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  was Philip Grace and not Gina who ended up on that kitchen floor.?

  Rob felt like the world had tilted all over again, and his stomach flipped. Teacher. He was talking about Teacher.

  ?Are you saying that you think what happened to the dog was Camilla’s fault, not Gina’s??

  Jack shook his head impatiently. ?Why should it have had anything to do with Gina? I told you, this stuff was going on before Gina was born, and anyway, Camilla never liked dogs. She thought they were dirty and clumsy. They made her nervous. I can imagine how angry she was when Philip brought that puppy back to the house. She would have been livid.?He paused for a moment, and looked at Rob.

  ?Are you saying you kids all thought it was Gina? You thought she did it? You thought she made that dog go into the fire??

  Rob nodded slowly. ?Yeah, we thought she did it. We thought she killed Philip Grace, too.?He flinched, thinking back to that day in the kitchen, the three of them running and running, leaving Gina standing and staring in horror. His voice fell to a whisper. ?Worse than that, she believed she’d done it, too. She’s believed it all these years.?

  The two men sat in silence for a moment, awed by the awfulness of it all, before Rob spoke. ?But you know what’s worse? I think we were all wrong. In fact, I’d bet every penny I’ve got in the bank that we were all wrong, all of us except Carrie-Anne. I think she was closer to the truth than anyone.?He looked at Jack. ?I’ll tell you on the way home. I’ll tell you about that day, and then I’ll tell you about all the shit that’s been happening since I got back, finishing with what happened up at the house this morning. And then we’ll go and explain to the girls how we’re going to get Tabby back and end this.?

  Jack pulled himself to his feet and picked up the walking cane that was resting on the back of the bench. He

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  leaned heavily on it as Rob carefully turned Camilla’s wheelchair around to push her indoors.

  ?Rob.?The older man’s hand was on his arm. ?Am I going to have to tell them??

  Rob didn’t have to ask who. Gina and Kelly. He nodded, wondering how his heart could get any heavier.

  ?Yeah, I think you are. I think the time for secrets is over, don’t you??

  Jack nodded, the answer expected. ?Well, let’s go and get it done then.?

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  Chapter-Thirty-nine

  Rob noticed the two women had opened a bottle of wine, and were both nursing half-full glasses, as he opened the door to the sitting room. Even so, he could feel the cool air of tension between Gina and Kelly.

  ?Dad, what are you doing here??

  Jack had come in behind Rob, leaning heavily on his cane, probably more from the weight he was carrying inside him than any pressure on his hip. When she saw him, Kelly leapt to her feet.

  ?Is there any news? Have the police found something??

  Jack touched her on the arm and shook his head, keeping his gaze low. Rob wondered how the old man could bear the strain as he watched Jack’s eyes flick between his two daughters, one blonde, one brunette, as different as yin and yang.

  Nodding Jack toward the armchair under the bay window, Rob sat on the sofa.

  ?I think we’ve figured out where we’ve been going wrong. Carrie was halfway there. She realized that Gina didn’t have anything to do with Teacher’s death or

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  Philip’s. She figured out that Gina had never had any kind of power at all. It was the house that had the power. Syracousse did those terrible things, and I think Carrie thought it had done them for Gina. Because that was what she wanted. To protect her.?

  He looked up at Gina, whose perfectly made-up blue eyes were wide and watery. Her hand trembled around the forgotten wine glass she held.

  ?You mean I didn’t do any of it? Not the broken glass, not anything??She paused for a second, almost unable to get her breath to speak. ?I didn’t do it. I didn’t do any of it.?She moaned slightly. ?But it’s still my fault. The house did those terrible things because of me, because I thought them.?

  ?No, no, no.?Rob shook his head. ?This is where Carrie’s theory, if it was what she was thinking and trying to get us to realize, is only partway right. After all the things Sharnice said, and the message on my computer, we automatically thought it was Gina the house wanted back, but we’ve been thinking of the wrong girl.?He leaned forward in his chair, his voice soft.

