The instant they hear the coffee mug hit the granite countertop they know they are busted. Gabriel winces as he rounds the corner. Mrs. Hughes glares at him first before turning to glare at each of her children in turn.
“You’ve got a lot of explaining to do,” she says as the trio shuffles into the kitchen.
“It’s really not what it looks like,” Sadie says, nervously tugging on a strand of her hair.
“Oh no?” her mother questions as her lips purse. “‘Cause it sure looks like the three of you crashed upstairs after a long night of partying.”
“Oh,” William snickers, fighting to straighten the wrinkles from his shirt. “Then it is what it looks like.”
“Uh-huh. So that explains why Gabriel’s father has been calling us nonstop for the past three hours.”
Gabriel groans. “I’m so sorry, Mrs. Hughes. I never meant to disturb you.”
“I understand that Gabriel, but what I do not understand is why you are here. Your father is under the impression that you should be with Claire.”
“Yes, ma’am.” He sends a warning glare at Sadie as she opens her mouth. She instantly clams up and passes on the look to her yawning brother. “I got a ride home from Sadie last night but forgot my house key. I tried to wake my parents but I guess they couldn’t hear me. Sadie was kind enough to let me crash here.”
“In her bedroom?” Mrs. Hughes glares.
“Nah, he was with me,” William covers smoothly. “He crashed on the floor. Looks terrible, doesn’t he?”
Gabriel swallows down his cutting remark. If it weren’t for William’s quick thinking, his tail might be skinned by the butcher’s knife beside Mrs. Hughes hand. For a moment, she looks like she is contemplating using it but finally her face sags with exhaustion. “I don’t know how you kids slept through all that racket. I swear all that ringing has spawned a migraine from Hell!”
“We haven’t had a landline in our rooms since we were eight. How on earth would we have heard the phone?” William rolls his eyes. “Get with the times, Mom.”
“Yeah, yeah,” she yawns. “Well now that I know you’re not dead in a ditch somewhere I can get some sleep. But you and I are gonna have a little chat this afternoon, Sadie Marie Hughes.”
Sadie winces at the dreaded middle name. “I’ll be here.” She forces a smile.
Mrs. Hughes glares one final time before heading back up the stairs. Gabriel breathes a sigh of relief. They wait until her bedroom door closes before dashing to the hall to collect their coats and bustle outside.
“Where’s your car?” William asks. The street and drive in front of Gabriel’s house are vacant.
“We parked around the corner so my parents wouldn’t know where I was.” Gabriel sets off at a quick pace, unfazed by the sheen of ice covering the path. Sadie grips William’s forearm to remain upright.
“Good thinking, except for the part where you shacked up with my sister for the night,” William growls. “What were you thinking?”
“I wasn’t,” Gabriel replies, as he races ahead to his car. He presses the key fob and dives into the driver’s seat. William and Sadie quickly follow, moaning about how cold it is. Gabriel frowns. He hadn’t even noticed the temperature.
“This is taking too long,” he mutters as he cranks the defrost on full force.
“Patience is a virtue and I think it really sucks.” Sadie rubs her hands together. The tingling numbness has turned into agonizing pain. “I hate winter.”
William glances between his sister and Gabriel in the front seat. “So, is anyone going to fill me in?”
Gabriel looks back over his shoulder. “We’re going to Rose’s house again.”
“Looking for clues?”
“Something like that,” Gabriel nods. He flicks the windshield wipers and watches as they clear a small streak. “Good enough for me.” He ignores the worried glance the siblings share as he pulls out onto the road.
Five minutes later, Gabriel slides to a stop in front of Rose’s deserted house. “Everyone coming?” he asks as he jumps out of the car.
He doesn’t wait to see if they will follow him as he hurries up the path. His shoes crunch heavily on the ice-glazed grass as he crouches.
“What are you looking for?” Sadie calls, wrapping her arms tightly around her waist. Her black ski jacket does little to keep out the biting chill of the arctic air that whips down the street.
“A rock.”
Spotting a large, jagged gray stone half buried under the bushes, Gabriel digs it out and tosses it in the air, getting a feel for its weight. Before Sadie can protest, Gabriel chucks it right through the glass panel edging the door. “Are you insane?”
“You got a better idea?” he grunts as he slips his arm through the broken glass, turning the lock. “Got it.”
The door swings open but no one moves to walk through. “This is so illegal,” William mutters, staring into the dark space.
“It’s Rose. Do you think she will press charges?” Gabriel asks, stepping over the threshold.
“What the…” Sadie exclaims, turning around. “Where is everything?”
“Was she robbed?” William ducks his head into the kitchen. The counters are empty, cupboards bare, and the fridge door is open. “Man, they took everything.”
“No.” Gabriel shakes his head as he moves toward the stairs. “This is how it’s always been.”
“But that can’t be,” Sadie protests, hurrying to follow Gabriel up the stairs. Her gaze flickers over the empty room on the right. Its sole occupant is the largest, hairiest spider she has ever seen.
“Gross!” she squeals, slamming the door closed. Gabriel stops in front of a partially open door, his hand pressed against the splintered frame.
“What’s wrong?” William appears from the bottom floor.
“It’s her room,” Gabriel responds with a hushed voice and pushes the door open. The room has not changed much. The same lumpy mattress sits in the corner with its sheets falling haphazardly onto the floor. The room is just as barren and bleak as he remembers it, but one thing has changed—Rose’s laptop lies lifeless on the floor with a fist-sized hole punched through it.
“Wow, what do you think did this?” William asks, bending to poke the machine.
Gabriel’s lips thin out. He knows exactly what happened but feels too guilty to offer a false explanation. Another pile of plastic bits lies off to his left. “I guess we know why she’s not answering her phone.”
Sadie groans as she reaches down to sift the shattered phone parts through her fingers. “Now we have no way of reaching her.”
“Maybe that’s not true,” William mutters, staring out the window.
Gabriel turns. “Meaning?”
William picks up a photo from the end of the table. Gabriel and Sadie move in closer to take a better look. Gabriel rears back, shocked by the evidence before him. “I think we need to have a little chat with Nicolae.”
Thirty-Five