John was stomping across the floor when Abby snapped back to the present.
“Did I say Reverse Underground Railroad?” He held his clenched fists close to his sides and stared up at the window in the eaves. The sky showing through the boards was black now, the clouds shutting out most of the light from the moon and stars. “More like Perverse Underground Railroad.”
Abby closed the laptop and went to him. He turned and pulled her into his arms.
“Why did you shut it down?” Ryan muttered. “It was just getting interesting.”
“Do you really think so, Rye?” John said, his voice dangerously quiet.
“Ryan!” Kate said.
Brother Greenfield pulled his handkerchief from his pocket and wiped his eyes.
Ryan seemed to suddenly remember he was there and mumbled an apology. “Anyway, I was right. This Ned said that his mother made up the Greenfield name. They didn’t have a white master named Ned Greenfield. She made it up. See, I was right, Kathryn.” He took her into his arms and tried to spin her into a dance.
She struggled until she had freed herself. “Ryan, stop it.”
“Don’t you get it? He’s the wrong Ned Greenfield. I was right all along. Admit it.”
“Or maybe it proves the exact opposite. If there was no other Ned Greenfield, then he’s the one I’m related to.”
Brother Greenfield snorted a laugh and held his black arm against her white one. The contrast was obvious. Only hers showed up in the dim light. “Not likely, honey.”
“Well, we still need to follow him,” Kate said. “To find out if he goes to Chicago.”
“I thought I could watch this, but I was wrong.” Brother Greenfield turned to go.
“You won’t have to watch it,” John said coming back to the laptop. “You all turn away. I’ll fast-forward until I see when he leaves here.”
“Why do you get to watch, Roberts?”
“Turner, could you please just…just…shut up?”
Ryan huffed and crossed his arms across his chest. “Well.”
“Okay, here goes,” John said. “I’ll have to slow it down from time to time to check. I’ll let you know when it’s safe to look.”
Everyone turned away, although Kate had to tug at Ryan’s arm. The sound of the computer whirring was the only thing Abby heard for several minutes.
Then the whirring stopped and John said, “Dang it.”
“What’s wrong?” Abby said.
“You can look now.”
It was all gone—Ned and Lil, the third floor room, Hickory Hill itself. The Beautiful Houses slide show was in full swing.
“You went too far forward, Roberts,” Ryan said.
There was a shuffling sound from the stairs and then Miss Granger was there. She reached up and flipped a light switch none of them had noticed. The ugly yellow light made the room even more horrible. She was wearing another museum-quality long dress, this one a midnight blue studded in matching sequins on the hemline and mutton sleeves.
“I heard the music,” she said, smiling gaily. “We’re gettin’ an early start on the dancin’, aren’t we?”
Patty Ann went to her and took her arm. “Miss Granger, I thought you’d gone to bed.”
“I couldn’t sleep. At first I thought it was the girls cryin’ again. But then I knew it was the music.”
She pulled away from Patty Ann and went to Abby. “I’m delighted you could make it.” She held out her hand and Abby shook it gently. “And your charming young man.” She smiled up at John and put her hand on his arm. Then she frowned and patted her left wrist. “I seem to have misplaced my dance card.” She laughed again. “But never mind. I saved a dance just for you.”
He took her arm. “Miss Granger, I think you’d better go with Patty Ann.”
Turning away from him, she stumbled. Brother Greenfield extended a hand but then pulled it back as if he thought his help would be unwelcome.
Miss Granger seemed to notice him for the first time. Her eyes went huge and she put her hands to her cheeks. “Why did you have to come back?”
“Miss Granger? It’s me, Brother Greenfield.”
She moved her hands from her cheeks to her ears. “The girls. All those girls. Do you hear them crying?”
“They’re not crying anymore, Miss Granger,” Brother Greenfield said. “All those horrible things are long past.”
Miss Granger wiped her eyes with the backs of her hands and then turned to Abby and looked earnestly into her face. “Don’t ever call them niggers or they’ll cut off your ears.”
“Miss Granger, there’s no need to be afraid. I’d never hurt you, no matter what you called me.”
She began sobbing and would have fallen except Brother Greenfield caught her. “Oh, ma’am, don’t cry. I’m Alex, not Ned. And you’re not John Granger. But even if you were, I’d forgive you.”
“How can you?” she sobbed.
“How can I not after all the Lord’s forgiven me? Do you have a Bible, Miss Granger?”
“Yes, Patty Ann gave me one, bless her heart.”
“Then let’s go downstairs. I want to read you one of the Lord’s parables—the one about the wicked servant.”
“I’ll get the Bible,” Patty Ann said and followed them down the stairs.
Ryan looked at his watch. “Now can we go, Kathryn? We can be back in Chicago by midnight or one if we leave right now.”
“Merri,” Abby said. “I forgot to call her back. She wanted to know—” Abby shut her mouth and then opened it again. She probably looked like a fish. “The man in the attic. She was trying to tell me about the man in Charlotte’s attic. Remember? The one with the iron slave collar?”
“What are you talking about?” Ryan asked.
“Charlotte told him to go to Chicago,” Abby said. “To look for a man named Moody.”
“Maybe,” John said. “After all, he was only sixteen or so when he was brought here. He’d have changed.”
“What man?” Ryan said.
“You know,” Abby said. “The slaves we saw in Charlotte’s attic the night you and Kate arrived in Miles Station.”
Ryan snorted. “Guess I missed that trip,” he said sarcastically.
“Oh, sorry.”
“And if he did make it safely to Chicago…,” Kate said slowly. “Where my Greenfield ancestors all came from. Well, that’s just wild.”
“We’re back on the trail,” John said. “Come on. Let’s go.”