فصل 10

CHAPTER 10

THE CAB

MOLLY STOOD ON HER FRONT PORCH, umbrella in hand, frowning at the driving rain. She had planned to walk to her father’s house in Kensington Park Gardens, but that was now out of the question: her umbrella would be useless in the gusting wind. There was a District Line station not far from her father’s house, but after her disturbing experience, she had no intention of taking the Underground.

That left her with one choice: a hackney carriage. Molly sighed. It wouldn’t be easy to find a cab in this weather, when everyone else wanted one, too. She stepped to the edge of the porch and, squinting against the rain, peered down the street. To her surprise, she saw a carriage coming her way. She started to raise her arm, but the driver, his face obscured by a heavy scarf, was already guiding his horse to the curb in front of her.

Molly quickly descended the porch steps and gave the address to the driver, who nodded wordlessly. She climbed into the carriage. The driver twitched the reins, and as the soggy, steaming horse began trudging forward, Molly turned to look back through the cab’s rear window at her house. She caught sight of a face pressed against a third-floor window, and realized it was Wendy, watching from her bedroom. Molly waved, but couldn’t tell if Wendy saw her. As the house receded behind her, Molly turned away, her mind on the task ahead.

Wendy thought she saw her mother wave, but she wasn’t sure. Just in case, she waved back. Her hand then returned to fondling the locket her mother had given her that morning. It was a simple golden orb that her mother had worn as long as Wendy could remember.

“But why?” Wendy had asked, when her mother had put it around her neck. It felt oddly warm against her skin.

“I just want you to have it,” said her mother. “In case you ever need it.”

“How do you mean, need it?” said Wendy.

“Just keep it with you,” said her mother.

Wendy held it now, feeling its warmth, as she watched the cab carry her mother away. A few houses down, the cab passed a policeman, who appeared to be watching it intently. He nodded at the driver, who nodded back. Wendy wondered, as the cab disappeared into the rain, if the two men knew each other.