Violet had been watching Malcolm carefully for the past couple of hours. She hated the silence that had fallen between them, hoping she could blame it on Alfie’s presence or the shock of fighting off the man who’d tried to kill them.
It’s not me, she told herself.It’s not us.
Her heart ached as she watched him. She had waited so long for him to recognize what they had between them, to put aside his loyalty to a brother who didn’t deserve either of them. Maggie’s suffering and dying had drawn Violet and Malcolm closer than ever. Fear and danger had erased the last hesitations betweenthem, made them see how much they needed one another. She could still feel the warm echo of him on her skin, and inside her, and yet now he felt so far away.
This needed to be over. Malcolm needed to fulfill his promise to his mother and put it all behind him. Violet had loved her, too, but she’d been nurturing a vision of her own future and she burned with the desire to make it come true. She looked at Maggie’s crate and wrinkled her nose. Strange odors drifted from it, a stale stink of death and an acrid chemical smell that she thought all three of them were only pretending not to notice. The broken window made it so cold in the baggage car, but the swirling air took some of that smell away, at least.
Alfie turned from the window, face bruised from the fight with the raven, numb fear and worry in his eyes. His orange hair looked as red as the devil in the dark. This was the man who had been hired to make sure they reached Shediak safely, and his fear made her feel unmoored.
“What is it, Alfie?” Malcolm asked.
“I need to ask Mrs. Wise a favor,” the big man said, and it took Violet a moment to realize she was the missus he meant.
“Of course,” she said.
Alfie took out his wallet, removed a couple of dollars, and folded them into her hand. “Go into the station and get the evening papers. Anything that might report something awful in Elkhart.”
Violet clutched the money. Her fingers were so cold. “Your brother?”
Alfie nodded.
“It’s too soon to worry,” Malcolm said. He didn’t look up, instead running a hand along the rough wood of the crate. “The car you took from the raven might’ve broken down. And Joe was injured, too—you said so yourself. It may be that he just hasn’t caught up to us yet.”
“I hope you’re right,” Alfie replied. “But I’d rather know than hope.”
The train slowed further, the sound of the rain softening.
Malcolm turned toward them. “You shouldn’t go on your own, Violet. The two of you go together.”
Alfie looked out the broken window again. “I can’t get off the train. Those were the instructions I had. ‘See Maggie Wise’s body safely home. Stay with her. Don’t get off the train until you’re carrying her off.’”
“Oh, really,” Violet said. “That didn’t seem to stop you from finding a more comfortable place to rest your head.”
She kept her tone light, but Alfie took the jibe seriously. “Nobody’s taking her body off while the train is moving,” he said. “Besides, the two of you were here.”
Malcolm shoved himself to his feet. He dug into his pockets for his cigarettes. “Time to break some rules, I think,” he said, placing a cigarette between his lips and mumbling. “I’ll get your papers.”
He reached for the dollars Alfie had given her, but Violet held on to them.
“Maggie wanted you to stay with her,” she reminded him.
Malcolm turned his hand over, palm open and empty. “Alfie’s not the only one who’d like to know what happened to Joe, but I’m not happy with the idea of you going alone. It may not be safe, and it’s definitely not smart. The raven didn’t give me the impression he’d be the only one trying to stop us.”
“You think someone else will get on in Buffalo,” Violet said as the train hissed and hitched, and came to a stop. They had twelve minutes here, maybe fifteen.
“I’ll be surprised if they don’t.”
Alfie took the bills from Violet and handed them to Malcolm. “Go quickly.”
Violet bristled. “I’m not some delicate flower, no matter what my mother named me. And I don’t like you two making decisions for me.”
“He’s looking out for you,” Alfie said.
“By leaving me behind?” The words were out of her mouthbefore she realized what she was saying. Then she glanced at the crate with a shiver.
Malcolm came to her. Slid his arms around her and held her close. It was the first time they had ever shared any kind of intimacy where someone else could see them. He brushed her hair back with one hand and kissed her cheek.
“He’s pretty good in a scrape,” Alfie went on, “but no offense to the war hero, I’m scarier and harder to kill. He wants to go so that I’ll stay here with you and the crate.”
