BooksBarbecue
Back The Year the Maps Changed Save as PDF
Chapters (75)
  1. Cover
  2. Title Page
  3. Dedication
  4. Epigraph
  5. Map
  6. Prologue
  7. 1
  8. 2
  9. 3
  10. 4
  11. 5
  12. 6
  13. 7
  14. 8
  15. 9
  16. 10
  17. 11
  18. 12
  19. 13
  20. 14
  21. 15
  22. 16
  23. 17
  24. 18
  25. 19
  26. 20
  27. 21
  28. 22
  29. 23
  30. 24
  31. 25
  32. 26
  33. 27
  34. 28
  35. 29
  36. 30
  37. 31
  38. 32
  39. 33
  40. 34
  41. 35
  42. 36
  43. 37
  44. 38
  45. 39
  46. 40
  47. 41
  48. 42
  49. 43
  50. 44
  51. 45
  52. 46
  53. 47
  54. 48
  55. 49
  56. 50
  57. 51
  58. 52
  59. 53
  60. 54
  61. 55
  62. 56
  63. 57
  64. 58
  65. 59
  66. 60
  67. 61
  68. 62
  69. 63
  70. 64
  71. 65
  72. 66
  73. Acknowledgments
  74. About the Author
  75. About the Publisher

“Why won’t you even try?” I yelled.

He opened his hands out to me, but then they fell by his side again and he just kept shaking his head.

“It was our idea,” Sam said behind me, quietly. “It wasn’t Pop—I mean, it wasn’t Jeff’s idea to bring Nora here,” he corrected, and Pop gave Sam a little nod, telling him to go on. “It was mine and Fred’s, because this is the safest place for her, and Fred’s right—it’s what you do.”

This time it was me reaching for Sam’s hand, and squeezing while he said one last thing. “You said deep down inside we all know the right way and what it looks like, and . . . this is the right way, we know it.”

Just then, there came a knock at the door, and everyone froze.

image

60

A Different Path

Nora doubled over from the shock of the sound until Mr. Khouri and Pop rushed to her side and took her hand.

“Quickly, my room!” I said and pointed wildly to my open doorway. They rushed inside and shut the door quietly.

Three sharp knocks came again.

It was Anika who shook herself, who looked up at Luca and cupped his cheek in her hand and nodded once, and then walked to the front door.

Two more sharp knocks before she got there and swung it open to reveal police officer Penny McNeal standing there in her blue uniform—which looked a little more creased and wilted than it had when we’d seen her at the start of the day. Even her tightly bobby-pinned bun had wisps of red hair escaping at the neck.

Anika stepped aside and Penny came into the house, the sound of her leather shoes squeaking and her duty belt jangling as she looked around the room at each of us, frowning.

“Ah, sorry, folks—have I interrupted something?” she asked.

I held my breath, and I figured Sam and Anika did, too—all of us waiting for Luca to say something.

Because it felt just then like we were standing and looking at two different paths, and Luca was the one who’d have to choose which we took.

“You’ve just caught us in the middle of a big decision, Penny,” Luca said, and I felt the color drain from my face.

I wanted to run over to him, throw my arms around his middle, and beg him to please, please, please not tell her about Nora. Beg him to save her. Choose the better way.

But I was steady and unmoving as a mountain.

“Oh?” Penny said, quirking one eyebrow and smiling nervously at all of us. “How’s that?”