disappeared along with the rest of the staff and your boyfriend?” Those kinds of things didn’t happen at home. Well, actually her neighbor had been found dead in her backyard a few months ago, but it still felt very different from this, and by the time Sadie showed up on that scene the police were already investigating. Her eyes met Breanna’s. “I guess I would call the police,” Sadie said.
Breanna patted her mother’s arm. “Good answer. I’d do the same thing, so, since we agree, that’s where we should start. We did see a body and someone has to report it.” She fished her phone out of her pocket and stared at the numbers. “Does 911 work in England?”
“No, it’s 999 in the UK,” Sadie said, looking toward the door of the sitting room, wondering if she dared leave the room. When she looked back, Breanna was staring at her.
“How do you know that?” Breanna asked, her thumbs poised above the numbers of her phone.
“Everyone knows that 999 was the first emergency phone number system and that it was started in London back in 1937,” she paused, squinting one eye as she tried to recall the information. “Or was it 1938? I can’t remember.”
Breanna continued to stare at her.
“What?” Sadie asked, then looked at the phone. “Aren’t you going to call?”
“Oh, right,” Breanna said, shaking herself slightly. She punched in the numbers and put the phone to her ear. “I can’t believe you know all that.”
“Don’t you ever watch the Discovery Channel other than for Shark Week?” Sadie asked.
Breanna opened her mouth to answer, then put up a finger and looked away from her mother. “Yes,” she said. “My name is Breanna Hoffmiller. I’m visiting at Southgate estate and we found a dead body. . . . His name is John Henry. . . . It was in the sitting room, but it’s gone now. . . . Well, I agree it’s strange.” She looked up at her mother and rolled her eyes. “No, we don’t know who moved it
. . . . I’m with my mother. . . . Southgate estate—I don’t know the address—it belongs to the Earl of Garnett. . . . Um, about twenty miles out of Exeter. Can you just send someone . . . What?” She paused for several seconds. “I swear to you this is not a prank call. My mother and I found the body almost ten minutes ago. . . . We didn’t call before because we thought the cook was going to take care of it but now we can’t find her either. Look, can you just send someone?” She started tapping her foot and Sadie slowly crossed to the back of the room, looking at the now empty portion of wall that had once held John Henry. Her eyes were drawn to the thick rug set in the middle of the hardwood floor. Breanna continued to argue with the dispatcher while Sadie took a step back, toward the edge of the room. There were drag marks on the carpet, which meant—
“Unbelievable,” Breanna huffed. Sadie looked over her shoulder to see that Breanna had hung up the phone. “They think I’m some college kid from America on holiday making a prank call.”
“Well, other than the prank call, they’re right—you are a college kid from America on holiday.” She didn’t wait for Breanna to answer before putting her hand up in a stopping motion. “Don’t come any closer.” Sadie pointed at the carpet. “Drag marks,” she said. “We already messed them up a little bit.”
Breanna had followed her finger and was now inspecting the carpet. “Are you sure they’re drag marks?” she asked, squinting toward them and leaning forward.
“Carpet never lies.” Sadie motioned Breanna to come toward her using the very edges of the room. Once Breanna reached her, they both squatted down to get a better angle.
“I think you’re right,” Breanna breathed as she looked at the two parallel curving lines heading for the door—heel marks. She immediately lifted her phone.
Sadie was about to ask her what she was doing when she realized Breanna was taking a picture. She leaned toward
Breanna patted her mother’s arm. “Good answer. I’d do the same thing, so, since we agree, that’s where we should start. We did see a body and someone has to report it.” She fished her phone out of her pocket and stared at the numbers. “Does 911 work in England?”
“No, it’s 999 in the UK,” Sadie said, looking toward the door of the sitting room, wondering if she dared leave the room. When she looked back, Breanna was staring at her.
“How do you know that?” Breanna asked, her thumbs poised above the numbers of her phone.
“Everyone knows that 999 was the first emergency phone number system and that it was started in London back in 1937,” she paused, squinting one eye as she tried to recall the information. “Or was it 1938? I can’t remember.”
Breanna continued to stare at her.
“What?” Sadie asked, then looked at the phone. “Aren’t you going to call?”
“Oh, right,” Breanna said, shaking herself slightly. She punched in the numbers and put the phone to her ear. “I can’t believe you know all that.”
“Don’t you ever watch the Discovery Channel other than for Shark Week?” Sadie asked.
Breanna opened her mouth to answer, then put up a finger and looked away from her mother. “Yes,” she said. “My name is Breanna Hoffmiller. I’m visiting at Southgate estate and we found a dead body. . . . His name is John Henry. . . . It was in the sitting room, but it’s gone now. . . . Well, I agree it’s strange.” She looked up at her mother and rolled her eyes. “No, we don’t know who moved it
. . . . I’m with my mother. . . . Southgate estate—I don’t know the address—it belongs to the Earl of Garnett. . . . Um, about twenty miles out of Exeter. Can you just send someone . . . What?” She paused for several seconds. “I swear to you this is not a prank call. My mother and I found the body almost ten minutes ago. . . . We didn’t call before because we thought the cook was going to take care of it but now we can’t find her either. Look, can you just send someone?” She started tapping her foot and Sadie slowly crossed to the back of the room, looking at the now empty portion of wall that had once held John Henry. Her eyes were drawn to the thick rug set in the middle of the hardwood floor. Breanna continued to argue with the dispatcher while Sadie took a step back, toward the edge of the room. There were drag marks on the carpet, which meant—
“Unbelievable,” Breanna huffed. Sadie looked over her shoulder to see that Breanna had hung up the phone. “They think I’m some college kid from America on holiday making a prank call.”
“Well, other than the prank call, they’re right—you are a college kid from America on holiday.” She didn’t wait for Breanna to answer before putting her hand up in a stopping motion. “Don’t come any closer.” Sadie pointed at the carpet. “Drag marks,” she said. “We already messed them up a little bit.”
Breanna had followed her finger and was now inspecting the carpet. “Are you sure they’re drag marks?” she asked, squinting toward them and leaning forward.
“Carpet never lies.” Sadie motioned Breanna to come toward her using the very edges of the room. Once Breanna reached her, they both squatted down to get a better angle.
“I think you’re right,” Breanna breathed as she looked at the two parallel curving lines heading for the door—heel marks. She immediately lifted her phone.
Sadie was about to ask her what she was doing when she realized Breanna was taking a picture. She leaned toward
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