Not for the first time, Cricket wondered whether her mother was a double agent. Sometimes she seemed like a regular mother, interested in coffee and book clubs and her work as a freelance designer. But other times she seemed to look at Cricket as if she knew every one of Cricket’s thoughts and intentions, as if Cricket’s secrets weren’t secret at all.

Moms were DISCONCERTING.

“I wanted the logbook because I wanted to see who had been to the building.”

“Because of Karl?”

It wasn’t the reason, or at least, it wasn’t the whole reason, but her mother would think it was as good a reason as any. “Yes.”

Her mother nodded, thinking. “What if I make you a deal?”

Now Cricket was suspicious. “What kind of deal?”

“If I take you to see the security chief of the building, and let you watch the recordings of the day Karl was taken—”

“But Detective Biedermann already watched those!”

“We haven’t,” said her mother.

Cricket could hardly believe her luck. “Yes!”

“Hold on, I’m not done. If I take you to see those recordings, will you promise—”

“I’ll be good!”

“That wasn’t what I was going to say, either. Let me finish.”

“Okay,” said Cricket, wishing she would finish a little faster.

“What I was going to say was that I’d like you to promise me that you’ll tell me if you see something truly strange or scary or dangerous. I can help you. But I can’t help you if I don’t know what’s wrong, if I don’t know what you’re truly up to. Do you understand?”

Her mother was being disconcerting again. Maybe she was a double agent—a mom, and more than a mom. A super-mom. A person who could still do depressing grown-up things like food shopping and taxes and laundry without screaming, but also hadn’t lost her imagination and her curiosity and her brains. A person who knew the way the world worked, who knew how unfair things really were.

Maybe it would be okay to trust her.

Just this once.

Cricket reached under her bed, pulled out a box. She opened the lid and showed her mother what was inside.

Her mother backed up, her whole face screwing up in disgust. “Ugh, Cricket! What are those?”

“Not what you think,” said Cricket.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

Theo

Like his sister, Theo had been watching the island’s shore, too. He saw the figure in gray lower her hood, saw the perfect oval face.

“It’s a woman!” Theo said, impressed. He looked at Tess and Jaime, expected them to be as impressed as Theo was. But they were much more than impressed. They seemed utterly shocked. Jaime most of all.