The Giver of Stars(120)

‘Think we’re getting close?’ Kathleen broke into her thoughts, riding up alongside.

Alice pulled Charley to a halt, unfolding the map from her pocket. ‘Uh … according to this, it’s not far over that ridge,’ she said, squinting at the hand-drawn images. ‘She said the sisters live four miles that way, and Nancy would always walk the last part because of the hanging bridge, so I make the McCullough house … somewhere over there.’

Beth scoffed. ‘You reading that map upside down? I know for a fact the damn bridge is that way.’

Alice’s belly was tight with nerves. ‘If you know better, you want to head off on your own and let us know when you’re there?’

‘No need to get ornery. You’re not from here is all. I just thought I –’

‘Oh, and don’t I know it. Like the whole town hasn’t spent the last year reminding me.’

‘No need to take it like that, Alice. Shoot. I just meant some of us might have more knowledge of the mountains than –’

‘Shut up, Beth.’ Even Izzy was irritated. ‘We wouldn’t even have got this far if it wasn’t for Alice.’

‘Hold up,’ said Kathleen. ‘Look.’

It was the smoke that alerted them, a thin apologetic whisper of grey that they might not have spotted had the trees nearby not lost their leaves from the crown, so that the wavering plume was briefly visible against the leaden sky. The women stopped in the clearing, just able to make out the shack squatting on the ridge, its shingle roof missing a couple of tiles, its yard unkempt. It was the only house for miles and everything about it spoke of neglect and an antipathy towards casual visitors. A mean-looking dog tethered to a chain set up a fierce, staccato bark, already aware of their presence through the trees.

‘Think they’ll shoot at us?’ said Beth, and spat noisily.

Fred had instructed Alice to take his gun and it was slung over her shoulder by its strap. She couldn’t work out whether it was a good or a bad thing for the McCullough family to see she had it in her possession.

‘Wonder how many of them are in there. Someone told my eldest brother that none of the out-of-town McCulloughs even came up this far.’

‘Yeah. Like Mrs Brady said, they most likely just came for the circus,’ said Kathleen, squinting as she tried to see better.

‘Ain’t like they were coming for the McCullough riches, is it? What did your mama say about you coming up here, anyway?’ said Beth to Izzy. ‘I’m surprised she let you.’

Izzy pushed Patch forward over a small ditch, clearing it with a grunt.

‘Izzy?’

‘She doesn’t exactly know.’

‘Izzy!’ Alice turned in her saddle.

‘Oh, hush, Alice. You know as well as I do that she would never have let me.’ Izzy rubbed at her boot.

They all faced the house. Alice shivered.

‘If anything happens to you, your mother is going to have me in that dock alongside Margery. Oh, Izzy. This is not safe. I would never have let you come had you told me.’ Alice shook her head.

‘So why did you come, Izzy?’ said Beth.

‘Because we are a team. And a team sticks together.’ Izzy lifted her chin. ‘We are the Baileyville packhorse librarians and we stick together.’

Beth punched her lightly on the arm as her horse moved forward. ‘Well, goddamn to that.’

‘Ugh. Will you ever stop cursing, Beth Pinker?’

And Izzy punched her back and squealed as the horses collided.

In the end it was Alice who went first. They walked up as far as the snarling dog on the chain would allow, and Alice dismounted, handing her reins to Kathleen. She took a few steps towards the door, staying wide of the dog, its teeth bared and its hackles lifted in little spikes. She eyed the chain nervously, hoping that the other end was pinned securely.

‘Hello?’

Two windows at the front, thick with dirt, stared back blankly at them. If it hadn’t been for the trickle of smoke she might have been certain that nobody was home.

Alice took a step closer, her voice lifting. ‘Miss McCullough? You don’t know me, but I work at the Packhorse Library down in town. I know you didn’t want to talk to the sheriff’s men but I would very much appreciate it if you could help us at all.’

Her voice bounced off the mountainside. There was no movement from within the house.

Alice turned and looked at the others uncertainly. The horses stamped their feet impatiently, their nostrils flaring as they eyed the growling dog.

‘It would really only take a minute!’

The dog turned its head and quieted briefly. For a moment the mountain was possessed of a dead silence. Nothing stirred, not the horses, the birds in the trees. Alice felt her skin prickle, as if this presaged something terrible. She thought of the description of McCullough’s body, his eyes pecked clean out of his head. Lying not too far from here, for months.

I don’t want to be here, she thought, and felt something visceral and fearful trickle down her spine. She looked up and saw Beth, who nodded at her, as if to say, Go on – try again.

‘Hello? Miss McCullough? Anybody?’

Nothing stirred.

‘Hello?’

A voice broke into the silence: ‘You all can git and leave us alone!’