“It doesn’t necessarily mean he is the Sentry.” Janie spoke in a breathless rush. “He has camping experience, that’s all we know for sure. Our real estate agent, the guy who sold us our strange, sort of haunted house, used to be a Boy Scout. Right now, that’s really all we know.”

“We have to call Mom and Dad,” Ben ordered.

“And say what?” Janie asked.

“We have to warn them.”

“That’s true. He was parked on our street just this morning.”

Ben stared at me. “Who? McGovern?”

Janie scrolled through her phone.

“Are you calling Mom and Dad or not?”

Janie held up one finger. “Lucy. Hey, Lucy? Ben and I were just hanging out at the library. Liv too. What? I’m not joking. It just closed. Hey, are Mom and Dad home? No reason.” Janie started pulling faces at me. I could hear Lucy’s voice building to a high-pitched shriek. “Hey, Luce—can you put Dad on? Or maybe Mom? No reason.” Janie shook her head at me. “Listen, Lucy. We found out some stuff today and we think we might know who’s sending the letters. Just … I don’t know … stay in the house, okay? You and Mom and Dad. Don’t answer the door for anyone. We’ll be right there. No, I’m not trying to be melodramatic. We’ll be back in less than five minutes. I’m just asking that you not answer the door for the next five minutes. You can handle that, right?” The voice buzzing from Janie’s phone blared more loudly. Ben made a motion with his hand as if to say, Keep it going. He wanted Janie to keep Lucy on the line as we got our bikes and started pedaling. “Okay now, there’s no need to get crude. I love you, Lucy. And Mom and Dad too. Ben also loves you all … Liv doesn’t but I bet she feels a certain fondness. Anyway, we’ll be back soon.”

We pedaled home as fast as we could. As he turned onto our street, Ben asked, “Do you want to go back to your place?”

“Are you kidding?”

“Your funeral.” We cycled past and I saw the kitchen lights still on. I finally texted my mom, Coming home from the library, just as we parked our bikes into the drive a few doors down. We stood in the yard a second as Ben mostly spoke to Janie. “Let’s be clear: We tell Mom and Dad everything we know.”

“We don’t actually know a whole lot.”

Ben continued, “We’re going to stay composed so that we speak clearly. Remember that we’ve been dealing with this whole thing for weeks. They’re just catching up. Dad will probably freak out. We need to let him rant a bit. Deep down, he’s a reasonable man. And if something really went on between her and McGovern, Mom might very well blame herself. But really that part is between them. We don’t go near that. Understand?”

Janie and I nodded solemnly even as we understood that Ben’s pep talk was mostly for his own benefit.

Just as we got to the steps, the porch light blinked on. Mr. Donahue stepped outside. “Do you three want to tell me what’s going on? You’ve frightened Lucy half to death.” Behind the screen door, Lucy hovered and glared.

Ben looked up and down the street. He leaned over to me. “Do you see his car?”

“No, but it’s so dark.” The street had seemed positively fluorescent back when we snuck off to the park, but now Olcott Place looked full of shadows.

Ben spoke up to his dad. “Let’s all go inside, okay?” He even checked the trees and bushes as we made our way up the walk.

“You’re acting paranoid. What is this?” Mr. Donahue called up the stairs. “Lindsay, the kids are back.”

“How long have you all been home?” Ben asked him.

“Couple hours. Are you going to fill me in now? Because it’s family meeting time and I want some answers.” He called up again, “Lindsay, we need you down here.”

Ben turned to Janie and murmured directions quietly. “Bring Liv with you and go upstairs to pack a bag. Ask Mom to do the same.” Mr. Donahue looked bewildered to see Ben taking charge. As we climbed the steps, I heard Ben tell him, “A family meeting’s a great idea, Dad, but I think we should hold it at a hotel. Let’s just go stay somewhere else. Just one night to talk things through.”

“What are you talking about—stay in a hotel? Do you have any idea what the mortgage on this place is? A hotel!” he scoffed.

Janie and I ducked into her room, right as Mrs. Donahue came out in the hallway. “Girls, what are you up to now?” She stood in the doorway with her hands on her hips, watching Janie dump a bunch of clothes into her duffel bag. “Jane Louise—what’s gotten into you? It’s the wrong night for a sleepover, I’ll tell you that. You’ve stirred up your sister and she’s got your dad all riled.”

Janie faced her mom squarely and spoke clearly. This was the Janie I knew, the one her family didn’t. “Mom, we have to get out of the house. Now.”

“What’s happened? Another letter?”

“Did we get one?”

“Yes? I don’t know. Is that what you’re saying?”

I wondered if my family sounded so much like crossed cell phone calls. I waded in, trying to translate. “Mrs. Donahue, we don’t know about a new letter from the Sentry. But we might have an idea about who the Sentry is.”

“Who?”

I stared past her at Janie, who stood frozen, with wide eyes and vigorously shaking head.

