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She smiled. "Excellent question. I am so glad when my girls ask thought-provoking questions. For one simple reason: Not enough states have passed laws saying that the bodies of criminals sentenced to death should be delivered to surgeons for study."

I felt a shudder pass through me. "Have any states done this?"

"I believe some have. But too few. And anyway, even with such laws there are not enough cadavers for medical schools. So we have body snatching. But why such a question, Emily? What brought it about?"

I shrugged. "Today when Myra told that man how they dug up the body of Willie Lincoln to take back to Illinois some of the girls started talking about body snatching," I lied.

"What they did with Willie Lincoln isn't the same thing."

"I know."

"Perhaps we should have a discussion on it in our Wednesday-morning group. What do you think?"

"No," I said quickly. "I think that with the president's funeral enough of a pall has been cast over us. Some of the girls are getting morbid. I think we need something happier for a discussion."

"I suppose you are right," she said. But she was giving me that quizzical sidelong glance, like she did when she knew a girl wasn't being entirely truthful. "Don't be affected by things Myra says, Emily," she told me. "The girl likes to hear herself talk."

"Yes, ma'am." I gathered up my things. "I hear a carriage out front. I must go."

"Perhaps you would like to do a paper of your own on the subject of body snatching, since your curiosity has been aroused. I will give you extra marks for it."

"No, ma'am." I shook my head.

"Very well, the decision is yours. Go along now. And lock the door on the way out."

It was a long walk to the front of the house, past empty classrooms, parlors, the library. My footsteps echoed. Then I came to the front foyer.

"Hello, Emily."

I near jumped out of my skin. "Myra, what are you doing here?" She was in the shadows of the foyer.

Her smile was knowing. "Waiting for my father. Why didn't you tell her how the question of body snatching came up? And why you don't want it in a Wednesday Discussion Group? And why you don't wish to do a paper for extra marks?"

"It isn't nice to eavesdrop."

"It's less nice to lie. I could suggest, in front of the whole class, that we do body snatching as a subject for the Wednesday Discussion Group. The other girls would love it. You'd be outnumbered. Shall I?"

I recognized a threat when I heard one. "What do you want of me, Myra?"

"It's very simple. Get me in to see what's in that shed your uncle has behind his house."

I couldn't believe it. "What?"

"You heard me. My father has been looking his place over. He says if only he could get into that shed he would have a story. Only he can't trespass. And he hasn't enough evidence on your uncle to warrant going in on his own."

"I'm sorry for your father, then."

"I'm sorrier for you if you don't. Because I shall bring up the discussion of body snatching to Mrs. McQuade, then. And tell her, and the whole class, the reason why."

"She wouldn't stand for such."

"No, but they'd all know my father is investigating your uncle. Do you want that?"

"No, but neither do I want you poking about my uncle's shed."

"Am I to take that as an admission that he is engaged in body snatching, then?"

I was trapped. "He isn't engaged in body snatching," I said.

"Then why not do as I wish?"

"Because I can't just ask my uncle to let you in there. He has his laboratory in there. Important things."

"I'm not asking him to let me in. He'd clear out any evidence first."

"What are you asking, then?"

"Sneak me in."

"So you can spy for your father."

"I'll not be spying if there's nothing to spy on."

Was there no way out of this dreadful dilemma? Would this hateful girl never get out of my life? Why hadn't I let her run off earlier today with those three men from Baltimore? Maybe then her father would have been so busy investigating her disappearance he'd have had no time to investigate Uncle Valentine. What would be worse? To call her bluff? And let her tell the class of her father's