“Sneaking out?” he asked. “We just went shopping,” I said. “I see. That makes it so much better,” Jackson said. I shrugged and kept my eyes on the television. I wasn’t in the mood for him to guilt me into anything. He reached out with one hand and spun the sofa around, so that the television was to my back. It was startling, mainly because the sofa was so big and he managed it with minimal effort. “Come on,” he told me. “Come on, where? You’re not going to kill me and dump the body in the bayous, are you?” I asked suspiciously. “I was thinking about it…but, sadly, no. I figure the best way to keep you from acting like a teenager is to keep you occupied.” “It usually works,” I confirmed. We walked into his room. Margaret was gone, though I hadn’t noticed her leave. The room was pristine, the bed untouched. I wondered if they had gotten any rest since getting here. It made me feel doubly upset for my days spent in nothing but rest. Jackson picked up two fencing foils I hadn’t noticed he had brought from the corner of the room.
