It was eight-thirty at night when Molly knocked on the door. Wiona opened it, glancing down at Marian asleep on the floor. “She’s really out?”
Molly gave her a thumbs-up. “Relax, Wiona. I got some sleeping pills from Dr. Monroe’s room and slipped them into Marian’s water before bed. She’s sleeping deeper than she did this afternoon.”
Wiona was already bundled up in her coat, tugging the collar tighter around her neck. “Let’s go.”
Now that she’d figured out the truth about the painting, there was no reason to stay at the Salisbury estate. Mason had already left with Dr. Monroe, following the path Molly had planned. Wiona and Molly slipped out too, ducking into the shadows along Molly’s secret route, careful to avoid every security camera.
“How did you even find this way out?” Wiona asked, grateful she’d gotten to know Molly. These days, Molly was nothing short of a lifesaver.
The path wound through overgrown bushes and tangled flowerbeds, but hardly anyone ever patrolled this area.
“When I was a kid, whenever my dad was about to hit me, I’d hide out here,” Molly said quietly. “The bushes are thick and tall, so once I crawled inside, he could never find me. I’d just cry by myself and nobody would notice. After a while, I dug a little hole under the fence. Before I knew it, it was my own secret passage.”
Wiona was surprised. “Didn’t you tell me it was a dog tunnel?”
Molly grinned. “Yeah, my own special dog tunnel. We’re here, Wiona. Sorry, but you’ll have to crawl through. Careful with your belly.”
Molly gently pulled apart the bushes and shielded Wiona’s head so she could go through first. The opening was tiny. Wiona had no idea how Mason and Dr. Monroe had managed to squeeze through. She had a feeling that after she and Molly disappeared tonight, this hiding spot wouldn’t stay secret much longer.
Just as that thought crossed her mind, a low voice shouted behind them. “Who’s there?”
Crap!
They’d beefed up security tonight. They’d been spotted.
Molly’s legs were still sticking out of the bushes, but as soon as she heard the voice, she scrambled forward, accidentally bumping her head into Wiona as they both squeezed through the hole.
Behind them, the guards realized what was happening and barked into their radios. “Emergency! Emergency! West wall! Move!”
Two security guards lunged forward with flashlights, tearing back the bushes. They saw the hole and, inside, someone trying to crawl out.
Their hearts dropped as they dove for the exit.
“Stop!”
Wiona had already been pushed out by Molly. She lay flat on the grass, barely daring to breathe, then whipped around and grabbed for Molly’s hands.
“Hurry, Molly, come on!”

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