  ?It’s not you the house wants, Gina, It’s your mother. Camilla. The little girl it was built for. The little girl who lived there all her life. It wasn’t your thoughts Syracousse was tuned into all those years ago. You just happened to have some of the same angry thoughts at the same time.?

  Gina was shaking her head, gazing at some spot on the carpet. ?But that can’t be right, it can’t be right. What about all the things that happened when there was only me there? What about the things that happened around you? She wasn’t even there for most of them.?

  Rob shrugged. ?You were the most important thing in her life. Syracousse would have known that. If Camilla wanted you safe and happy, then I should imagine the house would do its best to make that happen.? His voice rose slightly, forcing Gina to meet his gaze. ?Don’t you see what this means? You can let it all go now. It was nothing

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  to do with you. You’re as much a victim of all this as Teacher and Philip.?

  Tears were streaming down Gina’s cheeks, her lifetime of composure ebbing away with them. ?But you all thought it was me. I thought it was me. How could a house do anything? How? And even if it could, why start again now? It’s crazy. The whole thing is crazy.?

  ?I agree. It’s crazy, but I think it’s true. I think after Camilla and you left, it just waited for her to come back, like a dog waiting for its owner. Just waited for all those years. It probably would have waited forever if those school kids hadn’t broken in and talked about you wanting the house to crumble, and how your mother was locked up and never coming out.?Gina flinched at the mention of her mother, and Rob wished they had time to let her take all this in slowly, especially as the worst was yet to come. Jack still had to tell his part in everything, and the clock was ticking around to that.

  ?It’s taking its revenge on us. Maybe it loved us a little as well, and what did we do? We all abandoned it and separated it from the one person it loved the best. The one person it had done everything to make happy.?

  Gina’s head was shaking. ?But what can we do? Is it going to try to kill us all??

  Rob’s voice was firm, and this time he looked at Kelly as well. ?No. No, it’s not, because we’re going to give it what it wants. We’re going to take your mother up there. Jack spoke to Keery on our way back here, and said that he wants to take her out for the day tomorrow with you, under the guise of seeking out any little hidey-holes at Syracousse you might know about that the police might have missed. Maybe if we take Camilla there, the house will give us Tabby back. Maybe it’ll finish all this.?

  Her face full of fear, Gina met his eyes. ?Yes, but how? How will all this end??

  Rob didn’t have an answer.

  ?But why the hell did it take Tabby in the first place?

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  And where have you been with my father? What does he have to do with all this??Kelly’s voice was sharp, and Rob could hear the panic and confusion rising in it. He looked up at Jack, who let out a long, heavy sigh.

  ?Why don’t you go and put a pot of coffee on or something, Rob??

  ?Are you sure??He studied the wrinkled, worn face and saw that the older man’s eyes, although tired and bloodshot, held an expression of steel.

  ?Yes, I’m sure. This is something I need to do on my own.?

  Nodding, Rob got to his feet and headed out to the corridor, giving the other man’s shoulder a squeeze as he passed, then shutting the door and heading into the kitchen where he stood leaning against the breakfast bar, his arms folded, waiting for the fallout. He didn’t bother filling the kettle. Coffee wasn’t going to cure this. He didn’t really think anything could cure this.

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  The scorpion scuttled by, six legs tapping loudly against the dusty wooden floor, its enormous stinger waving in their direction as it paused before running toward them, stopping angrily when it reached the barrier of Jason’s coat and sneakers, which made a semi-circle from the wall, he, Tabby and Teacher were sitting against. Somehow it seemed these creatures of the house’s imagination couldn’t cross the barrier of his clothing. Two unreals don’t make a real, Jason had supposed. Maybe his lack of substance and theirs just couldn’t connect, like something in an old Star Trek episode. Or maybe the creatures couldn’t get near them because Tabby, the only flesh-and-blood entity present, believed they were safe behind their wall of fabric. The old trick of mind over matter.

