Maya did not sleep that night.

She tried.

She really tried.

She turned off her bedroom light at ten.

She put her phone on silent.

She even placed a pillow over her head.

Nothing worked.

Every time she closed her eyes, she saw the message written on the surface of the tea.

I KNOW WHAT YOU DID.

The problem was simple.

Maya had no idea what she had done.

At 1:13 a.m., she sat up.

“Okay.”

She looked around her room.

“Who are you?”

Nobody answered.

She stared at her bookshelf.

Nothing.

Her desk.

Nothing.

Her window.

Nothing.

Then her phone vibrated.

Maya nearly fell out of bed.

A message had appeared.

UNKNOWN NUMBER

Don’t trust the cat.

Maya stared at the screen.

Another message appeared.

Especially when he smiles.

She slowly looked toward her bedroom door.

A shadow moved underneath it.

Maya grabbed her lamp.

The door opened.

“BOO!”

Maya screamed.

Her younger cousin Nina, who was staying with the family for the week, stood there laughing.

“Got you!”

Maya threw a pillow at her.

“You’re horrible!”

Nina laughed.

“What are you doing awake?”

“Nothing.”

“You look scared.”

“I had a strange dream.”

Nina climbed onto the edge of the bed.

“What kind?”

Maya hesitated.

“About a tea shop.”

Nina’s expression suddenly changed.

“The Moonlit Teacup?”

Maya stared.

“How do you know that name?”

Nina shrugged.

“I’ve heard of it.”

“From where?”

“Grandma.”

“What did she say?”

Nina became quiet.

“She said nobody should ever drink tea there.”

Maya remembered Biscuit’s warning.

Don’t drink the tea.

Her phone vibrated again.

Another message.

9:00 AM. Bellflower Station.

Maya stared at it.

Nina leaned closer.

“Secret admirer?”

“No.”

“Secret enemy?”

“Maybe.”

“Can I come?”

“No.”

“Then definitely yes.”

By 8:45 the next morning, Maya and Eli were standing outside Bellflower Station.

Eli was carrying a backpack.

Maya stared at it.

“What did you bring?”

“Investigation equipment.”

He opened it.

Inside were:

A magnifying glass.

Three notebooks.

A flashlight.

Two sandwiches.

A roll of duct tape.

A rubber chicken.

Maya stared.

“Why the chicken?”

“Emergency distraction.”

“From what?”

“Chickens.”

She sighed.

“You’re impossible.”

“I’ve been told.”

The station was almost empty.

Only a few passengers stood near the ticket machines.

Maya checked the clock.

8:59.

Then 9:00.

Nothing happened.

Eli looked around.

“Maybe whoever sent the message isn’t coming.”

A train arrived.

The doors opened.

People stepped out.

One elderly man.

Two students.

A woman carrying flowers.

A businessman.

A little boy holding a red balloon.

Then the doors closed.

The train left.

Maya frowned.

“That’s strange.”

“What?”

“The message said someone would meet us.”

“Maybe they were late.”

Maya looked at the station board.

A destination flashed across it.

LAVENDER FALLS — ARRIVING 9:17

Eli pointed.

“That’s our next clue.”

“How?”

“Because it sounds mysterious.”

“That isn’t evidence.”

“It’s enough for me.”

At 9:17, another train arrived.

But nobody got off.

The doors opened.

The carriage was empty.

Maya stepped inside.

Eli followed.

The doors closed behind them.

“Wait,” Maya said.

“What?”

“There are no passengers.”

Eli looked around.

“Maybe it’s an empty train.”

“No.”

Maya pointed toward the seats.

Every seat had a teacup sitting on it.

Sixteen cups.

Each one filled with steaming tea.

Eli stared.

“Okay.”

He slowly took out his notebook.

“This is definitely a mystery.”

Maya approached the nearest cup.

A name was written on it.

MRS. CLARA FINCH.

She recognized the name.

“The bakery owner.”

Another cup.

MR. THOMAS BELL.

“The mayor.”

Another.

DETECTIVE ARTHUR BELL.

Eli frowned.

“Why would a detective have a cup of tea on an empty train?”

Maya didn’t answer.

She checked the remaining cups.

Every cup had a name.

Except one.

The final cup had no name.

Instead, it had a date.

TOMORROW.

Maya felt cold.

“This is connected to the tea shop.”

Eli nodded.

“Obviously.”

A sound came from the front of the train.

Ding.

The doors between the carriages opened.

A person walked through.

Maya froze.

It was Mrs. Clementine.

She was carrying a tray.

“Good morning.”

Eli stared.

“How did you get here?”

“Tea shop owners have their methods.”

“Did you drive?”

“No.”

“Bus?”

“No.”

“Teleportation?”

Mrs. Clementine smiled.

“Perhaps.”

Maya looked at her.

“Why are these cups here?”

Mrs. Clementine placed the tray down.

“They are invitations.”

“To what?”

“A meeting.”

“When?”

“Tonight.”

“Where?”

Mrs. Clementine looked toward the window.

