The Children on the Hill(32)

Miss Evelyn leaned down and looked at the sketches and notes through the haze of her cigarette smoke.

“We’d do it right in the front yard here, so you could see it all day.”

Miss Ev’s mouth twitched in what Vi thought might be the beginning of a smile.

“The patients could help clear the area, build the garden beds, do the plantings. They could make birdhouses and feeders. But I figured that since you’re the big bird expert, you should oversee the whole project. Gran’s too busy. And besides, she doesn’t know much about birds.” Vi smiled. “And Gran and I thought the new nurse could help too.”

Miss Ev frowned. “Patty?”

Vi leaned closer, spoke in a low voice, like they were good friends sharing a secret. “Patty’s new, and Gran thought maybe this project would be a good way for her to get to know the residents. That it might help her… fit in.”

Miss Ev sat stone-faced, not saying a thing.

“So, will you do it?” Vi pointed out the little label at the bottom of the drawing, the icing on the cake: EVELYN’S BIRD GARDEN.

“If I can find the time,” Miss Ev said, which, Vi understood, was the closest she’d ever get to a yes.

“Great! Hey, is Patty around? Maybe I could talk to her, take her outside and show her the area? Tell her about it?”

Miss Ev picked up the phone, punched a button, said, “Send Patty to see me. Yes, now.” She hung up.

There was a rapping at the window. Tom’s face was peering through.

“Go back to group, Tom,” Miss Ev said through the glass.

“Please, Miss Evelyn. I need calamine lotion and they won’t give me any. Please. Have mercy.” He was tearing at his hairy arms.

“You go on outside, Violet,” Miss Ev said. “I’ll send Patty out to you.” She pushed a button on the phone and barked, “Will someone please get down here and retrieve Tom. You’ve got to stop letting the patients wander like this!”

Vi passed Tom in the front hall. “How you doing, Tom?”

“So itchy,” he said.

“What do you think it is?” Vi asked.

“Dr. Hildreth, she says it’s nothing. But I can feel them.”

“Them?”

“They’re just under the skin, Violets are blue. They’re always there.”

In five minutes, Patty appeared outside, looking flustered and confused. “Evelyn sent me,” she said. “To talk about a project?” She blinked at Vi as if she didn’t know what to make of her.

“Hi! I’m Violet, Dr. Hildreth’s granddaughter.” Vi held out her hand, and Patty shook it. Vi was good at dealing with adults; Gran had made it a point of teaching her to look them in the eye, be respectful, shake hands, make small talk and always say please and thank you.

“You earn people’s respect by treating them with respect,” Gran had said. “Be intelligent and well-spoken. Let your maturity shine through, Violet.”

Vi smiled at Patty and thanked her for taking the time to come.

“Here’s the thing,” Vi said in a low voice, because even though the window to Miss Ev’s office was closed, she could feel the woman watching. “We have to look like we’re talking about the garden.”

Patty looked more puzzled than ever. At last she said, “Evelyn told me a little about the garden. I think it’s a terrific idea.” She smiled, and her smile was contagious. “You’re the one who came up with it? The whole plan? And Dr. Hildreth okayed it?”

Vi nodded. “She thinks it’s a great idea. Which it is. But there’s something else. A secret thing. The garden isn’t the whole reason I’m here.”

“It’s not?”

“The garden is a cover.”

She was taking a chance. She knew it. Patty could go blabbing to Miss Ev and Gran and everyone else about what Vi was about to say, but Vi didn’t think she’d do that. The gods were whispering in her ear: Tell her, she’ll help you, trust her. And the gods were rarely wrong.

“A cover?” Patty asked, her tone a little sassy, like she was losing patience. She turned and looked back at the Inn. She probably had charting to do, patients waiting for meds. Vi could see how young she was—even in her white uniform, she looked like a college kid, not a nurse. She was wearing mascara and blush and pastel-pink eye shadow. She smelled like bubble gum and hair spray.

“I wanted to talk to you. I thought… I thought we could share information. Help each other gather intelligence.”

“Intelligence?” Patty laughed, shook her head. “Look, you seem like a sweet kid, and I know you’re the boss’s granddaughter and all, but I’m super busy. I’m happy to help with the garden if Dr. Hildreth wants me to, but I’m not going to play spies with some ten-year-old.”

Vi frowned. “I’m thirteen.”

“Sorry. I guess I’m not much of a kid expert.” Patty turned, started to walk away. “Nice to meet you, Violet.”

“Wait,” Vi said. Patty turned back, looking exasperated. Vi knew she didn’t have long. “Have you heard of anything called the Mayflower Project at the Inn?”

She shook her head. “No.”

“What do you know about B West?”