39 Clues Rapid Fire 2 Ignition by Clifford, Riley

of her beloved grandchildren, Astrid guessed that these two were Amy and Dan Cahill. The boy had dark blond hair and kept swinging his legs back and forth under his chair. Just like Atticus , Astrid thought, thinking of her son, who had turned nine a few weeks ago. Amy sat primly in her seat, but looked shattered by Grace’s passing. While everyone around them gossiped and chattered, Amy and Dan just sat quietly, gazing at the earth where Grace now lay. It was as if those two children were the only people who knew what a funeral was for — who knew what it meant to miss someone. After the services finished, the mourners had lined up, row by row, to toss a shovelful of dirt onto Grace’s grave. Astrid sat this part out. She hadn’t known Grace for too long and it seemed inappropriate to help bury her. It took nearly an hour for each guest to throw in their shovelful of earth. The sky was almost completely overcast now, and the wind had picked up. But no one had left yet. All the relatives were sticking around for something. There was a feeling of nervousness, of anxiety in the air. Groups of families gathered together and almost sneered at others. For all the knowing looks that were being exchanged, Astrid thought she might as well have been in a Roman court during a plot to overthrow the Caesar. She felt her own body tense with anxiety. William McIntyre walked up to the podium next. “Thank you all for coming,” he said gravely. “I am William McIntyre, Madame Cahill’s lawyer and ex