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“We’ll continue to leave the cash gifts to St. Apollonia for safekeeping,” Sister Gerard stated.

St. Apollonia? Who was that? Maybe a code name for the nuns’ private fund.

“Yes, Mother.” Bernadette’s voice was soft with remorse. The young nun was smart about math and bookkeeping, but she seemed

to totally fall for Sister Gerard’s veiled rationalizations, and too timid to challenge the corrupt practices.

Mairin’s mind raced, her thoughts colliding like leaves in a whirlwind. It was bad enough the nuns were so cruel to the girls

here; they were also helping themselves to the money they earned from forced labor. Hidden funds and secret dealings. Mairin

didn’t quite understand the process, but she wasn’t stupid. She knew it was wrong. It seemed that the prioress, the very person

trusted with the well-being of supposedly troubled girls, was not so high-minded as she wanted people to think.

As she crouched, forgotten, in the dark closet, Mairin’s resolve hardened. Not only was she determined to escape this place.

She was going to find out what kind of secret dealings Sister Gerard was involved in.

As the minutes passed, silence closed in, and the smell of cigarette smoke dissipated. Sister Gerard had left. Mairin could

hear rustling papers and the occasional heavy sigh, so she assumed Sister Bernadette was still in the office. Spineless Sister

Bernadette.

Mairin closed her hand into a fist and knocked on the door, hard. “Someone help,” she called in a pathetic voice. “Please,

I’m desperate in here.” She knocked some more.

Footsteps hurried close. “Who’s that? Ruth, is that you?” asked Bernadette, her voice hesitant.

“Yes!” Mairin cringed as she owned up to the false name she’d been given. “Yes, please help me.”

After a few beats of hesitation, there was a shuffling sound. Then the latch clicked, and the door opened up, just a crack.

“Ruth! I didn’t realize you were here. What is it, child?” Bernadette asked, her voice laced with caution.

Child. As if. Mairin figured Bernadette was maybe three years older than she was. Child. It was ridiculous. But Mairin had a larger purpose, so she didn’t make a federal case out of it.

“I’m desperate for the restroom,” Mairin whispered. “It would be an act of mercy. Please, it’s an emergency.”

“Ruth, you’re meant to stay here,” Bernadette objected. “I’ll find a bucket.”

“Oh, no, I beg you. I’ll be quick, I swear. And I’ll come right back. I swear on all that’s holy, I will.” She gasped with

a fake sob.

More hesitation. Framed by her wimple, Bernadette’s face looked flat and mild, like a child’s drawing of the moon. “Hurry,

then.” She stepped aside and gestured toward a door marked WC .

“I will. Bless you, Sister Bernadette. You are truly the soul of kindness.”

Spots of color dotted the nun’s cheeks, and she ducked her head.

Mairin used the tiny, austere bathroom, sighing with relief. She hadn’t been kidding about the need to pee. She came out of

the washroom, blinking at the light and looking around the office. Bernadette was absorbed in her work at the spindly secretary

desk, and didn’t seem to notice her. Mairin couldn’t stop thinking about the conversation she’d overheard. Everything about

this place was a facade of faith, a front for Sister Gerard’s corruption—the massive, ornate desk, the Bible on its stand,

the floor-to-ceiling shelves filled with books and journals, the reliquary on its shining silver legs, lavishly ornamented

in tribute to some forgotten saint. There was an extensive PA system for issuing commands to the girls.

“You need to go back in,” Bernadette said, noticing her at last.

“I will, but... I’m not well.” Mairin pressed her hands to her middle. “I have a bad stomach. Please, can you leave the

door open, just a crack?”

“Of course not. Locking you in is the whole point of the punishment.”

“Don’t you remember what it was like?” Mairin persisted. She summoned a smile at Bernadette’s startled look. “You told me

that you were sent here yourself, and this is where you found your spiritual path,” she explained. “The girls all talk about

it.”

“The girls should be minding their own paths to redemption.” The red spots returned to Bernadette’s cheeks.

“You should be flattered,” Mairin said, sensing the nun’s weakness. “You’re an inspiration to us all. Your devotion to the reformation of wayward girls is so admirable.”

“It’s the Lord’s work,” Bernadette said, “to be a beacon to those who have lost their way. That is the mission of this place—bringing

you girls real hope for a brighter future.”

Mairin tried not to gag. “Do you truly believe that?”

“With all my heart.”

“You’re the real thing, aren’t you?” Mairin asked. “Just like that song by Marvin Gaye.”

