Page 43

42

Briar

1942

I ran back through the woods to the cottage. I needed Cadence. And a phone, as soon as possible.

“Wait, Briar!” Tyson called, following me. “Where are you going? We have to find Shelby.”

I kept running, digesting it all as I went. Tyson was a good liar.

The sun had set, and a cool breeze came up as I hurried into the cottage. I found Margaret and Bess at the kitchen table, making Peter’s fake ID card.

I took the tugboat model from the mantel and held it to my chest. “Tyson’s coming. He may be the spy.”

“What?” Margaret turned in her chair and looked out the window. “Well, he’s right outside.”

A terrible sense of dread seeped through me. “Margaret, go up and tell Peter we need his help.”

Bess sniffed the air. “What’s that smell?”

“Gasoline,” Margaret said.

Both of them went to the window and looked out.

“My God,” Bess said. “He’s shaking gas around the foundation.”

Tyson was definitely the one we’d been looking for. Why else would he try to burn our house down with us in it? At least Gram wasn’t here. And Cadence was still up at Peaked Hill.

Tyson stepped inside and splashed gasoline from the can onto the kitchen floor and counter.

“You’re going to burn the house down?” I asked, holding the tugboat to my chest.

He dropped the gas can and pulled a gun from the rear of his waistband. Mr. Schmidt’s Luger.

He held out one hand for the model. “Give it to me.”

I suspended the little boat over the gas pooled on the floor. “I know what’s in it, Tyson. And once the negatives hit gasoline, they’ll melt.”

He came closer. “Give it to me. Now. ”

“You’ve been going around the country taking pictures. To bring back to Germany, right? Did your father have you do it? To show your loyalty? Is he back in Germany now, waiting for you? The son with the info on all the American places to blow up? Cause panic here and make sure we get out of the war?”

“Give it to me.”

I held the model closer. “You got the ring from Sandra, didn’t you?”

“What ring?” he asked.

“You know. The Totenkopf. I’m not stupid, Tyson. It’s your father’s, isn’t it? Kuno?”

“That ring was mine . Father gave it to me before he left, his most prized possession, but Grandfather found it and took it away. He had no right.”

“So you killed Sandra to get it.”

“She wanted me to pay for something that was mine . And I didn’t kill her. She had some sort of fit.”

“But you didn’t help her. And you killed your grandfather, didn’t you? When he took the ring away. Pushed him down the beach stairs.”

“He was always ashamed he came from Germany. But my parents weren’t. Yaphank was a place we could be ourselves for a change.”

“Following Hitler here in the States.”

“You don’t understand, do you? He tells the truth.”

“So you’re the one meeting the U-boat?” I asked.

He pulled a matchbox from his pocket with his free hand. “Give it to me or this place burns.”

I froze. “You wouldn’t.” Gram’s kitchen would go up like dry kindling. Along with everything we owned. All we had left of Tom.

I heard footsteps in the attic, and then Peter walked slowly down the stairs.

“Hurry up, if you want to go back,” Tyson shouted to him. “I know you love Germany.”

Peter slowly approached Tyson and stood next to him, barely meeting Margaret’s eyes.

Margaret gasped. Maybe she didn’t know her Peter that well, after all.

I tried to remember where Gram kept her fire extinguisher. Under the sink? I hoped Cadence would get here soon and possibly disarm him, but he could just as easily shoot her.

Tyson held us at gunpoint and handed the matches to Peter. “Light one.”

Peter hesitated.

Tyson waved the gun at him. “Do it!” he shouted, and Peter slowly opened the matchbox. He looked at me and then struck one wooden match along the side of it. The blue flame sprang to life.

Fear crawled up my spine. We might all die.

“My God,” Bess said. “Give it to him, Briar.”

Tyson reached out his hand. “Now, Briar. Or this place goes up.”

It wasn’t worth risking our lives over. I tossed the model to Tyson. “There,” I said. “Put out the match.”

Tyson caught the model, tucked it under one arm, and took the match from Peter.

“Thanks, sweet pea,” he said with a smile, and dropped the match onto the kitchen floor.