What Inna did (or rather, what Inna didn't)

Hey, Kirsten here.

This morning, the doorbell rang. I answered the door, and Inna was standing there. After what happened yesterday I wasn't too surprised.

"Are you here to talk to Blakeney?" I asked with a lump in my throat, as I helped her hang up her raincoat in the hall closet. "Because she's not home, she's at work." That was true - but she would be home eventually, and then we were presumably sunk.

"Not at the moment," Inna replied. "I'm wondering what you girls think you're doing."

"What do you mean?" Lame. Laaaame. I knew exactly what she meant, but I was trying to buy time and I couldn't think of anything better.

"There's a girl in your shed."

"There is?" I was playing dumb.

Inna sighed. "Yes, and you girls know that. I think you've also already realized there's something... unusual... about your shed-dweller, too."

"Who have you told?"

In a way I didn't really want to know the answer to that, but I kind of had to. I had to figure out how much damage had been done.

"No one, yet. I figured you probably had a good reason to keep it a secret. I'm going to have to tell your guardian eventually, though. So I guess this is an ultimatum. Tell Blakeney today, or I'll tell her tomorrow."

I breathed a sigh of relief. It wasn't going to be an easy conversation... but at least it could happen on our terms. Obviously I was glad. I was also confused, though. Why hadn't Inna spilled the beans on us? Why was she willing to even temporarily keep our secret, when it could backfire on her too if someone found out she knew and didn't say anything?

I told my sisters about this after she left - including my puzzlement - and Bree gave me a weird look. "Really?" Bree asked. "You can't think of any reason why Inna might want to be absolutely sure she wasn't telling a secret that was going to harm someone?"

Oh yeah. Their family moved here to escape from someone and the fact they were found might turn out to be a huge problem for them. No wonder she wasn't in a hurry to blab about Clare - she came to the same conclusion we did, that Clare is hiding out because she's in danger too. Thank goodness for understanding friends!

Now we just have to figure out how we're going to tell Blakeney. This should be... interesting.

Love,
Kir