Down by the shoreline, where the dark water met the icy sand, a pair of headlights suddenly flashed once, then twice, cutting through the dark.

I dropped the phone onto the counter.

The plastic clattered loudly against the wood.

“Marlene, get Leo,” I said, my voice shaking. “Get him into the back room.”

Marlene didn’t ask questions.

She hurried toward the stairs, her slippers quiet on the rug.

I kept my eyes on the shoreline.

The headlights flashed again, casting long, sharp shadows across the frozen sand.

Then, the red and blue lights of three police cruisers erupted behind the dark SUV.

The sirens were silent, but the strobes cut through the heavy snowfall.

I saw figures moving in the gloom, silhouettes struggling against the wind.

One figure was forced down onto the hood of a vehicle.

Another man, tall and broad-shouldered, walked away from the scuffle and headed toward my porch.

It was Damon.

His black wool coat was dusted with snow, and his face was grim.

I unlocked the deadbolt just as he reached the door.

He pushed it open, bringing the cold air inside with him.