“You saying you can’t bust in?” TJ asked. “The great Ladarius McCade? Or was that just a bunch of bullshit?”

“Damn, girl,” he said. “You know how to turn those screws.”

Ladarius shook his head, got out of the minivan, and soon they all headed up the drive and around the back of the property, up to a big-tiled patio with a view out onto the depths of the endless cold lake. Little lights flickered across the water; green and red bulbs shone at the end of a pier down the hill.

Ladarius disappeared, and five minutes later, he came through the house and opened up the back door.

“I was gonna cut the power,” he said. “But there ain’t no power. I guess rich folks forget to pay their bills, too. Cut the phone line with my pocketknife. Just to make sure.”

“Security box?”

“Deader than hell.”

“What’s it like?”

Ladarius grinned big and held the door open wide. “How about y’all come in and see.”

Ladarius turned on his cell phone, shining the light onto the marble floors. While the outside had gone wild, the inside looked as if someone had just stepped out for a moment and planned to be back any minute. It was cold, feeling even colder in the big house than it was outside, and they could see their breaths as they headed deeper into the mansion.

“I can get the power back on,” Ladarius said, blowing into his fist. “What do you think?”

TJ looked to Holly, Holly giving a little shrug, not at all comfortable with breaking and entering. John Wesley stood close to TJ, her arm around his shoulder walking him through the big house, looking up at his sister wondering what the hell was going on.

“Alarm will get tripped,” TJ said.

“I’ll cut that box loose first,” Ladarius said. “Shit. Who you talking to? Come on now.”

TJ left John Wesley with Holly to go find the kitchen and she headed back outside with Ladarius. He’d found a screwdriver and a set of pliers inside. TJ held the phone for a flashlight while he pried and pulled, snipping the tag from the electric company off the junction box.

“We needed this,” TJ said, closing her eyes. “I prayed about it the whole way from Little Rock. I prayed like I hadn’t my whole life. I promised God I’d get straight if we could get a little rest. Lord. I’m so tired I can barely keep my eyes open.”

“Let’s see how you did, TJ Byrd.”

Ladarius opened the junction box and flipped up the master switch, the downstairs of the mansion glowing with warm yellow light. They held their breath and waited, listening for an alarm but hearing only the stillness of the lake and pine trees shuddering in the cold wind.

TJ exhaled and smiled.