Tunnel of Bones

Pauline takes Cassidy to the Pont Marie, where they meet up with the Blakes. Mrs. Blake tells a ghost story about the wife of a World War II resistance fighter who spied on the Nazis by dating one and bringing his secrets back to her husband. They always met in secret at midnight on the Pont Marie, a bridge that crosses the Seine. One night, the woman’s husband never showed up, and she froze to death while waiting there for him.

While listening to the story, Cassidy realizes that Adele has followed her there. She tells Adele the real reason why she wants to know about Thomas. Adele believes her and gives her old photographs of Thomas and members of his family. Adele then introduces herself to Mr. and Mrs. Blake and invites herself to tag along to their next location, Notre Dame Cathedral. She tells Cassidy that she should help because she speaks French, she can fit into small places, and Thomas is her relative.

As they walk to Notre Dame, Cassidy steps out onto a crosswalk, and a car nearly runs her over. Her father pulls her back just in time. They realize that every stoplight is green, causing chaos in the street. High up in a cathedral tower, Mrs. Blake tells the story of a young woman who was pushed to her death from the tower by an old woman who was never seen again. 

Cassidy enters the Veil, where there’s no fence around the ledge, hoping that the opportunity to push her will draw Thomas out. Jacob becomes furious at how much risk she’s taking. He feels that she’s trying to stop him and Thomas because she thinks he’s “turning into some kind of monster” (138). When Cassidy questions if he remembers his death, he insists that he does but refuses to describe it because it will change the way she thinks of him. While still in the Veil, the ghost of an old woman appears and urges Cassidy and Jacob toward the ledge. Cassidy uses her mirror pendant to send the ghost on. When they exit the Veil, Adele witnesses them appearing out of thin air.

That evening, Cassidy and Adele go up to the hotel room while Cassidy’s parents have a drink in the hotel dining room. The Blakes are scheduled to leave Paris the next day, leaving Cassidy little time to finish her mission. Lara calls when she sees the mayhem occurring across Paris on the news. She’s furious to learn that Cassidy told Adele about ghost hunting. That’s soon forgotten, however, when they realize that Adele knows the story of how Thomas died.

Adele reveals that Thomas, Richard, and two other boys snuck into the Catacombs, where they played hide-and-seek. Thomas was the seeker for the first two games, but in the third game, he hid in a small alcove where an old section of bones fell and trapped him. Richard searched all night but couldn’t find him. A police search party found Thomas’s body. Richard never forgave himself for losing his brother. After hearing the story, Cassidy realizes that the Catacombs will be the best place to remind Thomas of what happened to him. She tells Jacob and Adele that she has an idea about how they can get back into the Catacombs, but she says it’s a “really, really bad” one (149).

Cassidy plans to destroy her parents’ footage from the Catacombs so that they’ll have to go back to film again. She makes it appear as if the cat thought the film reel was a toy ribbon and shredded it. Jacob, using his growing ability to interact with the physical world, knocks the film container onto the floor while Cassidy is with her parents. It creates a loud thump, giving her an alibi. After discovering the destroyed film, Mrs. Blake calls Pauline, who arranges to get them back into the Catacombs after hours.

When they arrive at the Catacombs, Adele is too scared to go in, so she says that she should be getting home. Cassidy thanks her for her help and gives her a salt and sage pouch to help keep her safe. Then, Cassidy and Jacob follow Mr. and Mrs. Blake through the Catacombs’ galleries and into the tunnels.