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skin didn’t.
    Reaching into the hole I’d made, I groped for the dead bolt, so pleased with myself that I didn’t hear the car pulling up to the curb. I
did,
however, hear Bee’s and Ryan’s frantic whispers behind me, and I turned to them, about to tell them both to hush already, when the blue and red lights flashed on.
    Eff. Me.

Chapter 5
    T HIRT Y MINUTES LATER, I was standing on David’s front lawn, staring at my aunt Jewel, who had still not finished lecturing me.
    â€œNineteen forty-three,” she said, arms folded across her chest. When I’d called, she’d been asleep, so she was wearing a pale green housecoat over peach silk pajamas. “That is the last time the police had to be called on a member of this family.”
    â€œAunt Jewel—” I started, but she just lifted a hand to cut me off.
    â€œNow, Harper Jane, I am not upset that the police had to be called on you. The women in this family have always followed the rules too well for my taste.”
    From behind me, I could hear Ryan sigh. He had wanted to call his dad, or maybe mine, what with him being a lawyer and all, but I had reminded him that A) my dad did tax law, and B) no one was as good at getting out of sticky situations as Aunt Jewel.
    Also, I knew she wouldn’t call my mom.
    â€œ
But,
” Aunt Jewel continued, “what I can in
no way support
is your nearly getting arrested for trying to break into yourex-boyfriend’s house.” She gave a little sniff, pushing her glasses back up her nose. “Show some pride, Harper, honestly.”
    That stung, and I made an outraged noise, hands on my hips. “Okay, first of all, my trying to break into David’s house has nothing to do with him being my ex-boyfriend.”
    Aunt Jewel raised her silver eyebrows, taking in Bee and Ryan standing behind me. “Is it Oracle stuff, then?”
    Now it was Bee’s and Ryan’s turn to make outraged noises, and I turned to them, pushing my hair away from my face. “Okay, so maybe I had some conversations with Aunt Jewel last year, but”—I pointed a finger at them—“it was after I caught the two of you making out, so really, when you think about it, that’s your fault, too. I was . . . emotionally compromised.”
    â€œGreat,” Ryan muttered, and Aunt Jewel reached out to smack his upper arm.
    â€œDo not take that tone! Yes, Harper told me y’all’s little secret, but I’ve kept it, haven’t I?”
    Neither of them could argue with that, and Aunt Jewel turned back to me, those eyebrows still up. “What were you looking for, then?”
    I’d been really honest with Aunt Jewel, but I wasn’t sure I wanted to be
that
honest right now. After all, she’d worry if she knew about the attack tonight, and there was no need for that.
    â€œI thought David might have left some books behind that I could use,” I told her, and Aunt Jewel smacked
my
upper arm this time.
    â€œHogwash,” she pronounced. “I know you, girl, and there is no way you’d risk arrest just to find some books.”
    Rubbing the spot on my arm, I glared at her. Okay, I
tried
to, but Aunt Jewel is a formidable lady. So it was more a quick hard stare before I went back to cowering a little bit.
    â€œShe
was
looking for books, Aunt Jewel,” Bee insisted, coming to stand beside me. Like Ryan, she’d known The Aunts her whole life, too, and had basically been adopted by them. “We promise.”
    Aunt Jewel harrumphed at that, but looked at the three of us, standing there on David’s lawn, probably looking as exhausted as we felt. It wasn’t that late, but, man, had it been a night.
    â€œAll three of you are going home now,” she said, and when I went to protest, she just shook her head. “No. Whatever it is, it can wait until tomorrow. You’re lucky I was able to convince that police officer that