Mrs. Donahue whipped her head to Janie and then back to me. “For goodness’ sake, girls, who?”

“We think it’s Ned McGovern,” I said. “I’m sorry if that’s, ummm … awkward—”

“What do you mean? Why?”

“Well, we think he spent a lot of time in this house as a little boy. We think he had a hard childhood. That for some reason, he feels possessive of the house.”

“Why would that be awkward? We’ve sought a restraining order against the man; he’s acted absolutely bizarrely. It makes perfect sense …” Mrs. Donahue trailed off. “It’s just that as the professional who handled the sale, it doesn’t make much sense to drive us out. He loses his commission.”

“Only if he’s held responsible,” I pointed out.

And Janie added, “If not, it gives him the chance to earn that commission all over again.”

Mrs. Donahue stood up straight and looked at both Janie and me like she was suddenly seeing us clearly for the first time. “That’s an astute point.” She smiled wryly. “How long were you girls at the library anyway?”

Janie said quietly, “Do you worry Daddy will blame you?”

“Because I fell in love?” That was my cue to try to crawl into the carpet. But then Mrs. Donahue said, “It’s true that this was my dream house, sweetheart. But moving here had other benefits. Lucy was driving herself mad with stress—just way too much pressure. And Ben”—Mrs. Donahue pursed her lips—“Ben needed a fresh start as well. And then there was your father’s business.” She sighed. “Across the board, the move made sense. And I loved the house.”

Janie asked, “But didn’t you and Mr. McGovern … ?”

“Me and Mr. McGovern what?” Mrs. Donahue appeared genuinely puzzled. And then I watched as she realized what Janie was really asking.

She breathed deeply. “Jane Louise.” Mrs. Donahue narrowed her eyes at me too, but she didn’t say my name in the same firm voice. “I am not in the habit of defending my marriage to my children.” Janie and I stared at each other. She hadn’t actually answered a question. “Girls, is that clear? I expect a certain amount of gossip in a small town but not in my own home.” She glared at me as if I was fully to blame for this latest erosion of Donahue family bliss.

“Of course,” I said quickly and desperately.

“Yes. Mom, I’m really sorry.” Janie’s eyes brimmed. “It just seemed like you were texting him a lot and Dad seemed mad and then Mr. McGovern kept showing up.”

“Honey, it’s okay.” Mrs. Donahue swooped us both in for a hug. “You are growing up and you understand more than I give you credit for. But some things, some relationships, they are just really complex. Most marriages are like that.”

She dropped her hands from around our shoulders and took both Janie’s hands in her own. I pretty much ceased to exist in the room—and that was honestly preferable. “Nothing happened between Ned McGovern and me.” Janie nodded. “And please tell your brother and sister that.” She headed out to the hallway and we heard her calling for Mr. Donahue as she bounded down the stairs.

“Did you believe her?” Janie asked.

“Of course,” I answered, as if it mattered what I believed about anyone really.

When we joined the rest of the family on the first floor, Ben was trying valiantly to explain how we’d come to suspect Ned McGovern, even as Mr. Donahue seemed more and more convinced he was out of his mind. “You’re telling me that there’s a maze of secret chambers behind almost every room of the house? You realize that when you purchase a house, especially a landmark property, it’s customary to receive schematics of the property.”

“I didn’t know that,” Ben admitted. “I’ve never purchased a house. However, who would provide a home buyer with that?”

“Well, generally the realtor.”

“Right.” We all sat silently and waited for that to sink in.

“No.” Mr. Donahue began pacing around the living room, with his hands clasped behind his head. “NO. Lindsay, are you hearing this?”

“Well, it does explain how he managed to get inside to leave those letters on our beds. McGovern might very well still have a key.”

“No doubt, Mom. That’s a good point but—” Ben looked at us for help.

“Some of the passages lead outside,” Janie rushed to explain. “So, you know, you can access them from outside.”

“So this guy could be coming and going freely, without any of us knowing?” Lucy demanded. “Could he be watching us?”

Janie quickly crossed over to the dining room and pulled at the leather copy of Great Expectations. The bookcase opened and revealed the tiny room behind the wall.

It was empty.

“We found an old sleeping bag in there, with books and even chocolate,” she told her parents. “He used to sleep and watch from there, maybe while the family who lived here carried on their normal lives. Why would a kid do that? And why wouldn’t anyone notice? Why wouldn’t anyone miss him?”

Suddenly, there was a crash.

I checked to see who had left the room. I figured Lucy, but there she stood, with all the fireplace implements within reach. The Donahue family had all stepped closer to the dining room, to scrutinize the secret chamber behind the bookcase.

The crash sounded wooden and heavy and finished with a metal clanking. Ben met my eyes from across the room and instinctively we both stepped away from the walls. He said it before I could pronounce the words:

“He’s here. He’s in the house now.”