“Who?” Bernadette frowned, regarding her with a mix of suspicion and curiosity. “What in heaven’s name are you talking about?”

Mairin sang a few lines of “Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing.” She noticed that Bernadette seemed intrigued. “I bet we can

find it on the radio.” She flipped it on and turned the dial to the Top 40 station. Mick Jagger’s voice drifted from the speaker.

“Goodness, Ruth, you mustn’t—”

“Oh, Sister, we must! Music is good for the soul. Everyone knows that. Let’s just listen for a few minutes. This is such a

good song. It’s a huge hit.”

“But...” Sister Bernadette hesitated, her gaze shifting uneasily from the main door to Mairin. “Rock music is the devil’s

work. It’s a corrupting influence that has no place within these walls. Why, the very idea of young girls listening to male

voices is an abomination.”

“Shh, wait for the chorus,” Mairin said, noting that Bernadette was in no hurry to turn off the music. “It’s so beautiful.

This is a really good radio,” she added. “The sound is clear as a bell.”

“Sister Gerard insists on the best equipment,” Bernadette said. “She wants all the very best for the girls here.”

I’ll just bet she does, Mairin thought. She did love the crystal sound of the music, even though it caused an ache in her heart.

She missed listening to music with her friends, whether it was on a crackling record player or a hi-fi stereo in some of the rich kids’ living rooms. She looked over at Bernadette and was surprised to see the nun’s eyes closed, and a tear slowly tracking down her cheek.

In the same moment, she saw an opportunity.

Her hand shot out and flipped the broadcast switch on the PA system.

Now the entire place would hear the Rolling Stones belting out “Let’s Spend the Night Together.

” Male voices, singing a rock and roll song about sex.

Mairin savored the thought of the girls at work, suddenly hearing Mick Jagger like the voice of God through the speakers.

The song seemed to transport Bernadette to a place far away. She hugged herself and swayed gently to the music. Mairin took

advantage of the lull to ease open a drawer under the radio. Nothing much of interest except... a rusty iron key of some

sort. Like an old-fashioned skeleton key, maybe. She snatched it and hid it in her pocket.

She was casting about for other treasures—maybe more clues about Sister Gerard—when the next song came on—“Sunshine of Your

Love” by Cream.

Bernadette seemed to come to her senses. “Enough, then,” she said, flustered. “God forgive me for indulging you. I must remember

to say a novena for both of us.”

“Please. Let’s just listen to this one last song. I’m begging you, Sister. It would be such a blessing to hear some music,

and a way to connect me with the family I wronged so grievously,” Mairin said.

Bernadette’s gaze went soft with sympathy, but then she pursed her lips and glanced at the clock. “I have work to do. I cannot

neglect my duties here in this office.”

“You must be quite proud to have such important responsibilities.” Mairin watched her face change. Among the nuns, pride was

a terrible transgression.

“It’s not that,” Bernadette insisted. “It’s...”

The song crescendoed, and she seemed caught up once again. Her shoulders slumped, and she nearly swooned through the chorus.

She didn’t even seem to hear the sound of running feet in the corridor leading to the office, although Mairin did.

Sister Rotrude and Sister Gerard arrived, nearly collapsing from exertion, their faces red and sweating. “What...” Rotrude

wheezed and tried again. “What in the name of all that’s holy is the meaning of this?”

Bernadette let out a squeak. “I’m sorry, Mother! Heaven forgive me, but the girl needed the bathroom.”

Sister Gerard snapped off the PA system and then the radio. Still red-faced, her eyes swimming with fury, she stared at Mairin as though she were on display in a window. “You’re quite the troublemaker, aren’t you?”

Mairin knew it wasn’t a question, so she didn’t answer.

“We were really worried about you,” Angela said as Mairin made her way through the dim evening light to her cot, moving slowly,

aching with the stings and bruises from Sister Rotrude’s penance stick. “We thought we might never see you again.”

“I had to do time in the closet, and after that, they made me clean out the senior girls’ unit,” Mairin said. “The senior

girls are totally mean and rude.”

“Oh my gosh, your poor face.” Angela stared at Mairin’s cheek. Mairin hadn’t seen a mirror, but she probably looked like Frankenstein.

“Are you okay?”

“Right as rain,” Mairin said, her mouth twisting in an ironic smile. She winced as she gingerly sat down on the cot.

A few others came over to welcome her back. “Whoa, you got it bad,” Janice said. “Which one beat the crap outta you?”

Mairin waved her hand dismissively. “So did you hear the music?”

“It was incredible,” Angela said, her eyes lighting up.

