Page 211 of Cross & Crown

“Nothing, why?”

Kelly did a double take as they walked. “Nothing?

Seriously? I thought you knew everything.”

“Only thing I know is this is the path the British took

when they retreated to Boston. Obviously something

important happened and now it’s a museum.”

“Smart-ass.”

Nick stepped up to the door and tried the handle. It was

locked. The sign had indicated the place was open from mid-

April to October.

“Maybe they meanlatemid-April,” Kelly said.

Nick used his badge to knock on the window. They could

hear someone moving inside, and finally a woman with a

white bonnet and a Revolutionary-era costume came bustling

up to the door.

“I’m sorry, dear, we’re closed for the day,” she said through

the window.

Nick held the badge up for her to see through the glass.

“We’ll only need a minute,” he told her.

She took a deep stuttering breath and glanced furtively

over her shoulder. “If you’ll come back tomorrow,” she said,

her voice shaky.

Nick cocked his head, looking behind her into the

ancient home. The stairs still sported bullet holes from the

fighting over two-hundred years ago, and everything had

been restored to its original state. Like most homes built in

Massachusetts during the early days, the front faced south.

The afternoon light streamed through the western windows,

and Nick could see a shadow moving on the floorboards in

front of the stairwell.

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