know Mama well, then why did she leave the message with you?”

“Because I’m the only one who can see and hear her now.”

For a second Birdie’s heart just stopped, and when it kicked up again it was pounding.

“You mean you—?”

Elliot held up a hand. “What I do is of no matter. It’s the message I am to deliver. Rest assured I don’t know what any of this means, but she said you would understand, and since it’s a bit chilly out here I won’t waste time. She said she’s sorry for not telling you. She said Hunt deserves to know the truth. She said the others won’t be free until it’s told. She said it starts with Emma, and your father took it because of her. She said Junior and Ray knew and said nothing because your father demanded silence from all of them. She said she didn’t know any of this until she passed, and then it was revealed to her.”

“Oh my God,” Birdie said, and then covered her face.

Elliot sighed. “I can see this is upsetting to you. I am sorry, but when Spirit asks, I can’t say no.”