I wasn’t at all surprised by that, but I was a little startled by the fact that the bell was connected to a series of other bells, strung out across the ceiling like a row of sentries, all ringing at pitches just different enough to put my teeth on edge. “Really?” I said over my shoulder to Emily, who was still beaming. “I’m sure the people in the apartment above are thrilled,” Owen said. “There is no apartment above,” Emily said. “It’s the old Masonic Lodge, so it’s just a meeting room and Dad’s office. He hangs out there, and this way he hears everyone who comes in. He’ll be down in a minute, unless he’s into something,” she said. “Or we could go up?” “Maybe next time,” said Owen, and I could tell that I probably shouldn’t push him any further out of his comfort zone than he already was. I looked around the store. On the inside, it was exactly what I had expected: hardwood floors covered haphazardly by a collection of incredibly uncoordinated rugs; shelving units, all so close to one another that the aisles were only wide enough for one person to walk down at a time.
