Chapter 3

Finally Alone

The call came just after six.

David’s phone rang while the three of us were still in the kitchen. I watched his face change as he listened surprise first, then the focused expression he got when something unexpected needed handling. He hung up, already reaching for his keys.

“Work emergency. They need me on-site overnight. Drive’s about two hours each way, so I won’t be back until morning.” He looked between James and me. “You two good here?”

“We’re fine,” James said. His voice was steady. Mine would not have been.

David left twenty minutes later with a duffel bag and a thermos of coffee. The...