Page 83 of Christmas Mittens Murder

He looked up at me, eyes wide and drawn. “Auntie Cee, what if—?”

“What if nothing.” I scooted next to him and wrapped him in my arms. “I’m here. You’re safe. Mommy is fine. Franklin is with Cam. You’re safe.” I hugged him tight. I’d held him like this often when he was a baby and Allie was busy feeding Franklin. I’d held Arthur close when he was an accident-prone toddler and up to when he was in kindergarten. He hadn’t needed or sought out his auntie’s bear hugs for a while, but right now? He didn’t shrink away from this one.

“You want to tell me about it?” I asked softly.

He shook his head, hard, casting his gaze up to the underside of the table.

Aah. Maybe Quan had mentioned Otto’s name to Rafael, and Arthur didn’t want the man who’d given him refuge to know. Smart kid. From outside our cave, I heard Cam’s voice and Franklin’s.

“Are you ready to go out? I will protect you and your brother from anything, darling.” I peered at his face. “I promise.”

“Okay,” he whispered.

I emerged first. Arthur followed.

“Thank you, Mr. Harper,” he murmured.

Otto held out his hand to Arthur and shook the boy’s smaller one. “Always good to know when to retreat and regroup. I will say, you’re lucky to have this lady in the family.”

“I know.” Arthur took my hand and squeezed. He held on to it.

I was blessed to be able to be special auntie to these kids. Allie had played the role with Zoe when she was young, and she still did.

Franklin rushed up and threw his arms around his brother. He held on tight without speaking. Cam stood back. “Glad he’s safe,” she mouthed to me above their heads.

I nodded my fervent agreement.

“Kardiskar trinklo,” Arthur said as he pulled apart.

“Trinklo kardiskar.” Franklin smiled.

Otto cocked his head and wrinkled his brow with skepticism. Cam scrunched up her face as if bewildered.

“It’s a twin thing” was all I could tell them. As different as they were, my only nephews had made up code words and secret language games since they were preverbal, almost. Allie and I had, as well. I expected that the daughters of Cam’s friend Ruth had, too. It was part of being a tiny speck who’d grown into a person lying body-to-body for nine months with a sibling on the same path.

Fraternal twins, as we were, made up secret codes all the time. I couldn’t imagine what identical twins came up with. Maybe they had mind melds and didn’t need to bother with verbalized secret games.

“Here comes trouble.” Otto gazed in the direction of Rafael’s stand.

We all turned our heads to see Quan striding straight for us. I grabbed Arthur’s hand again and covered it with both of mine. “You’re good,” I whispered. Franklin took his other hand.

“Trinklo kardiskar,” the darker twin murmured.

“Kardiskar trinklo,” was a faint response, but a response it was.

But Quan wasn’t looking for the Halstead boys, or for Cam or me.

“Mr. Harper, may I have a word, please?” the detective said to Otto.

“We’ll be moving along,” I said. “Thank you, Otto.”

“Would you mind waiting, Ms. Barton?” Quan asked me.

Great. I glanced at Cam.

“Why don’t the three of us keep shopping, kids?” Cam asked. “I think I saw a candy cane shop up ahead.”

Arthur perked up. “Let’s go.”