The Dream Thief by Kari Kilgore (books for 10th graders txt) 📕

"Would you like to come inside?" she said. "We've just finished breakfast, but I have cookies and cafei."

"No, thank you for the kind offer. I wouldn't like to disturb you as much as that, ma'am."

"Exactly, Roma," Mr. Norwood said. "This young man obviously has somewhere else to be. I'll be inside in a bit." He smiled at her, touching her shoulder. "I'd love to have cookies and cafei with you."

She blushed, then stepped back inside. Olsen Norwood stepped onto the porch and closed the door.

"If any of your friends are with you," he said, "you're wasting your time. Loretta's already been round here with her guard trying to shut me up."

Karl shook his head.

"No, only me. I don't know who my friends are anymore."

"I'll help you out, then," the older man said. "I'm not one of them. Why are you here?"

"I'm here because I know you don't like the way Loretta treated you," Karl said. "I have an idea that might solve both of our problems, but I'll need help."

"I'm listening."

Karl sat on the wide rail of the porch. Mr. Norwood took one of the rocking chairs with cushions covered in fabric that matched the door. Karl knew he was yet again out of his depth dealing with someone so powerful, and yet again left with no other choice.

"All of us, including you," Karl said, "are too caught up in all of this to actually turn Loretta in to any kind of authorities. The thing is, she's more afraid of being questioned than anything else. If you know a couple of soldiers or constables who owe you a favor, we can make this seem real enough to work."

The older man sat back, rubbing his chin.

"I know a few who can be trusted to keep their mouths shut," he said. "They'll follow my lead. What are you suggesting?" He scowled and shook his head. "And what's your name?"

"Karl. I'm from here, but I haven't lived here for a long time. That will have to do." Mr. Norwood stared at him for a moment, then nodded. Karl hoped he could get the words out around his aching heart. "If you help me, if this works, we'll convince Loretta to leave. To go away and not return."

"Why in the world would she do that?" Mr. Norwood said, hitting the arms of the rocker with his open palms. "Do you have any idea how much coin she makes here, from us alone?"

Karl stared at the pastel, flower-shaped rugs on the green painted floor. "No, not really. I know she's not poor. She'll do that because she could be a suspect in a crime. Whether she's innocent or not doesn't matter for our purposes. She doesn't want the investigation. If she thinks she's a suspect but doesn't suspect either of us, I believe she'll go."

"What do you get out of this, Karl?" Mr. Norwood said.

"Same thing you do, Olsen," Karl said, meeting the other man's gaze. "Loretta out of my life. You know how much trouble that will save both of us."

Mr. Norwood rocked, staring down at the rugs the same way Karl had. He spoke without looking up.

"What about Rhysto?"

Karl took a deep breath. This was probably even riskier than confronting Loretta. If he messed up here, he could end up the subject of any investigation himself.

"Rhysto is no longer a danger to you or anyone else," he said. "I give you my word, sir."

Karl forced himself not to turn away when Mr. Norwood looked up.

"And how do I know I can trust you?" he said. "You're tangled up with her somehow."

Karl let out a soft laugh, staring down the street to hide his face until he could get it under control.

"Being tangled up with her means I'm taking a bigger risk than you are. If we work together, this may all turn out for the best."

Mr. Norwood stood, hesitated, then held out his hand. Karl shook it.

"Sounds like we have an agreement," Mr. Norwood said. "If it turns out she's guilty or there's any hint of this business affecting my family, all bets are off. I'll find out who you are and what I can do about it."

"I feel exactly the same way about my family, Mr. Norwood. She's not guilty of this crime. Others, I'm sure, but not this one. If she does end up getting arrested because of something you or your people do, I will not be happy. Understand me?" Karl stood at his full height, watching Olsen Norwood draw back and nod. "Can you have everything arranged this evening? I know it's short notice, but we need to move quickly."

"Give me the details," Mr. Norwood said. "Let me know where they need to be, and I'll make it happen a lot sooner than that. The faster Loretta Schofield is out of our lives, the better."

Chapter 55

Loretta jumped at the chime sounding through her house, one she hadn't heard for a long time. The booming single note sounded like an ordinary clock striking the hour, but Bess would never trigger the urgent alarm without a damn good reason.

She locked and set security on her study door, glancing into her pantry to make sure everything was hidden before heading into the living room. Loretta flipped the round portrait of a stranger she claimed as her mother aside and spoke into the opening.

"What is it?"

"Constable Law," Bess said. "Three, in uniform. Not heavily armed, walking with a purpose."

"Let me talk to them, but listen in," Loretta said. "This might just be random questioning. Hold tight unless I signal."

She closed the speaking port and glanced around the living room. Everything was as it should be: perfectly normal to the outsider's eye and armed to the teeth. The small knife in her corset wouldn't be worth drawing against three people, but the small revolver hidden behind the sofa might. She wished she'd remembered to replace the one in the bookcase that she'd given to Karl.

Loretta slowed her breathing, using the time to