The Inn Between by Marina Cohen Page A

filled with pain.
    Her mother doesn’t see. She looks past Quinn to the purple sleeve. She gets up and tucks it under Emma’s pillow. She walks out of the room.
    Quinn sinks back onto her bed, melting into the covers. She looks over at Emma’s stuff. The orange backpack sits slumped against the wall so that its enormous smiley face is now more a wrinkled frown. She hears a tiny clink—like the breaking of fine glass. Another piece of her heart has snapped off.
    Quinn’s about to close her eyes when they settle on the book on Emma’s nightstand—the book Emma hadn’t had a chance to finish. She reaches over and picks it up. It falls open to the bookmarked page.
    Slowly, carefully, she begins to read.

 
    18
    T HERE WAS A SOFT KNOCK AT THE DOOR .
    Kara sprang from the bed. “Mom! Dad!”
    Quinn tried to hold her back in case it was the crazy man, but Kara was already opening it.
    Persephone stood in the hallway, looking pleasantly into the room. “Hello, girls. I’ve come for Joe.”
    She extended her hand—a long, thin hand with that pale translucent skin that gave Quinn the creeps. Joe moved toward her.
    Instinctively Quinn stretched out an arm to bar his path. “He’s not going with you,” she said firmly. “He’s staying with us.”
    Then someone else appeared beside Persephone. It was the old woman with cotton-candy hair and crinkly gray eyes. Quinn had seen her in the restaurant earlier that morning.
    â€œGrandma?” shouted Joe, charging through Quinn’s barrier, past Persephone. He threw himself into the old woman’s arms. “But…?”
    â€œTime to go, Joey,” she whispered, smoothing his hair, gripping him tightly.
    Joe squeezed hard for a moment, and then drew back still holding her hands. “But … Adam?” he said softly.
    Persephone exchanged glances with the old woman. They both smiled and nodded. “Adam is going to be fine,” said the old woman. She looked at Kara and winked.
    Joe hugged his grandmother again. He took a deep breath and smiled. He turned toward Quinn and Kara. “I have to go now. Thanks for helping.”
    Kara frowned. “What about my family? Where are they ? When are they coming?”
    â€œDon’t worry,” said Persephone. “I’m sure you’ll see them soon.”
    Joe walked slowly alongside his grandmother and Persephone down the long dark corridor. Before they disappeared around the corner, Joe turned back. He lifted his hand and waved, and then he, too, was gone.
    Quinn looked at Kara. “Something isn’t right. I saw that woman earlier. If she was here earlier why didn’t she come for Joe? Maybe she isn’t really his grandma. Maybe someone who looks like her.”
    â€œLet’s follow them,” said Kara.
    â€œWhat about the man?” asked Quinn. “What if we run into him?”
    â€œHe’s probably still pacing the hallway near Joe’s room. Probably doesn’t even know we’ve left. We’ll keep an eye out.”
    Quinn agreed.
    Kara locked the door and Quinn took her hand, gripping it tightly. Together they made their way through the hall toward the lobby.
    When they got to the entrance, Quinn poked her head around the corner. An old woman moved with her walker toward the restaurant. A man was milling about at the front desk talking to Persephone. The guy with the ball cap wasn’t there.
    Neither was Joe. She wondered how Persephone had gotten him to his family and then returned to the front desk so quickly.
    Then she heard the familiar grinding noise of the elevator cables. Through the metal bars she saw Joe, standing beside his grandmother.
    The operator, Sharon, was saying, “Kindly place any hand baggage in the overhead bins. Larger pieces must be stowed beneath your seat.”
    Joe was looking up at his grandmother, smiling.
    â€œThere he is,” said Kara. “I