Chapter 6: Lemon Cake

Tonight did not happen.

At noon one of Torin's men came into the shop, bought a coffee he did not drink, and left a card on the counter.

On the back, in square black handwriting, it said: The Sable Creek wolves moved the border meeting to tonight and it cannot be moved.

I will be at your door at six tomorrow.

The number is mine.

Call it if anything happens.

I read it twice and put it in my apron.

The SUVs had gone, all but one, which sat at the end of Main Street with its engine off.

Briony's driver was still on the sidewalk, and he had been there for four hours.

I did not want to run from Torin.

I wanted to know who had sent that text.

Torin said he had never sent it.

And Briony had asked for my number the day before it happened.

She had said twins to a girl and a boy who did not look alike.

I do not believe in coincidences either.

At two I walked next door and found the baker kneading rye with his sleeves pushed up.

"I need the twins in your back room for an hour," I said.

"Don't ask."

"I haven't asked in six years," he said, and wiped his hands.

"Send them over with their coloring books."

I sent them.

Hazel took her whole box of crayons and Orin took two books in case the first was boring.

Then I took my phone out and opened the voice recorder.

I pushed it deep into the pocket of my apron with the red light facing in.

At three, a knock came at the back door.

It was Briony, alone, with a white box tied in a ribbon.

I had opened the door for her on purpose, and I let myself look as tired as I was.

"Please," she said, and put her foot in the gap.

"Torin doesn't know I'm here. I brought lemon cake."

"Five minutes," I said.

She came in and set the box on my table.

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