Chapter 37

But for the minute…

For the minute, maybe the brook at the bottom of the valley, by the weak bridge. The sound of the water was calming, but Luke had always called it dull so they’d only gone once. He wouldn’t think of it, and Dad and Jason wouldn’t know about it, so Shane could wait there, right? It was round to the east of Little Hinckley, the other side of it from Wheatley, so if he looped through the fields around the bottom of the village and along the valley floor, he wouldn’t risk being caught by anyone—and he wasn’t wearing any shoes. Anyone would be bound to remember him if they saw him.

When they’d first moved here, Shane had really explored. He’d never lived in the country before. It had fascinated him, all the space, and he’d explored like a little kid on their first trip to the beach. So even in the darkness, he knew these sagging, muddy paths and the way wire caught at clothing over which fences. He knew the way, and he knew the best way not to get caught.