“Allenport.” Linnie stared straight ahead. “I have to stop by Caleb’s.”

When they got there, despite the wet, cold weather, they found him outside, leaning against a post on the porch. He was talking to Sam.

As soon as Linnie parked on the side of the road, Kate peeled out of the car, holding a spiral notebook. It flapped like a wing. She raced up to her dad.

He caught her and gave her a jostling hug. “Now this is a nice surprise.”

“Surprise!” Kate shouted, and giggled when he carried her down from the porch, hugely bouncing her with each step.

Caleb followed and gave Maggie a cheerful nod. “How’s it going?”

“Good.” Tolerable. She smiled wanly. “How about you?”

“Great.”

Sam snorted. “Caleb’s always great.” He set his daughter back on her feet and held her against his side, palming the dark head. “What’s up?” he asked Linnie.

She shrugged and shoved her hands into her coat pockets, then she sat heavily on a middle step, exhaling a sound like a high-pitched phoof. “I’m beat,” she said to no one in particular.

“So am I,” Sam said. Kate wiggled out from under his palm. For a second, he didn’t seem to know what to do with his hand. Then he closed it into a fist and held it against his heart. “It’s been a long week.” His frown flickered over his daughter.

With the spiral notebook tucked under her arm, Kate jogged up the stairs past her mother. On the landing, she spun around and ordered Caleb to catch her. As soon as he did, she laughed. “Put me down!” Then she trotted back up the stairs and said, “Catch me again, Caleb!”

The notebook slipped away from her on the second leap.

Maggie collected it and wiped off the old snow streaking its cover. “Want me to hold this for you?”

“No.” As if Maggie were planning a confiscation, Kate pounced and grabbed the notebook. “This is my book of secrets.”

“Oh.” Another book by Kate Blake. Exciting. “Okay.” She turned back to Linnie.

Kate sidled between them and pressed the notebook against her chest. “Want to know what today’s secret is?”

“Sure. What’s today’s secret?”

“Duh. I can’t tell you. It’s a secret.”

The others found this funny. Maggie smiled. It was kind of funny. But mostly it was annoying.

Linnie stood. “I’m getting cold. Let’s go in.”

When Caleb got to the door, he bent to pick up a bag and explained, “Leftovers. Sam and I went to Mythos for lunch. Hungry?”

Maggie thought about it. “Actually, yes. Starving.”

“Me too,” Linnie said.

He beamed. “We’d better feed you, then.” And he waved them all in.

One of Caleb’s housemates lounged in the living room. It was Jack, the weight lifter Maggie had met the first time she’d visited the place.