Chapter SixEllie stood outside Sam's apartment door in the alley next to Stilton's Hardware. Her hand hovered, ready to knock, feeling as if she were about to start something hopelessly irreversible if she did. But Margo had already accomplished that, hadn't she?
She knocked. The door opened in five seconds. Must have been waiting.
She swallowed. “Hi.”
Sam nodded, pushing a wave of hair back from his eyes. “Hi. Thanks for coming.”
She grimaced a smile. Like I had a choice. “Sure.” She followed him up the once-familiar stairs.
He paused at the top and looked at her. His mouth opened, then closed.
She doubted he knew what to say either. “Um, I figured working here would be better than at the library or Ray's,” she said. “Fewer people, less talk?”
He nodded, understanding. “Sure. I agr