“The tea shop.”

Maya shook her head.

“Who is going to disappear?”

Mrs. Clementine’s smile disappeared.

“I don’t know.”

“But you knew this would happen.”

“Yes.”

“Then tell me something useful.”

Mrs. Clementine reached into her pocket.

She handed Maya a tiny brass key.

“This belongs to the person who never arrived.”

Maya looked at the key.

“Who?”

“The sixteenth customer.”

Maya looked toward the sixteenth cup.

The cup without a name.

“Who was supposed to sit here?”

Mrs. Clementine whispered:

“My daughter.”

Maya’s eyes widened.

“You have a daughter?”

“I did.”

“What happened to her?”

“She disappeared seventeen years ago.”

The train suddenly shook.

The lights flickered.

Mrs. Clementine grabbed the tray.

“Get off.”

“Why?”

“Now.”

The train doors opened.

Maya and Eli jumped onto the platform.

Mrs. Clementine followed.

The moment their feet touched the ground, the train disappeared.

Not left.

Not moved.

Disappeared.

The tracks were empty.

Eli’s mouth fell open.

“That is going in my notebook.”

Maya stared at the empty platform.

“What just happened?”

Mrs. Clementine looked exhausted.

“The train only appears when someone is missing.”

Maya looked at the brass key.

“Your daughter?”

“Yes.”

“What was her name?”

Mrs. Clementine hesitated.

Then whispered:

“Rose.”

Maya stared at the key.

A tiny flower was engraved on it.

A rose.

Suddenly, someone laughed behind them.

They turned.

Biscuit sat on a bench.

Maya stared.

“You followed us?”

Biscuit yawned.

“I was bored.”

“You can’t come onto trains.”

“I can do whatever I want.”

Eli pointed at him.

“You’re the suspicious one.”

Biscuit looked offended.

“I am adorable.”

“You are creepy.”

“I am both.”

Maya crouched beside him.

“Biscuit, did you know Rose?”

The cat stopped joking.

His expression became serious.

“Yes.”

“Where is she?”

“I don’t know.”

“You’re lying.”

Biscuit looked away.

Maya noticed something beneath his collar.

A tiny silver tag.

She reached for it.

Biscuit immediately pulled away.

“Don’t.”

“Why?”

“Because some things are better forgotten.”

Maya stared.

“That’s exactly what everyone keeps saying.”

Biscuit jumped down.

Then he whispered:

“Rose didn’t disappear.”

Maya’s heart stopped.

“She was taken.”

“By whom?”

Biscuit looked toward the distant clock tower.

“The person who owns tomorrow.”

Before Maya could ask another question, Biscuit ran away.

Eli stared after him.

“Did he just say someone owns tomorrow?”

“Yes.”

“That sentence makes absolutely no sense.”

“Nothing here makes sense.”

They returned to the tea shop before noon.

Mrs. Clementine was waiting.

Maya placed the brass key on the counter.

“Tell me everything.”

The old woman stared at the key.

“You found it.”

“It was on the train.”

“I know.”

“Why did Rose disappear?”

Mrs. Clementine looked toward the clock.

“Because she discovered the truth about the tea.”

“What truth?”

Mrs. Clementine opened a locked cabinet.

Inside were dozens of tiny glass bottles.

Each bottle contained a different colored liquid.

“What are those?”

“Memories.”

Maya stepped closer.

“You mean memories can be stored?”

“Yes.”

“Like the garden in our last—”

She stopped herself.

Eli looked confused.

Maya shook her head.

“Never mind.”

Mrs. Clementine picked up a blue bottle.

“This tea doesn’t predict the future.”

Maya frowned.

“Then what does it do?”

“It remembers it.”

Silence.

“What does that mean?”

Mrs. Clementine looked directly at Maya.

“Tomorrow has already happened somewhere.”

Maya stared.

“That is impossible.”

“Yet you are holding the key.”

The grandfather clock suddenly rang.

Once.

Twice.

Three times.

Then it stopped.

A piece of paper slid from beneath it.

Maya picked it up.

There was only one sentence.

THE SIXTEENTH CUSTOMER WILL ARRIVE TONIGHT.

Eli swallowed.

“That’s Rose.”

Mrs. Clementine shook her head.

“No.”

“Then who?”

The shop door opened.

A stranger stepped inside.

He wore a dark blue coat.

His face was hidden beneath a black hat.

He walked to the counter.

Placed a coin on it.

And said:

“Tea for one.”

Maya stared.

Mrs. Clementine went pale.

Biscuit jumped onto the counter.

His fur stood up.

The stranger slowly removed his hat.

Maya’s heart stopped.

He looked exactly like the photograph hanging above the fireplace.

A photograph of Rose.

Except this was a man.

And beneath the photograph were three words:

Rose’s missing brother.

The stranger smiled.

“Hello, Clementine.”

Mrs. Clementine whispered:

“You’re supposed to be dead.”

The man laughed.

“No.”

He looked directly at Maya.

“I’m supposed to be tomorrow.”