Page 51 of The Chain

“We don’t have Mr. Boo, but we have Marshmallow,” Rachel says. “Marshmallow is Mr. Boo’s friend.”

“Is he?”

“Oh yes, they’re very good friends.” Rachel passes him over and Amelia takes him hesitantly.

“Do you want me to tell you a story?” Rachel asks.

“OK, I guess.”

“Do you like milk and cookies?”

“Yes.”

“Wait here and I’ll see what I can do.”

She goes back upstairs. Pete is on the porch trying to convince American Express to put his charge through. If he doesn’t convince them, a crazy woman will murder her daughter in two hours.

She taps the kitchen door and Pete turns to look at her. “What do they say?” she asks.

“I’m still talking to them.”

Rachel reads the label on Lorna Doone cookies and Googles the ingredients just to be on the safe side. They are nut-free. She goes back downstairs with the milk and Lorna Doones.

She tells Amelia the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears and Amelia is happy because she knows that one.

She does “Hansel and Gretel” next and Amelia knows that one too.

Stories of kids surviving peril in the woods.

Poor little Amelia, vanished like that other Amelia all those years ago.

She’s a good kid. A smart kid. Rachel likes her. How could she not? And how could she possibly harm this child?

Half an hour later Pete appears at the top of the stairs. He gives Rachel the thumbs-up.

“The charge went through?”

“Yes.”

“Thank God for that.”

“How’s Amelia?”

“Come down and see.”

“She’s sleeping. How did you do that?” Pete whispers at the bottom of the basement steps.

“Milk, cookies, and Marshmallow, apparently.”

“What kind of cookies?”

“Lorna Doone. They’re OK. I checked them.”

“The EpiPen is on the way. I ordered it from eBay.”

“You’re not getting it sent here?”

“No. It’ll go to an eBay drop box in Newbury.”