anywhere until I know Charles is okay,” I said.
“He’ll be fine.”
“I told you I’m not leaving him here.” I grabbed the keys from her hands.
“Stop, Miss. You can’t.”
“Charles,” I shouted, and ran back to the door. “Charles, where are you?”
“ Liv ?” A whisper I could barely hear, a voice as thin as water.
“Miss.” Peggy’s fingers on my shoulder felt like claws. “There’s no one in there.”
“I’m in here. Help me, Liv .”
“I’m right here, Charles.” I unlocked the door and felt a surge from the other side.
“Miss,” Peggy shouted. “That’s against the rules.”
I struggled with the door and felt as if I was pushing against the wind. It flew open, and the force of it sent me flying. I landed in the wet grass next to Peggy.
“Oh, my goodness. See what you’ve done.” She picked up the keys and headed for the building.
“ Liv .”
Charles sat on the ground a few feet from me. The topcoat was gone, and he wore only a gray t-shirt. His bare arms glistened with raindrops.
“Are you okay?” I asked.
“I think so.” He stood slowly and came over to me. “It was like being in the middle of a storm in there. I found Benjamin, but he acted as if he didn’t see me. He was with Mr. Freeman, Liv .”
“Now do you believe what I’ve been trying to tell you?” I asked.
He pressed his fingers against his temples. “I feel like I’ve been drugged or something. You’re right. Whatever is in that casino wants us. But why?”
“They want to take us over or something, the way they took over Emily. She’s not the same person, and you were almost...” I didn’t know how to finish.
“They had me,” he said. “Benjamin seemed so real. But today he looked different. The whole place did.”
“Were the other kids there?”
“Just Freeman.” He took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes as if waking up from a deep sleep. “It looked like a cheesy bar in there. He and Benjamin were puffing on cigars and talking about some trip Mr. Freeman was planning. He said this time he was going to stop the car, whatever that means.”
“I have no idea,” I said.
“Neither do I . All I know is how I couldn’t keep away when it was tricked out like a real gambling hall. If you hadn’t tried to stop me this morning, I would have gotten there first, and they’d probably have me instead of him. What do you think they are?”
“What do you think they are?”
“Demons? I don’t know. My sister is into that stuff. I never believed any of it until now. Freeman was being so weird.”
“You were pretty weird yourself,” I said.
“Because of the money.” He lifted his empty palms. “I just wanted it to be real.”
“The way Grace wanted her sister to be real.”
Peggy once more made a show of locking the door. “Thank goodness that’s settled,” she said. “Now, let’s try to beat the storm.”
“You go ahead,” I told her. “Charles and I have something to do.”
“Well, if you’re sure.” She headed for the path. “You take care now.”
We watched her walk away, a white-haired lady in a pink sweater, humming to herself.
“Do you think she’s part of it?” Charles asked.
“She’s got to be, and her husband too. I don’t trust anyone anymore.”
“You trust me, though, don’t you?” His b
lu
e eyes twinkled behind his glasses.
“Now I do.”
“I trust you, too. Let’s figure a way to get out of here.”
CHAPTER 19
As we scrambled up the path back to the hotel, Charles and I tried to come up with a plan. I was relieved that he finally believed me, and he was relieved he’d shaken off whatever spell he’d been in. We agreed that we needed to get ourselves and everybody else off the island, but neither one of us knew how.
“Even if our phones stayed on long enough to call or text for help, no one would believe us,” I said. “Besides, it’s not safe to travel anywhere. Look at those clouds.”
He glanced
“He’ll be fine.”
“I told you I’m not leaving him here.” I grabbed the keys from her hands.
“Stop, Miss. You can’t.”
“Charles,” I shouted, and ran back to the door. “Charles, where are you?”
“ Liv ?” A whisper I could barely hear, a voice as thin as water.
“Miss.” Peggy’s fingers on my shoulder felt like claws. “There’s no one in there.”
“I’m in here. Help me, Liv .”
“I’m right here, Charles.” I unlocked the door and felt a surge from the other side.
“Miss,” Peggy shouted. “That’s against the rules.”
I struggled with the door and felt as if I was pushing against the wind. It flew open, and the force of it sent me flying. I landed in the wet grass next to Peggy.
“Oh, my goodness. See what you’ve done.” She picked up the keys and headed for the building.
“ Liv .”
Charles sat on the ground a few feet from me. The topcoat was gone, and he wore only a gray t-shirt. His bare arms glistened with raindrops.
“Are you okay?” I asked.
“I think so.” He stood slowly and came over to me. “It was like being in the middle of a storm in there. I found Benjamin, but he acted as if he didn’t see me. He was with Mr. Freeman, Liv .”
“Now do you believe what I’ve been trying to tell you?” I asked.
He pressed his fingers against his temples. “I feel like I’ve been drugged or something. You’re right. Whatever is in that casino wants us. But why?”
“They want to take us over or something, the way they took over Emily. She’s not the same person, and you were almost...” I didn’t know how to finish.
“They had me,” he said. “Benjamin seemed so real. But today he looked different. The whole place did.”
“Were the other kids there?”
“Just Freeman.” He took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes as if waking up from a deep sleep. “It looked like a cheesy bar in there. He and Benjamin were puffing on cigars and talking about some trip Mr. Freeman was planning. He said this time he was going to stop the car, whatever that means.”
“I have no idea,” I said.
“Neither do I . All I know is how I couldn’t keep away when it was tricked out like a real gambling hall. If you hadn’t tried to stop me this morning, I would have gotten there first, and they’d probably have me instead of him. What do you think they are?”
“What do you think they are?”
“Demons? I don’t know. My sister is into that stuff. I never believed any of it until now. Freeman was being so weird.”
“You were pretty weird yourself,” I said.
“Because of the money.” He lifted his empty palms. “I just wanted it to be real.”
“The way Grace wanted her sister to be real.”
Peggy once more made a show of locking the door. “Thank goodness that’s settled,” she said. “Now, let’s try to beat the storm.”
“You go ahead,” I told her. “Charles and I have something to do.”
“Well, if you’re sure.” She headed for the path. “You take care now.”
We watched her walk away, a white-haired lady in a pink sweater, humming to herself.
“Do you think she’s part of it?” Charles asked.
“She’s got to be, and her husband too. I don’t trust anyone anymore.”
“You trust me, though, don’t you?” His b
lu
e eyes twinkled behind his glasses.
“Now I do.”
“I trust you, too. Let’s figure a way to get out of here.”
CHAPTER 19
As we scrambled up the path back to the hotel, Charles and I tried to come up with a plan. I was relieved that he finally believed me, and he was relieved he’d shaken off whatever spell he’d been in. We agreed that we needed to get ourselves and everybody else off the island, but neither one of us knew how.
“Even if our phones stayed on long enough to call or text for help, no one would believe us,” I said. “Besides, it’s not safe to travel anywhere. Look at those clouds.”
He glanced
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