isn’t the right way to say it. It’s more like we were one thing when we met and now we’re something different. We just grew apart and I got comfortable making myself small.” I stopped. “Sorry. Now I’m the one telling you all my business.”
“I told you about my mom, so it’s only fair you tell me about your problems.” He smiled. “That’s what friends are for, right?”
I couldn’t keep myself from grinning. Did he already think of me as a friend? “We’re here and I think we’ll try to make it work. Besides, I’m having fun finding out about Rhinebeck and the house.”
“The house?” he asked. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, I’ve been talking to people. Dr. Grant runs the Public Safety department and she said stuff has been goin’ on out here forever. The house has a reputation for attracting strange people.”
Karter rubbed the back of his neck. “Can I tell you something?”
“Uh oh,” I said. “That can’t be good. What is it? Somebody died in there, huh? Or it used to be a mortuary or something?”
He shook his head. “Nah, it’s just that I’ve heard things about this place, too. And the people who lived here before.”
“Really?” I asked, surprised. “What did you hear?”
He looked down at the ground, shifting from one foot to another. “People say the women who lived here were into witchcraft.”
“What?” I laughed but Karter didn’t. “You believe in that kind of thing?”
“I don’t know. I guess not. It was just something I heard. Thought it might be good to know.”
“In case any witches show up?” I was going to laugh again, but Marie’s face pushed its way to the front of my mind. I shook my head. Witches were ridiculous . . . right?
Karter’s phone buzzed, and he answered it.
“Just here with Briseis, Mom,” he said, rolling his eyes. A puzzled look spread across his face. He held out his phone. “She wants to talk to you.”
I took it. “Hi, Mrs. Redmond.”
“Hello, Briseis. Is everything all right?” she asked. “How are things going? You liking the place?”
“Everything’s good,” I said.
“That’s wonderful. I cannot tell you how happy I am that the house won’t be tied up with the bank.”
“I’m happy too,” I said.
Karter rolled his head back, then whispered, “She loves to talk. Just hang up on her.”
“Actually, I had a quick question,” I said, giving Karter a nudge. “Was there another key you were supposed to give me?”
Mrs. Redmond paused. “I’m pretty sure I gave you everything I had. Would you like me to double-check?”
“If you get a chance,” I said. “No big deal.”
“Did you come across a door you couldn’t open?” she asked.
I hesitated. “A couple of closets. We want to make sure there aren’t mice living in there.”
“I can understand that,” Mrs. Redmond said. “The property is pretty big, and Miss Colchis, by her own admission, never threw anything away. Maybe there’s another key in the house somewhere?”
I’d already searched the turret, the bedrooms, all the closets and drawers. But I did find a secret room, so there was still the possibility that I’d missed something.
“Listen,” Mrs. Redmond said. “I’ll double-check my office and see if I left anything behind.”
“Thanks,” I said. I handed the phone back to Karter, and he hung up after saying bye.
“You guys having trouble opening doors?” Karter asked. “Are you sure it’s locked? Sometimes in these old houses the hinges get stuck and you have to—” He stopped short.
I followed his gaze to the waist-high grass surrounding us. The blades were stretching toward me like a thousand eager arms. How could I have been so stupid? Walking through the grass with him like that? I couldn’t make him unsee what was happening, and to make things worse, the blades turned an obscene shade of bright, neon green. They refused to be ignored.
Karter grabbed my arm. “Why is it doing that?”
I had a choice to make. I could rush him back into the house and act like I was just as confused as he was. I could start the vicious cycle of lies and pretending, or I could do something I’d never done before. What would it be like to let everything be right out in the open? This friendship with Karter was new and I didn’t want to have to hide the way I did with Gabby back home.
I studied Karter’s expression. He was anxious, but he’d moved closer to me, not away. I took a deep breath.