The Hand on the Wall(87)

“I’m thinking about telling him what I’m doing,” David said.

“You are?”

“I feel like he should know I’m out here, working hard for democracy. You know, the people on the other side. I fixed their local database last night, and tonight I’m helping with social media outreach. It turns out I’m really good at this stuff.”

“I always believed in you,” Stevie said.

“Did you?”

“No,” Stevie said. “But you have a nice ass, so I let you slide.”

They smiled at each other from a thousand miles away. Stevie had never felt closer to him.

“I guess I’d better get back and finish studying,” she said. “I have an anatomy quiz. Do you know anything about the limbic system?”

“What don’t I know about the limbic system? Except what it is.”

“That’s about where I am,” said Stevie.

“You don’t get a ‘the DNA sample wasn’t a match’ pass on that?”

“No.”

“Even if you solve the case of the century, you still have to do your homework? The world is made of bullshit.”

“Not everything,” said Stevie.

“No,” he replied, his mouth twisting into a smile. “Not everything.”

When Stevie was off the phone, the group fell in together to walk toward the classroom buildings. Stevie took a long, deep breath of the fresh mountain air—the air Albert Ellingham had loved so much, he bought the side of the mountain and made his kingdom.

“Can I ask you something?” Vi said. “How did David manage to record his dad’s reaction? Did he bug the office?”

“You mean, hypothetically?” Stevie said.

“Obviously.”

“Say you get yourself beaten up and put up a video of it to freak out your dad and make him think you’ve run off to smoke pot and drop out of society, but you’re really sneaking back to the house to get information.”

“Seems normal,” Vi replied.

“Say you also have a sister who feels the same way about your dad that you do. And that you tell that sister what you are about to do so she doesn’t freak out. And that sister wants to help. So she flies from California to Pennsylvania to be at the house when you tell your dad you destroyed all his blackmail material. And she happens to be ready with her phone to record his reaction.”

“Such an amazing coincidence,” Vi said. “And then that recording happened to get out?”

“I know,” Stevie said. “The weirdest stuff happens in this family.”

“Have your parents given up on Edward King yet?” Vi asked.

“No,” Stevie said. “They think it’s all a plot against him or something. Some things you can’t change. Anyway, I have to go or I’m going to be late. This quiz won’t fail itself. Want to meet for lunch at . . .”

Her attention was drawn to a movement in the woods in the direction of the river. The trees were slowly coming back into bud, but they were still bare enough that she could make out a shape.

“Moose,” she said, almost in a whisper. “Moose. Moose.”

She tugged Nate’s sleeve.

“Moose,” she repeated.

The object moved away, out of sight. Stevie blinked. It had just been there, the massive antlers moving through the trees.

“My moose,” she said in a low voice. “I finally got it. The universe paid me in moose.”

With one backward glance at the magical spot, Stevie Bell resumed walking toward her class. Anatomy was still ahead of her. Lots of things were ahead of her, but this one was the closest.

“That wasn’t a moose, was it?” Janelle said when Stevie was out of earshot. “That’s a branch, right? It moved in the wind?”

“It’s a branch,” Nate replied.

“Like, that’s obviously a branch,” Vi said. “Should we tell her? She seems really invested in this.”

“Definitely not,” Nate said as Stevie vanished in the direction of the classroom buildings, earbuds already in her ears. “Let her have her moose.”





ACKNOWLEDGMENTS


OVER THE PAST THREE YEARS AS I WROTE THESE BOOKS, I HAVE DONE a lot of puzzling, reworking, pacing, and internal screaming. In short, it was incredible fun, like doing a word problem for thirty-six months or more. There are many people to thank.

First, my incredible editor, Katherine Tegen—I could not have had a better advocate and editorial voice. And to everyone at Katherine Tegen books for their hard work and support. My agent, Kate Schafer Testerman, is beside me always. (And in times of extreme duress, on top of me, when I try to escape from my desk.) Beth Dunfey provided an editorial eye and helped shape the world of Ellingham Academy. My assistant, Kate Welsh, prevents me from running with scissors.

My writing life would be a flaming pile without the help of Holly Black, Cassie Clare, Robin Wasserman, Sarah Rees Brennan, and Kelly Link. My day-to-day life belongs to my beloved Oscar and my beautiful Zelda and Dexy. To all my family and friends, I am deeply grateful that you put up with me.

And thank you, most of all, for reading.