Margot stepped into the room, her face set. “Your father told you not to make another one of those dolls.”

“It’s not a doll!”

“You purposely disobeyed him.”

“But, Mom!”

“No ‘buts,’” Daniel said. He was still holding the doll in his hand, but he wanted to drop it, get rid of it. The irrational fear that it would come to life and suddenly attack him, biting his face with its newsprint mouth, had come over him and refused to be dislodged from his brain. He could not let his son see that he was afraid of the figure, though, and he shook it again at the boy. “You’re grounded for a week. And if I ever catch you doing this again, you’re going to be in big, big trouble.”

Margot looked at him again, her eyes worried, before turning once more toward Tony. “Why is this thing so important to you? Why are you doing this?”

Tony stared down at his shoes. “Nothing,” he said.

“The answer to ‘why?’ is never ‘nothing.’”

“I don’t know.”

“Look at me, young man.” He glanced up at his mother. “There’s something going on here that you’re not telling us.”

“I’m sorry. I won’t do it again.”

“What is the big deal about this doll?”

“It’s not—”

“It’s a doll,” she said flatly.

“Where did you learn how to make it?” Daniel asked.

“Doneen,” Tony said reluctantly. “Doneen taught me how to do it.”

Doneen?

Margot’s expression was blank. She’d obviously never heard of anyone named Doneen.

But he had.

In the House.

“Who’s Doneen?” he asked.

“A new girl. She lives over on Edgecomb.”

“When did you meet her?” Margot asked. “And why haven’t you said anything to us about her?”

Tony shrugged uncomfortably.

“Is she in your class?”

“Not exactly.”

Daniel felt cold. “You can’t see her anymore,” he said. “You understand me?”

“Why not?”

“I don’t want you to.”

“She’s a nice girl.”

“I don’t care.”

“Her dad said he wanted to talk to you.”

“Her dad?”

“Mr. Billingsly.”

The coldness intensified.

Billingsly.

He’d heard that name before, too.

Daniel dropped the doll in the trash can, wary of holding on to it any longer. He’d pick it up later and make sure it was destroyed. He sat down on the bed next to Tony, putting an arm around his son’s shoulders. “Look,” he said. “Whether you believe it or not, we’re doing this for your own good.”

“But—”

Daniel held up his hand. “Let me finish. I’ll go talk to this Mr. Billingsly tomorrow, but until your mother or I tell you otherwise, you are not to see this girl Doneen and you are not to make any more dolls.”