He never called me, let alone from an unlisted number.

“Dad?” I said.

“Don’t hang up,” he whispered, his voice trembling.

I could hear the sound of wind in the background, as if he were walking outside alone.

“I only have a minute,” he said.

“Dad?” I said again, tightening my grip on the receiver.

“Don’t hang up,” he whispered, his voice trembling.

I could hear the sound of wind in the background, as if he were walking outside alone.

“I only have a minute,” he said.

“Where are you?” I asked.

“Behind the garage, near the hedge,” he said. “She thinks I’m looking for my reading glasses in the study.”

The image of my father, a grown man hiding in his own backyard, made my chest tighten.

“Why are you calling me from an unknown number?” I asked.

“I bought a burner phone at the convenience store down the road,” he said. “Helen checks the home phone records every billing cycle.”

I rubbed my forehead, feeling a headache starting to form.

“Is this about Derek?” I asked.