The lights in the front living room were turned off.

I slipped my key into the lock of the side door.

I turned it slowly, clicking the mechanism without making a sound.

I stepped inside the mudroom, closing the door behind me with infinite care.

The familiar smell of lavender and old wood greeted me.

I slipped off my shoes so my footsteps wouldn’t echo on the hardwood floor.

I needed to get upstairs to Rylan’s desk in the guest room.

That was where he kept his metal lockbox.

I crept toward the hallway.

As I neared the dining room, I heard the low murmur of voices.

I froze in place.

The dining room door was slightly ajar, letting a sliver of warm yellow light fall across the floor.

I pressed my back against the wall, holding my breath.

“She’s getting suspicious,” Rylan’s voice said.

He sounded tense, devoid of his usual charming cadence.

“She doesn’t know anything for sure,” another voice replied.

It was Solene, her tone sharp and icy.

“And what if she does?” a third voice asked.