“This isn’t over, Tessa,” he said.

He turned and walked down the steps, his head bowed against the wind.

The deputy watched him go, then walked up to the porch to speak with Jennifer.

I stepped back into the warmth of the foyer and pulled the heavy oak door closed.

The latch clicked shut with a solid, final sound.

Inside, the house was completely silent.

I stood there for a long moment, my forehead pressed against the cold wood of the door.

My phone vibrated in my pocket.

I pulled it out, my fingers trembling slightly as I unlocked the screen.

It was a text from Molly.

I opened the message, expecting a question about the baby or a word of support.

Instead, there was only a screenshot of a call log.

My phone buzzed again in my hand, a new text message appearing from an unknown number.

The text from the unknown number was brief.

“Tell your lawyer to back off, or I will make sure everyone knows what you did to your own family.”

My thumb hovered over the screen.