How doees the townspeople react to Jacob inquiry about old childrens home from book peculiar children?

When Jacob first inquired about the old childrens home in the town, he faced a negative reaction from the townspeople. People were either unwilling to talk about it, or they responded with hostility and resentment. Some residents seemed to be intentionally evasive, while others even showed anger towards Jacob for asking about the abandoned building. The overall atmosphere in the town was hostile, hinting at a dark secret surrounding the old childrens home that the locals wanted to keep hidden.