Suddenly, the phone in my pocket vibrated.

The screen lit up with a blue glow in the dark basement.

It was another text from an unknown number.

I opened it quickly.

“Jake is still in the neighborhood,” the text read.

“He has the remaining parts,” it continued.

“He’s waiting for the building inspectors to arrive,” the final line read.

I showed the screen to Carl.

“How do they know the inspectors are coming?” I asked.

“Because Mallerie called them,” Carl said. “She must have reported a hazardous heat failure.”

“If the inspectors see the boiler in this state, they’ll issue the order immediately,” I said.

Before Carl could answer, a loud, scraping sound came from the stairwell behind us.

The beam of the flashlight flicked toward the stairs.

A shadow was standing at the top of the concrete steps, silhouetted against the light from the hallway.

The shadow moved slowly down the first three steps.

I held my breath, my back pressed against the cold brick wall.

The flashlight beam caught a pair of worn canvas sneakers.

“Carl?” a voice whispered.

It was Derek.