The Sinners - Ruby Vincent Page 0,56
another payment in the locker today. I’m down to five hundred dollars. I won’t have enough to pay him next time, but I’m tired of there being a next time. I’m finding this guy.”
“Be easier if they told you the exact amount your parents stole,” Royal said. “Which is why he didn’t. He’s smart.”
“This list will narrow him down. It’s a start.”
“And this week we’ll get you more cash to hold him off.”
I tucked the list into my backpack. “The triplets are sunning it up at the beach over the break while we’re stealing a car. Happy turkey day to me.”
The long-awaited Thanksgiving break was almost here. We had two days of classes and then Wednesday the academy emptied out for students to celebrate with their families. The school never closed for the fact that busy Ravener parents couldn’t always make the time for pesky things like holidays. It was better to have their children attended to on school grounds than getting up to unsupervised mischief in the Estate.
Eli would be one of those students this year. I wasn’t bringing my little brother along while I committed a felony. On top of that, Aunt Violet called the school and me to repeat that they were not coming to get us. They had travel plans that wouldn’t be broken.
“I’m the worst sister there ever was. Leaving Eli alone on Thanksgiving when this will be his first one since our parents left.”
“Was it a big deal in your house?”
“Yeah,” I admitted. “We’d go to the lake house. Mom and Dad were friends with some of the families in the area, and they’d invite them to join us. Eli and I roasted marshmallows in the backyard and he’d sneak his peas onto my plate when Mom wasn’t looking.”
My gaze grew unfocused. The looming forest softened in a green haze. “It’s not just them being gone, Royal. It’s everything they took with them. Eli and I will never roast marshmallows over the fire while listening to Mom play Christmas music a month early.”
“No,” he said. “Instead you two will roast them over your stove in your New York loft. They didn’t take everything, Ember. You’ve still got the person who made that memory special.”
Tears welled in my eyes. The kind of tears that weren’t quite sad or quite happy. “And you pretend like you don’t know what to say.” I threaded my fingers through his. “You’re right. I still have Eli.”
“It won’t be that bad,” he continued. “I stayed here one Thanksgiving when Gran and Eddie celebrated with his family. They cook up a feast in the cafeteria and have lots of stuff for the students to do. Eli will understand if you tell him we’re using the chance to track down every locker in Raven River.”
I wiped my damp cheeks with the back of my hand. “I’m glad you said that because I was thinking the same thing. We have five days off. This is the perfect time.”
“We’ll leave Wednesday morning and get to however many we can. The country club can wait till we’re there on Thursday.”
“Shouldn’t we talk about Thursday? What will I have to do?”
“It’s simple. Don’t worry about it until later. Just hang with Eli.”
I took that advice.
Monday and Tuesday night, Eli and I hunted down and watched all the best Thanksgiving movies. We quickly tapped out at two and accepted there weren’t any good Thanksgiving movies. Our old favorites infiltrated the queue in their place.
It was just Eli and me that Tuesday night. Camila left the second classes ended for her beach celebration with her brothers. She said it was cool for Eli to sleep in her bed while she was gone, so we pushed them into one and piled snacks and candy between us. Back to the Future played in all its improbable glory.
“Will you be okay by yourself? I feel bad leaving you here alone.”
“Don’t feel bad,” Eli replied. “It’s way more important that you figure out Mom and Dad’s message. Will you go to the lake house too?”
“It will take a while to hunt down everything this key could open in town. If we don’t make it up there this weekend, we’ll go another weekend. That’s if we don’t find what we’re looking for.”
“You promise you’ll tell me everything?”
“Everything.”
He nodded, satisfied.
The next morning, I woke Eli up, kissed him goodbye, and walked him to his room. My bags were packed and ready to go on my desk. I grabbed them and went straight to Royal.
Hiro