She took a slow step toward him, her boots scraping against the dusty floor.

“Did you ever care about the baby?” she asked.

Ethan’s eyes flickered toward her, then back to the hatchway.

“Not now, Megan,” he spit out.

“You told me we needed to come tonight because of the baby,” she said, her voice shaking but clear. “You said we needed to establish residency immediately to protect our family.”

“We did,” Ethan said, his knuckles white around the grip of the gun.

“No,” Megan said, shaking her head. “You used my pregnancy to get me in this house. You knew my sister wouldn’t call the police on me while I was carrying your child.”

I shifted my weight slightly, tilting my coat pocket outward so the phone’s microphone was pointed directly at them.

I prayed the dispatcher on the other end could hear every word through the static.

“It was a perfect shield, wasn’t it?” Megan asked, taking another step.

“Stop moving,” Ethan warned, his arm shaking as he pointed the gun toward the dark stairs.