they’re staying in my sight,” Morgan said. “I can’t believe they’d stumble upon something as important as the last remaining piece of my treasure map.”
Morgan looked in my direction, so I stepped closer to Holly.
“Why does he keep looking at us? It’s creepy,” Holly whispered out of the corner of her mouth. She hadn’t overheard the conversation between Morgan and Garret, and I figured that was a good thing. Keeping her on a need-to-know basis was probably my best bet. I couldn’t have her freaking out and getting us in any more trouble. “Oh no, he’s coming over here,” she said.
Morgan walked alongside me for a while without saying a word. I hated not knowing what he was up to. Holly stared at the ground, trying to avoid eye contact with Morgan.
“Hungry?” Morgan asked, holding out two pieces of bread.
“Thank you,” I said, taking Holly’s piece, too, so she didn’t have to move any closer to Morgan.
“So, where did you say you got the painting?” he asked.
“I didn’t say.” I was trying to keep the edge out of my voice, but it wasn’t easy to be nice to this guy when I was imagining all the things he could do to Holly and me once he got what he was after.
“Oh? I could’ve sworn you said something about it. Well, where did you get it?” His tone still sounded friendly, but his smile was completely forced.
“At an antique store in town,” I lied. I took another bite of bread and tried to act casual. Holly immediately looked at me. I sighed and bowed my head. I knew she hadn’t meant to, but she’d just given me away.
“An antique store?” Morgan’s face turned twelve different shades of red, and he balled his hands into fists. “You don’t really expect me to believe that, do you? Each map was carefully hidden where only a Grimault could find it. There’s no way the most important map would be in an antique store where anyone could buy it. Now, tell me the truth!”
Noelle widened her eyes at me, and I got the feeling she wanted me to make up another lie. A better lie.
“Well, we—”
“J.B., look!” Holly said. She dropped her bread on the ground and pointed up ahead. I expected to see a wild animal, but instead I saw my dad walking toward us. “D—” Holly began, but I shoved the rest of my bread into her mouth to stop her.
“Bruce!” Morgan growled. He put one hand up, motioning for everyone else to stay where they were, and he marched up to my dad. “How dare you show your face after you tried to pass off that phony drawing as a piece of my treasure map.”
My hands shook. I was sure the Grimaults were going to attack my dad.
“Let me explain,” Dad said, putting his hands up in surrender. “Edward and I determined the map I brought may have been fake, so I headed home, planning to search my father’s belongings for another map. Only, I never made it home because I took a wrong turn and ended up heading in the opposite direction. I found this at the other end of the forest.” He handed the painting to Morgan.
He really was helping Morgan. Something wasn’t right. If he found the painting in the park, he was heading home. He hadn’t taken a wrong turn. I studied his face, but his expression was blank—unreadable.
Trent, Garret, and Edward pointed their knives at my dad, waiting for their orders. Noelle stepped toward Holly and me. Morgan studied the painting, and I thought his eyes might pop out of his head. He smiled and said, “It’s signed AG! At last! The final piece! Bruce, you took a big chance returning here after your map turned out to be a fake.”
Dad reached out and shook Morgan’s hand. “As I told you earlier, I’m here to help you find the fortune. It belongs with its rightful owner.” Morgan’s eye twitched slightly, but he nodded in response.
Dad kept talking to Morgan as if Holly and I weren’t there. How could he pretend not to recognize us? I stared at him, trying to find some sign he’d come to save
Morgan looked in my direction, so I stepped closer to Holly.
“Why does he keep looking at us? It’s creepy,” Holly whispered out of the corner of her mouth. She hadn’t overheard the conversation between Morgan and Garret, and I figured that was a good thing. Keeping her on a need-to-know basis was probably my best bet. I couldn’t have her freaking out and getting us in any more trouble. “Oh no, he’s coming over here,” she said.
Morgan walked alongside me for a while without saying a word. I hated not knowing what he was up to. Holly stared at the ground, trying to avoid eye contact with Morgan.
“Hungry?” Morgan asked, holding out two pieces of bread.
“Thank you,” I said, taking Holly’s piece, too, so she didn’t have to move any closer to Morgan.
“So, where did you say you got the painting?” he asked.
“I didn’t say.” I was trying to keep the edge out of my voice, but it wasn’t easy to be nice to this guy when I was imagining all the things he could do to Holly and me once he got what he was after.
“Oh? I could’ve sworn you said something about it. Well, where did you get it?” His tone still sounded friendly, but his smile was completely forced.
“At an antique store in town,” I lied. I took another bite of bread and tried to act casual. Holly immediately looked at me. I sighed and bowed my head. I knew she hadn’t meant to, but she’d just given me away.
“An antique store?” Morgan’s face turned twelve different shades of red, and he balled his hands into fists. “You don’t really expect me to believe that, do you? Each map was carefully hidden where only a Grimault could find it. There’s no way the most important map would be in an antique store where anyone could buy it. Now, tell me the truth!”
Noelle widened her eyes at me, and I got the feeling she wanted me to make up another lie. A better lie.
“Well, we—”
“J.B., look!” Holly said. She dropped her bread on the ground and pointed up ahead. I expected to see a wild animal, but instead I saw my dad walking toward us. “D—” Holly began, but I shoved the rest of my bread into her mouth to stop her.
“Bruce!” Morgan growled. He put one hand up, motioning for everyone else to stay where they were, and he marched up to my dad. “How dare you show your face after you tried to pass off that phony drawing as a piece of my treasure map.”
My hands shook. I was sure the Grimaults were going to attack my dad.
“Let me explain,” Dad said, putting his hands up in surrender. “Edward and I determined the map I brought may have been fake, so I headed home, planning to search my father’s belongings for another map. Only, I never made it home because I took a wrong turn and ended up heading in the opposite direction. I found this at the other end of the forest.” He handed the painting to Morgan.
He really was helping Morgan. Something wasn’t right. If he found the painting in the park, he was heading home. He hadn’t taken a wrong turn. I studied his face, but his expression was blank—unreadable.
Trent, Garret, and Edward pointed their knives at my dad, waiting for their orders. Noelle stepped toward Holly and me. Morgan studied the painting, and I thought his eyes might pop out of his head. He smiled and said, “It’s signed AG! At last! The final piece! Bruce, you took a big chance returning here after your map turned out to be a fake.”
Dad reached out and shook Morgan’s hand. “As I told you earlier, I’m here to help you find the fortune. It belongs with its rightful owner.” Morgan’s eye twitched slightly, but he nodded in response.
Dad kept talking to Morgan as if Holly and I weren’t there. How could he pretend not to recognize us? I stared at him, trying to find some sign he’d come to save
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