"That was so creepy," said Allison.

"As hell," I said.

"It allowed her to give you that information about the digging," said Allison.

"I know."

"It could have stopped her earlier, but didn't," said Allison. "Which means..."

"Which means it wanted me to know about the digging."

"But why?"

"I don't know," I said.

I nodded absently. I couldn't stop thinking about the desperate look in Tara's eyes, even as she was compelled to say the words that came out of her mouth at the end, even as she was compelled to get up and leave.

I shuddered as my cell phone rang.

Secure line. Detective Sherbet, no doubt. I picked up immediately.

"Sam, it's Sherbet."

"I would never have guessed."

"No jokes, Sam. Someone tried to break into your home last night."

"My kids - "

"Are safe with me. I'm here at Kingsley's home, if you want to call it that - "

"What happened, Detective?"

"A neighbor reported the break-in.

Nothing was stolen, as far as we know."

He paused. "But they really weren't looking to steal anything, were they, Sam?"

"I don't think so," I said.

"What were they looking for, Samantha? Be straight with me."

I thought of Kingsley words, words that still made me feel sick to my stomach.

"My kids, I think," I said.

"Why?"

"I don't know yet."

"Christ, you get into some weird shit."

He paused. "Sam, there's something else."

My heart thumped hard. "What?"

"Kingsley's rather, um, interesting manservant - "

"Butler," I said.

"Whatever. Frankie or whatever his name is, claimed to have seen someone lurking outside Kingsley's house this morning - "

"Shit."

"Sam, what the devil is going on?"

I gave him a glimpse of my thoughts, even long distance, and I sensed him shaking his head. "You have got to be kidding me," he said.

"No."

"That's some weird shit."

"Detective, I think it's important that you take my kids somewhere else."

"Where?"

I thought hard about that. "Somewhere I don't know. Somewhere safe."

"Somewhere you don't know? What the devil are you..." And then Sherbet, the only other human being besides Allison who was privy to my thoughts, finally caught on. "I understand. I mean, I really don't understand. In fact, I'm fairly certain I'm going batshit crazy. But, yeah, I think I understand."

"You do?" I said urgently.

"Yeah, you don't want me to tell you where I'm taking the kids because..." he paused, no doubt searching for words.

"Yes," I said, finishing for him, "because the thing inside me is listening."