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"Right. At any rate, he really went after anyone who sat down with the tarot card reader at the festival, whatever her name was, and the problem is that that was around two dozen people.” Jake looked embarrassed and glanced around to make sure they were still alone. “The list includes the Thursons, the Stinsons, and quite a few other business owners. He’s calling for a boycott, Lou.”

Lou’s brows raised. “A boycott of what?”

“All of them! He said the village shouldn’t be giving their hard-earned money to the devil.”

“Oh, this is absurd,” Lou said, and Maggie had to agree. “Sam has always been an ass, but this is really too ridiculous. What did people say?”

Jake shrugged. “Nothing to me, but he’s planting the seeds. I think that’s all that matters.”

“Did any of you get readings?” Maggie asked. The last thing the Barrows needed was a scandal when they were about to expand, attaching the Engelsens’ name to theirs.

“No,” Jake replied, still looking abashed. “No, we didn’t.”

“Perhaps if we had, we could have seen this coming.” Lou’s tone, normally dry, was reaching new heights of parched. “You could see the future, isn’t that right, Maggie?”

Maggie stood up straight, ignoring Lou. “So, Sam has declared war. What do we do?”

Jake let out a breath. He sank against the building behind him, and he looked very young, suddenly. “Not war, surely. He’s just looking out for his community.” He paused, taking a deep breath and looking upwards. “I thought it would be fair to tell you.”

“Thank you?” Maggie said, not bothering to sound anything but confused.

“I’ve known Sam a long time,” Jake continued, and Lou’s face dropped into a scowl. “He isn’t a bad man; just misguided. I can’t imagine he wants to damage the village, really.” He shook his head. “He saw evil, and he wants to protect everyone.”

“Yes, he seems to have a protective streak a mile wide,” Maggie said coolly, beginning to lean on her friend a bit. Lou patted her arm.

Jake’s expression sharpened. “Little you would know about it, Miss Cruthers. We’re a God-fearing community⁠—”

“We’re not,” Lou interjected.

“—and I saw first-hand your skills with the occult.”

“Theo is the one who saw the readings, Jake,” Lou said. “And then he told you about it. That’s quite literally second-hand information, and I haven’t told anyone, and I know David and Theo haven’t told anyone, which means you must have.” She let out a huff. “Not very God-like to ignore your elder brother’s specific wishes to leave it alone.”

Maggie’s heart shot to her throat. Theo had… he’d asked them…

“Louise, stop.” Jake looked at his sister with visible anguish. “You know what I mean.”

Maggie lifted her chin. “I am not ashamed of my past.” Mostly. Not the parts he knew about, anyway. “And why are you telling me this, anyway? I imagine you’d be happy enough if we were run out of town in disgrace.”

Lou squeezed Maggie’s arm, not removing her gaze from her brother.

Jake’s jaw ticked. “My brother cares for you, and I don’t want him hurt.” He straightened. “Sam is very convincing. It’s part of what makes him a good preacher. And he has very strong convictions about the occult.”

“For Christ’s sake,” Maggie hissed. “It’s history. We moved here to get away from it!”

“Well, apparently you didn’t go far enough,” Jake replied smoothly. He looked down the empty alley. “I need to go. Watch yourself, Miss Cruthers. And Lou,” he added, “be careful. We don’t need to be tainted by association.” Without waiting for a response, he dashed out of the alley and into the sunlight.

“Shitting fuck,” Maggie said, twisting away from Lou and wiping her sweaty palms on her skirts. “That girl wasn’t even a real spiritualist. He’s angry that people wanted some harmless entertainment and he retaliates by threatening our families’ means? How is that Christ-like?”

“He doesn’t seem to think it was harmless,” Lou said, almost amused. “I wouldn’t worry too much, Maggie. Sam isn’t particularly well-respected here.”

“Lovely.” Maggie’s hands went to her hips, and she stared out into the sunny road ahead of them, thick with people who hadn’t been pulled into a shameful alleyway. “Lovely.”

“Perhaps we could arrange an accident at the shop,” Lou suggested. “I understand that human meat is not unlike pork.”

“I don’t think Theo would sell pastor flesh in his shop,” Maggie said.

Lou opened her mouth, but appeared to change her mind, simply looking after her brother down her nose. “Right. Well. Maybe David would, if Laura suggested it.”