“Fantastic,” Odessa agreed. “When we heard it coming over the speakers, we thought there were ghosts in the building, and

then we realized it was music. Oh, man. Real actual music. Like the kind we used to listen to on the radio.”

The girls all started chattering at once, telling Mairin about the brief, magical moments when the music had suddenly come

drifting through the PA system. It was amazing, how a song could just fill you up. Even Angela joined in the conversation,

seeming to set aside her worries for those few precious minutes.

“When I heard the Rolling Stones, I was, like, whoa, ” said Denise.

“A bunch of girls got up and started dancing,” Odessa said.

“ Dancing, can you believe it?” Kay showed off her wide, goofy grin.

“Totally,” said Odessa. “We couldn’t help ourselves. We all just jumped up and started dancing around. The nuns couldn’t stop

us.”

“I bet some of them wanted to join in,” Janice crowed.

Mairin looked around as if to make sure no one was watching. “I found something.” She took out the rusty iron key and held it up. “It’s a skeleton key.”

Kay looked horrified. “A skeleton key? I’m skeerd o’ skeletons.”

“For opening a lot of different locks. I pilfered this one from Mother Superior’s office. It opens the gate at the top of

the stairs. I just tested it, and it works.” She sent a hard-eyed look at Janice. “And if anyone says a word, you’re dead

meat.”

Janice made a zipping motion across her lips.

“So if the key works in the upstairs gate, then we don’t have to be locked in at night,” Denise said.

“Exactly,” Mairin said. “I bet it works on some of these other doors, too. First chance I get, I’m going to try the main gate.”

She saw a glimmer in Angela’s eyes. A glimmer of hope, maybe. “Anyone wants to come with me, you just say the word,” Mairin

said.

Angela’s expression quickly dimmed. “Even if I got away from this place, then what? My gran would simply send me back. There’s

nowhere else for me to go.”

Mairin shifted her gaze back and forth. “Maybe we’ll figure something out. Oh, and I learned something else, too. You know

all the money the clients pay to have us do their laundry? The hospitals and hotels and stuff? Sister Gerard’s hiding some

of that money. I heard her telling the young one, Sister Bernadette. There’s a stash somewhere in her office.”

“Seriously?” Helen asked. “How’d you figure that out?”

“They don’t realize you can hear them from the closet. I found a vent in the ceiling.”

“If they’re doing something wrong, they should get in trouble,” Odessa said.

“In trouble how?” Mairin scowled. “They’ll just call me a liar and cover their tracks.”

“She’s right,” Denise said. “Who would we tell? The family court judges and social workers who sent us to this place? The

diocese? They’d never believe it.”

“When my parents get back, I could tell them,” Helen suggested.

“And when are they coming back?” Denise snapped, her mean streak showing. “They’re in jail in China.”

“Are not,” Helen shot back. “They’re under an exit ban, but it’s not forever.”

An awkward silence fell over the room. After a few minutes, Janice said, “Man, we went crazy when the music came on. Oh my

gosh, I wish we could do that every day, Mairin. When can you sneak down to the office and play the music again?”

“It’s risky,” Mairin said. “But... yeah. Maybe another time. What did I miss while I was gone?”

“Helen’s teaching us a secret game.” Janice leaned forward and lowered her voice. “Ever hear of marchong?”

“Mahjong, Ding Dong.” Denise poked her in the ribs.

“Hey!”

“Hush,” said Helen. “We have to keep it on the down-low. You’re supposed to name the tiles you play, and call an action based

on what someone else just played—but be quiet about it. If we get caught, they’ll take away all the tiles I made.” She, too,

sent a warning glance at Janice.

“Well, I want to learn, too,” Mairin said. She had never heard of the game, but maybe it would take her mind off her troubles

even for a little while.

“We’ll have to take turns,” Angela said. “We can only play four at a time.”

Mairin was too keyed up to sleep. “Show me.”

“Tell you what,” Helen said. “I’ll teach you to play mahjong if you’ll show me how to fight.”

Mairin glared at Angela, whose cheeks turned red. “I’m sorry, Mairin. I know it was supposed to be a secret, but I told them

about what you’ve been teaching me.”

“We want to learn, too,” Janice said, looking at the floor. “We want to learn to fight.”

“Seriously?” Mairin’s spirits lifted. Just for a moment, they felt like a team instead of a band of lost girls. “It’s risky.

If we get caught...”

“If that happens, we’ll all be in trouble,” said Odessa.

Denise aimed a glare at Janice. “Fine. Then let’s make sure we don’t get caught.”