THEODORA and Edwin accompanied me, though I knew they were more interested in viewing the remains of their home than anything else. They could be forgiven their priorities; some things will always be distractions, like a shattered home, or a body at a wake.
I assured them I would be fine on my own, and they were inclined to agree. The arsonists either thought we had been killed in the blaze or knew we had escaped and gone elsewhere. The carcass of the house would no longer be watched. Peach concerned me—Peach always concerned me—but I expected Magpie or one of the other boys to be there, and if for some reason I felt too unsafe, I could always refuse to go inside.
I went with them as far as the shell of their house. The stink was overpowering. I had always liked the smell of wood smoke,
