Dad Hears My Thoughts novel · Chapter 8 of 32

Chapter 8: The Search

"They'll open it," I said. "They'll open everything."

Tristram went to the window and looked out through the crack in the shutter.

"Two watchmen at the top of the street," he said. "Two at the bottom by the quay."

"So we can't carry it out."

"Not unless you want them to find it on us."

I unscrewed the brass foot and tipped the Sun Diamond into my hand.

It was warm from sitting by the stove all week.

"The floor," Tristram said.

"They'll pull the boards up. My father kept savings there and the whole street knew."

"The chimney."

"First place a thief hides anything."

"The cat."

I looked at him.

He held up his hands. "I'm only thinking out loud."

The cat, awake again and sulky after his long sleep, glared at us from the wheel.

In the drawer by the stove, the baby turned over and sighed in her sleep.

I looked at her for a long time.

"What's the one thing nobody searches?" I said.

"A baby?"

"Not a baby. A baby's breakfast."

At first light I made porridge.

I made it thick.

I put the Sun Diamond in the bottom of her wooden bowl and poured the porridge over it.

Then I took the poisoned wine next door, wrapped in a flour sack.

I asked the widow to keep it in her oven cupboard.

She didn't ask why. She just nodded and shut the cupboard door on it.

They came at sunrise.

Six watchmen and the captain, with crowbars.

Behind them, leaning in my doorway in a fur-lined coat, was Ralph.

"Don't mind me," he said. "The King asked the family to observe."

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