I looked up at him, my heart hammering against my ribs.

Julian was staring at the printout, his face completely expressionless.

“It’s a common antique design,” Julian added, turning his gaze to the detective.

“Maybe,” Marcus said. “But the rust pattern is identical. I need to see that door, Mr. Vance.”

Julian let go of my hand and took a slow step toward the kitchen hallway.

“Of course,” Julian said, his face softening into a cooperative expression.

“Let me just grab the key from my study upstairs,” Julian said, pointing toward the stairs.

“I’ll be right back down,” Julian added, his eyes locking onto mine for a brief, intense second.

He turned and walked quickly up the wooden staircase, his footsteps quiet.

I stood alone in the foyer with Detective Marcus, the sound of the rain beating against the glass.

My phone, sitting on the console table just inches from my hand, suddenly vibrated.

The screen lit up with a silent notification from the smart-home app.

I glanced down at the screen.

The smart-home app displayed a warning: *Basement Lock: Manual Override.*