  Whatever the reason, the huge, shining bug with the judge’s old and wizened face grotesquely stretched across it, sneered from the other side of the black leather jacket but approached no closer. The blood-red eyes burned madly as its pincers clicked and clacked like the clenching and unclenching of a fist.

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  ?Look where you’ve brought us,?it hissed, the open mouth revealing nothing but darkness. ?Look what you did to me! LOOK WHAT YOU DID TO ME!?

  It paced up and down in front of them, making quick, precise turns from right to left, the hellish version of a mythical centaur, cursing and swearing under whatever repulsive breath it had.

  Tabby trembled, and snuggled in tighter between the man and the dog, tucking her face away. ?I don’t like it,?she whispered. ?Make it go away, please, make it go away.?

  Jason squeezed her tight. Disturbing as the sight of the creature was, Jason felt no fear of it, aware that it was a trick, a game, and that the judge wherever he was, was not part of this beast in front of him. Tabby, however, brave as she was, was only four, and there was only so much she could take.

  ?Oh, you don’t want to be scared of a silly thing like that. Look at it. It looks ridiculous.?He kept his voice light and cheerful. ?It’s like those boys at school who think saying rude words is really big and clever. Do you know boys like that??

  He felt the small head, hidden by curls nodding against his chest.

  ?And what do you do when those boys bore you by being silly??

  This time there was a pause and then a shrug.

  ?Oh come on, you must do something. What do you do??

  ?I stick my tongue out at them.?Her voice was quiet, but he could feel the small body relaxing slightly, and he laughed softly.

  ?Oh you do, do you? Right. Then that’s what we’ll do.?

  Leaning forward slightly, he stuck his tongue right out at the abomination that was calling his mother a whore in that unnatural sibilant voice. ?Na, na, na, naaa, na, you can’t get to us!?

  Tabby’s head tentatively turned to see what he was

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  doing, so he repeated the action. She glanced at Teacher, who let out a playful bark.

  ?Come on! I feel silly doing this all on my own.?Grinning at Tabby, he nudged her in the ribs, egging her on. Make it a game, Jase. Make it fun.

  This time he put two fingers in his mouth and stretched it out sideways, wiggling his tongue. There was a giggle beside him, and then Tabby did the same.

  Within five minutes, they were laughing so hard that the scorpion hissed and spat before wandering off.

  Jason kissed her on the forehead, still laughing. ?See. It’s only scary if you make it that way.?

  Tabby nodded, and he could see that, for the moment at least, she was convinced.

  The unexpected pain threw him back against the wall, his head hitting it hard as he felt himself sucked away, nausea flooding his system as a weight landed on his chest, bright light filling his vision—there was something on his face, something covering his mouth and why couldn’t he move, why couldn’t he move?—and then a face loomed over him, a face he didn’t recognize, its mouth shouting instructions to someone, one of the people whose shadows flitted across the whiteness, and beyond it all he could hear an awful long tone, like the tuneless note you hear when someone’s hung up the phone and left you unwanted on the other end, and then the white was turning to gray. …

  Something tugged hard at his sleeve, pulling him, dragging him back to consciousness, and he tried to shake it off, but it wouldn’t let go, whining and yanking, and it sounded just like a dog, just like a dog. …

  ?Teacher??His voice sounded raw, and he opened his eyes to see the bleak darkness of Syracousse spread out before him. His head hurt where he’d banged it. Figure that out. His heart pounded rapidly, and as he glanced around, he

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  listened for that rhythmic bellows sound deep inside him. It was still there. Still definitely there.

  Tabby stared at him, trembling with more fear than he’d seen since his part in this madness had begun.

  ?Are you okay, sweetheart??

  She gazed at him, almost distrusting. ?Why did you go thin like that? I almost couldn’t see you. Where were you going? Were you leaving me here??The panic was rising, her voice thinning out as it rose in pitch. ?Don’t leave me here, please don’t leave me here.?

