It's dark now. Miguel Roberto said immediately and knocked on his brother's door with one sharp wrap. Then he looked at Martha. You saw them through the window. Standing by the supply sled.
She kept her voice even. I left Henry's notebook under the sled this afternoon. I forgot to bring it in. Roberto's eyes went to the wrench in her hand. He didn't comment on it.
That was also something she noted about him. Miguel appeared in the hallway, tucking his shirt, took one look at his brother's face, and went for his own rifle without being told. "Stay in the house," Roberto said to Martha. "I'm not going to do that," Martha said. "Mrs.
Whitaker, someone is in that barn with a notebook that is the single most important piece of evidence I have for a case that could see Walter Crane held accountable for a man's death." She said, "I am not staying in this house." Roberto looked at her for exactly one second. Then he looked at Miguel. Miguel shrugged, the shrug of a younger brother who had learned not to argue with people who knew what they were talking about. "Stay behind me," Roberto said to Martha. They went out.
The barn was dark and quiet when they reached the door. Roberto went in first with his rifle up. Miguel behind him, and Martha came last with the wrench in both hands, and her heart loud in her ears. Roberto found the lantern hook and lit it with the matches he'd had the presence of mind to bring. They push pushed out through the barn and Martha went immediately to the supply sled.
She crouched down. She put her hand under the sled where she had left the notebook that afternoon. Her hand found wood and straw and nothing else. She searched the full area. She got onto her hands and knees and looked under the sled from every angle and came up empty and stayed on the floor for a moment with her hand pressed to the straw where the notebook had been and something in her chest that was not quite panic but was close enough to it to be frightening.
"It's gone," she said. Roberto was at the back of the barn. Miguel was checking the stalls. They came back to her and Roberto looked at the empty space under the sled and his jaw tightened. Was there another way out?
She said side door. Roberto said pad locked from outside. If it's still locked, they didn't go that way. He went to check. He came back.