“What do you think it is, Isaac?” Mom asks. “Do you think it has anything to do with us?”
Dad looks at her sharply. “Of course not. How could … ,” his voice trails off. “Unless Naomi … ” His face pales. “Oh my God.” By now Claudia has parked the car behind the Great House, along with all the other cars. Dad pushes open the door and disappears around the front of the house.
“Well,” Mom says, putting her arms around me. “We’re home.” She gives me a tight smile. “Let’s go.”
My knees feel like Jell-O standing in front of the Great Door again. Benny makes a whimpering sound and buries his face in the side of Mom’s leg.
“He’s scared,” I say, stepping forward. “It reminds him of … ” But Mom only picks him up silently and walks through the door.
Although all two hundred and sixty Believers are present in the large room, it feels like a tomb inside. Dressed in their blue robes, some of them are kneeling in front of the crucifix on the wall, silently mouthing desperate prayers. Christine is among them, but she is just staring at a point on the wall next to the crucifix. She is not praying. Her face is pasty, her lips trembling. Dad is already in one of the far corners, whispering with Amanda Woodward’s father. Everyone else is sitting at one of the long tables, staring ahead, not saying a word. Mr. Murphy lifts his head as we walk back into the room, but gives no expression of recognition. Iris is sitting next to him, swinging her feet under the bench. Mom pulls a clean blue robe over Benny’s head and then hands me one. I slide into it carefully and tie the cord.
“What’s going on, Samuel?” she whispers.
Mr. Murphy looks scared and tired. “Some kind of police investigation,” he says.
Mom’s face darkens. “Why? Who made allegations?”
Mr. Murphy shrugs. “No one knows. The police drove up here out of nowhere, just about an hour ago.”
Mom takes a deep breath and then closes her eyes. “We must pray.” Taking my hand, she begins to chant in Latin. Mr. Murphy joins her. I stay silent, staring first at Benny and then at Iris, who are looking at each other across the table.
“Are you okay?” Iris mouths.
Benny nods.
“Does your hand hurt?”
He shakes his head from side to side.
“I’m glad you’re back.”
Benny smiles sadly at her.
I look at my brother, really look at him, for maybe the first time. What is he trying to say? What does he need to tell me? Why won’t he talk?
Dad comes over then and sits down with his back to me. He stares grimly at my mother. “No one seems to know anything just yet,” he says in a low voice. “We’ll just have to wait and see.”
Just then something bounces off my arm. I look up. Winky is sitting two tables over, waiting for me to look at him. He points toward the Great Door. “I have to tell you something,” he mouths.
I sit back a little in alarm. Aside from when I came to get Honey from his garden, Winky has never said more than “hello” and “good-bye” to me. He scares me a little, if you want to know the truth. I don’t like looking straight at his face.
“Please.” His lips form the word carefully.
I look over at Mom and Dad. They are still deep in conversation.
Winky is waiting for me outside the restroom when I get there.
“Honey’s not with us,” I whisper. “She stayed behind in … ”
He shakes his head and pushes a piece of paper in my hands. As I open it and see Honey’s handwriting, my hands start to shake.
Dear Winky:
Please don’t be mad at me. Nana Pete and Agnes and Benny and me are all running away. Bad things have been happening to us. Emmanuel has a secret room called the Regulation Room that he takes us to and beats us with belts in. I have marks on my back to prove it. Nana Pete found out about the room and she is taking us away from this horrible place. I think we are going to Texas, but we haven’t really worked everything out yet, so I will let you know when we get there.
There is one thing I need you to do for me. I think there may be a slight possibility that Agnes will come back. Even if I don’t come with her. I don’t have any proof; it’s just a gut feeling. And if she comes back, Emmanuel will make her and Benny pay in a way that I can’t even let myself think about. I’m afraid he will hurt them terribly. So please, if you find out that Agnes is returning, please call the police and tell them what I have told you. Tell them about the room. Tell them that all of the kids here are being hurt. Please, Winky. If I can’t save Agnes, please help me do it for her.
All my love,
Honey
P.S. I’m sorry I was too chicken to say good-bye to you myself. But I know I will see you again and when I do, I will be able to do it the right way.
“It was you who called the police when you found out we were coming back?” I ask when my voice finally returns.
Winky nods.