  ?Hey, hey…?Trying to stop the tears that brimmed in her eyes, he tilted her chin so that she was looking up into his face. ?I promised you I wouldn’t leave until you were safely out of here, and I’m not going anywhere until then. Me and Teacher are staying right here. Isn’t that right, Teach??He looked over to the dog, who barked in agreement and then laid his head in the little girl’s lap, covering it completely.

  ?You promise??

  ?I promise. Now you curl up with Teacher and Mr. Pickles and try to get some sleep. Okay??

  ?You won’t go anywhere??

  Jason shook his head firmly. ?I won’t move an inch.?

  When she had finally settled and was dozing, mumbling quietly in her peaceless sleep, Jason let out a long sigh and shut his own eyes. Come on, Robster, come on. I don’t think we’ve got much more time. He paused in the thought, a wave of sadness flowing over him. / don’t think I’ve got much more time. 301

  The sound of sobbing escaped the sitting room as the door was flung open and Kelly ran down the corridor into the kitchen. She faced Rob, her chest heaving with emotion, her pale skin deathly. He stepped toward her.

  ?Kelly …?

  ?Don’t.?Her voice was like ice, and she held up one hand to stop him from coming closer. ?Don’t. Whatever you’ve got to say, I don’t want to hear it.?The hate in her eyes stabbed at the very core of him.

  ?Kelly, I’m so sorry, but this isn’t my fault.?

  ?Isn’t your fault??she sneered as her voice rose, her mouth quivering. ?If you hadn’t come back, then none of this would have happened. None of it.?

  ?But it already has happened. It happened a long time ago.?He reached for her, wanting to comfort her, but she pushed him away.

  ?But I wouldn’t have known about it! It wouldn’t have happened for me! And what about Tabby? Would she still be here if you hadn’t come back? Can you answer me honestly that all this would still have gone on??She ran a

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  hand through her hair, pacing sideways and up and down, as if the strength of what she was feeling inside made it impossible for her to stand still. ?None of this has anything to do with me and Tabby.? She paused for a moment to point an accusing finger at Rob. ?We don’t have any sordid little secrets that need digging up. We’ve just been sucked into your mess.? She spat the words at him, tears now rolling down her cheeks as Rob stood helpless, no words coming to him.

  ?I wish I’d never laid eyes on you. I hate you for what you’ve done to me.?Jack had followed Kelly out of the lounge and now stood behind her. She ignored him, her eyes burning into Rob’s.

  ?I hate you, Robert Black. And I never want to see you again.?She paused, sucking in a deep breath, trying to control herself. ?I just wanted you to know that.?

  Turning on her heel, she shoved Jack into the wall and stormed down the corridor and out the front door, slamming it hard behind her. Rob felt his heart break with the sound. Standing in the doorway, Jack seemed to have shrunk, his body hollowed out somehow, his shoulders slumped. His eyes met Rob’s and for a few seconds they said nothing, but stared at each other in the company of Gina’s distant crying. Eventually, Jack broke the gaze.

  ?I’d better go after her. Will you look after Gina??

  Rob nodded. ?You know we still have to do this thing tomorrow, Jack. If we want to get Tabby back.?

  Jack paused and looked back over his shoulder. Rob didn’t like what he saw in the man’s eyes. The way he was looking at him with a mixture of dislike and disgust. He thinks this is all my fault, too. He wishes I’d stayed away. He thinks I have no heart.

  ?Yes, Rob, I know we do, and I’ll be there. Just let me get through tonight first, all right? I’ve just wrecked my little girl’s memories, and God knows what that other woman in your lounge is feeling. I think we should worry about them tonight. The rest can wait till tomorrow.?

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  He turned away without saying another word and limped slowly to the door. It shut more quietly this time, and then it was just Gina and him. Last two of the four. Pushing himself away from the breakfast bar, Rob walked on heavy legs back to the sitting room where he stood for a moment in the doorway watching Gina crying into her hands, her hair loose from her ponytail covering her face.