Read Online Button Hill by Michael Bradford - Free Book Online Page B

Some of these entries are from about a hundred years ago. There’s a Miss Primrose on the first page.”
    Harper’s voice crackled out of the handset. “I knew she was old, but not that old. No wonder she’s so grouchy. The main floor’s trashed, but empty.”
    â€œWhere are you now?”
    â€œYour aunt’s bedroom. It’s still perfect, like no one’s been here. Turned-down blankets, fancy pillows, all where they should be.”
    â€œWeird.” Dekker riffled ahead in the book until he found that day’s date. “The next train is the midnight train. And our names are on the list. Not just ours—Riley’s and Cobb’s too.”
    Harper’s voice crackled through the walkie-talkie. “That solves one problem—how we get out of here. Now all we have to do is get Riley.”
    He glanced through the train schedule for more clues. Huh, that’s weird. He tore the page he was looking at out of the book and stuffed it into his pocket. “Okay, I’m coming up. Wait for me there.”
    â€œCopy that,” said Harper.
    Dekker walked through the house, passing by the makeshift fort in the living room and the piles of books and knickknacks that had been pulled from the shelves. He crept up to the second-floor landing and peeked into his bedroom. There was Riley, sitting cross-legged on the floor. Cobb sat facing her, his back to the door. A white music box, fine and delicate, sat between them on the floor, along with a stuffed bear. Some toddler-sized toy soldiers stood guard on either side of the door.
    Cobb sighed loudly. “No, I told you already: your stuffies can’t join forces with my soldiers.”
    â€œBut why ?” asked Riley. Dekker smiled. He used to hate it when Riley did that, but now it was music to his ears.
    â€œBecause they’re soldiers. They have a job to do. They don’t have time to be in a family.”
    Riley swiped at the soldiers, and they clattered against the wall. “You’re no good at playing. Dekker always lets his soldiers be in a family with my stuffies. I want Dekker back.”
    Cobb jeered. “Say that one more time and you’ll regret it. I’m your brother now.”
    â€œI wish he was here, not you.”
    Dekker burst into the room between the guards. “Wish granted!” he shouted. Dekker kicked Cobb hard from behind, and he toppled against the bed.
    Cobb turned, his face tight with rage. “How dare you!”
    Before he could get up, Dekker spoke again. “Don’t even think about attacking me. I did it. I found Riley. And,” he said, pointing out the window, “I did it before the Nightclock reached midnight.” Dekker turned to Riley as Cobb got to his feet. “Are you okay?”
    Riley wrapped her arms around his waist and looked up at him, eyes shining. “I knew you’d come.”
    Cobb faced them. He smoothed his paper-white hair away from his face. The black marbles spun in his eye sockets. “I hate to break up the family reunion, but we must resolve this quickly. Riley and I will be leaving soon.”
    â€œThat wasn’t part of our deal. You said you’d leave Riley alone and answer my question if I found her in time, and I did.”
    Riley pointed at Cobb. “Yeah, and there’s no way I’m going with you.”
    Cobb flashed his glittery teeth. “But you do want to get home, don’t you? And as your other brother will be staying here, I’m your only way out.”
    Dekker crossed his arms. “You can’t go back on your deal. You promised to play by the rules. And I know the rules mean something here.”
    But Cobb kept grinning. “I have no intention of breaking the rules. But when you’re dead, I think you’ll find that what you want to ask me is quite different from what you first had in mind.” He took a step forward. “Then I can do as I please. And what